Look for the BAFTAs nominees on Friday

Above: Alfonso Cuaron, Best Director of "Gravity" as determined both by the 2014 Oscar and BAFTA awards.

I've already pointed to the Producer's Guild of America as a good source for predicting not only who but what will receive an Oscar nomination. Friday, however, will give us another indicator: the nominees for the 2014 awards presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

According to the website Gold Derby, though, the BAFTAs might not be the best indicator. Last year, for example, "12 Years a Slave" did double as both Oscar's and BAFTA's Best Picture. But the British went for UK actor Chiwetel Ejiofor over Oscar Best Actor Matthew McConaughey. And while Mexican-born Lupita Nyongo of "12 Years a Slave" won Oscar's Best Supporting Actress, she wasn't even nominated by BAFTA.

"Gravity" seemed to hit with both organizations, doubling in the categories of Director, Cinematography, Sound (twice) and Visual Effects. But in most cases, the BAFTAs are likely to go with their own (or with a foreign choice) over an American nominee — as they did with Best Supporting Actor Barkhad Abdi ("Captain Phillips") over Jared Leto ("Dallas Buyers Club").

Keep that bit of British bias in mind, though, and you just might get the help you need filling out your own Oscar ballot. Again, the Oscar nominees come out on Jan. 15.