As Hollywood thrums with excitement over this year’s Academy Awards, the 86th celebration of filmmaking excellence, we turned to some of Hawaii’s rising stars to get a fresh perspective on the best work of 2013. Their marching orders were simple: Each was a jury of one tasked with picking a winner in the six major award categories. Our young judges are a thoughtful and accomplished group whose names are worth remembering. And who knows? One day they could be Oscar nominees, too.

Kanani Rogers, 19, recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time acting career. She grew up in an acting family in Hawaii — her father, Scott Rogers, owns an acting school — and she appeared in the pilot of the NBC series “Hawaii” and episodes of ABC’s “Lost” and the CBS drama “Hawaii Five-0.”

Joanna Sotomura, a perky 26-year-old ‘Iolani graduate from Hawaii Kai, stars in the Web series “Emma Approved.” She’s also appeared in the 2011 horror film “Madison County” and the CBS series “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.”

Brothers Jordan and Aaron Kandell’s “The Golden Record” was named to the prestigious Black List as one of the best unproduced films of 2013. The twins, who are 31, also sold an action adventure story to RKO Pictures and are working on a blockbuster project for Warner Bros.

Filmmaker Kenji Doughty, 26, is a writer and director with the film production company Rising Sons, which is in post-production for a feature documentary called Twinsters” and in pre-production for a Web series. The production company’s 2011 short feature “Until the Sun Sets” is a visually stunning look at old Hawaii.

Erin Lau, 21, a filmmaking student at the University of Hawaii’s Academy for Creative Media, won the 2013 Eurocinema award for best student film for her short “Little Girl’s War Cry.”

BEST PICTURE

Rogers: “The Wolf of Wall Street”

“The combination of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dynamic acting and Martin Scorsese’s, as always, captivating direction alone is enough to give this film best picture. There were stand-out performances from all, it was well thought out and well put together. From the beginning to end, it had my full attention. The whole film took place in such a heightened world, and yet the dark humor and the acting still managed to make it realistic.”

Sotomura: “Gravity”

“I thought it was wonderful, a full-on cinematic experience. The special effects, on top of the story line, on top of the acting, made you completely forget you were watching a film.”

Kandells: “Her”

“It’s not going to win … but in a field of great films, ‘Her’ stood out as something original and special. It could have failed but instead struck a deeply emotional chord for us that few films attain and which will resonate for us as filmmakers for years to come.” 

Doughty: “Gravity”

“There were many great films this year, but only one that was groundbreaking. From the very first shot, the film ‘Gravity’ sucks you into the void of space and you are taken on an exhilarating journey of survival and rebirth. The meticulously planned sequences and stellar performances made this not only the best film of the year, but one of the most thrilling experiences in cinema.”

Lau: “Her”

“Every element of this film was beautiful, from the writing to the set design. It provoked the viewer to re-evaluate the love we’ve experienced in our lives or lack of it. The entire film felt like a thoughtful discussion of love and how we define it.”

ACTOR

Rogers: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

"His energy through the film never slowed. You wanted to watch him.He pulled off the character so well, making you hate him yet love him at the same time."

Sotomura: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"

"On top of the physical stuff he had to do, lose all that weight, his acting was incredible. And his relationship to Jared Leto’s character was organic and moving. He was flawless in that movie."

Kandells: McConaughey

"Until recently, most people wrote McConaughey as the punch line for shirtless romcoms. But we always admired his early dramatic turns in movies like Lone Star’ and Contact.’ He deserves the award not just for his incredible transformation in Dallas Buyers Club’ but also his mesmerizing performances in this year’s Mud’ and Wolf of Wall Street.’"

Doughty: Christian Bale, "American Hustle"

"Bale was able to take an extremely dislikable character on paper (cheater, manipulator, thief) and turn him into a likable leader the audience could not only empathize with, but ultimately root for his success."

Lau: DiCaprio

"DiCaprio maintained such a shockingly high energy in his performance throughout the nearly three-hour film, yet it was fun, hilarious and believable. He did an amazing job playing the identity of man corrupted by wealth and power as he rose to the top and then tumbled into pieces."

ACTRESS

Rogers: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"

"She played a character who is making up stories from beginning to end, all because she is hiding a painful past.And while these stories were ridiculous, she believed them 100 percent of the time. While doing that, you could still see that hidden pain in her eyes."

Sotomura: Blanchett

"It’s interesting because her character was so damaged and she was able to play that character and still have you love her and feel for her. She was able to become a woman and encompass all her different facets."

Kandells: Blanchett

"It’s hard to top Amy Adams’ outrageous performance in American Hustle’ or Judi Dench’s nuanced Philomena.’ But for us, Blanchett captured such a pendulum of charm and desperation in Blue Jasmine’ on the level of the greatest Shakespearean tragicomedies."

Doughty: Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"

"Although the film takes place in the vast expanse of space, Bullock’s performance is confined to the inside of her space suit, and with only the rhythm of her breathing and the changing tone of her voice, she was able to not only hook the audience into understanding the harrowing circumstances of her character, but made us believe we were right there next to her on this journey."

Lau: Blanchett

"She has always been a favorite of mine and I feel her performance as a high-maintenance, insecure divorcee is what carried this entire film."

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Rogers: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"

"I have heard many people say Jared Leto shouldn’t get the Oscar, he was simply playing a girl.I say, what could be harder? Besides that, he made you care so much about him just with one look.He also completely lost himself in the character. I thought everything he did was so true and so real. He felt every bit of that emotion, and there was a lot to feel."

Sotomura: Leto

"He was able to play this sickly, fragile character and you weren’t scared of him. You were rooting for him. You were cheering for him."

Kandells: Leto

"Talk about losing yourself in a character. Leto simply inhabited and humanized this role. What could have easily been played as caricature became to us the powerful pivot on which this movie’s inspirational message turned."

Lau: Leto

"Out of all the characters of this film, his performance was the most emotionally striking for me as he made the viewer both laugh and cry. Playing a transvestite, who was both HIV-positive and a drug addict, Leto’s character compelled you to both adore his hilarious sass and flirtatious behavior, yet also feel sympathy and concern."

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Rogers: Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"

"To me, this was the definition of what a supporting actress Oscar should be.She really was not in much of the film at all.However every moment she was on screen, you didn’t want to look away from her.In my eyes, she stole the show."

Sotomura: Lupita Nyong’o, "12 Years a Slave"

"She was my favorite out of all the actresses and actors of 2013. In 12 Years a Slave’ I believed every single second of her on screen. I was definitely affected by her performance. She was 100 percent organic. Everything seemed real. I felt I was watching the story happen."

Kandells: Lawrence

"While June Squibb was the comic soul that made Nebraska’ shine, Lawrence is on an undeniable hot streak. She infuses such biting humor and charisma into this role, that somehow simultaneously compels and repels the viewer. She’s awful and awe-inspiring."

Lau: Nyong’o

"Lupita’s performance both wrecked your heart and caused you to cringe in your seat as she took brutal whippings. The pain that she reflected in her performance as a tortured and forced lover of her slave owner was strongly communicated into the heart of any audience member who watched her."

DIRECTOR

Rogers: Martin Scorsese, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

"You know a Martin Scorsese film when you see one. This was definitely one.It is a dead giveaway when all the actors in the film give great performances.Scorsese has a way of keeping the energy flowing through a three-hour film, gluing you to the edge of your seat, and not wanting it to be over."

Sotomura: David O. Russell, "American Hustle"

"The one thing Ilike about David O. Russell and his films is his women. I love how they are so powerful and also very sensual. They are flawed femmes fatales."

Kandells: Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity"

"From a story level, Gravity’ fell flat to us as screenwriters. But if the greatest cinema transports you to a world you would never otherwise experience, no movie this year compares as a visceral rollercoaster ride to Cuaron’s Gravity.’ And that is entirely due to his innovative and groundbreaking directing."

Doughty: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"

"The film 12 Years a Slave’ took an unapologetic look at our own history, and although certain parts of the film are brutal to watch, McQueen found the balance of reminding us of our dark past yet giving us hope for a brighter future."

Lau: Scorsese

"It felt like Scorsese just decided to have fun and do whatever he felt like when he directed this film, and the result was chaotic and entertaining brilliance. It also takes a strong director to push out the high-energy performances of the cast that were obviously demanded in this film."