National Entertainment
Oscar nods honour ‘Roma,’ ‘The Favourite,’ ‘Black Panther’
NEW YORK — Oscar voters on Tuesday showered Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” with a leading 10 nominations for the 91st Academy Awards, while two dominant but contentious Hollywood forces — Netflix and Marvel — each scored their first best picture nomination.
Though many expected “A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper’s revival of one of Hollywood’s most remade show business myths, to top the nominations, Cooper was surprisingly overlooked as director and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences instead put its fullest support behind a pair of indies by international directors.
With the black-and-white, Spanish-language “Roma,” Netflix scored its first best picture nomination, a prize the streaming giant has dearly sought. Marvel, too, joined the club with Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther,” the first superhero movie ever nominated for best picture.
Cuaron tied the record for most decorated Oscar nominee ever for one film with four individual nods for “Roma,” his deeply personal exhumation of his Mexico City childhood. Cuaron was nominated for direction, cinematography, original screenplay and best picture. Only Orson Welles (“Citizen Kane”) and Warren Beatty (who did it twice with “Reds” and “Heaven Can Wait”) have matched the four-nod feat.
Cuaron, previously a six-time nominee and winner for directing “Gravity,” said by phone from London that the nominations for such a personal film were more meaningful to him, as was the attention for a film about a humble indigenous domestic worker (Yalitza Aparicio, who was nominated for best actress). He praised Netflix for its commitment to his film.
“Cinema needs the opportunity to be diverse,” Cuaron said. “What mainstream cinema and the theatrical experience has lacked in general is diversity. And I’m talking about diversity in terms of stories and characters and ways of doing films.”
Just as rewarded Tuesday was Lanthimos’ period romp, which resounded most in the acting categories thanks to its trio of actresses: Olivia Colman in the best actress category, and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone in supporting.
Along with “Roma,” ”Black Panther” and “The Favourite,” the eight nominees for best picture were: Peter Farrelly’s interracial road trip tale “Green Book,” Spike Lee’s white supremacist evisceration “BlacKkKlansman,” the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Adam McKay’s highly critical Dick Cheney biopic “Vice” and “A Star Is Born,” which still landed eight nominations, including best actress for Lady Gaga and best supporting actor for Sam Elliott.
“Black Panther,” the year’s biggest domestic box-office hit and a bona fide cultural event, finally cracked the category long kryptonite to superheroes . Despite the overwhelming popularity of comic book movies, they had previously been shunned from Hollywood’s top
The lush, big-budget craft of “Black Panther” was rewarded with seven total nominations, including Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart’s production design, Terence Blanchard’s score, Ruth Carter’s costume design and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s song “All the Stars.” Beachler became the first African-American nominated for production design.
“To break down a wall like that, to be your ancestors’ wildest dreams, to show other young women of
There has likewise been resistance among some academy members to awarding Netflix films since the company typically bypasses movie
Three decades after landing a writing nod for 1989’s Do the Right Thing,” Spike Lee was nominated for his first directing Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman.”
“Thirty years is a long time, ain’t it?” Lee said by phone Tuesday with a hearty laugh. The 61-year-old filmmaker lamented the oversight of his lead actor, John David Washington, whom he consoled with a prediction of future awards: “Young blood, you’ll be here.” But Lee took pride in his film’s six nominations, and he likes his odds.
“‘BlacKkKlansman’ is the dark horse — pun intended,” said Lee, cackling. “You know what? That’s fitting. I’ve always been an underdog, from the very beginning, from film school. That narrative has not changed. And I like that position.”
The other directing nominees were Lanthimos, Cuaron, Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”) and McKay (“Vice”) — a field that, a year after continued focus on gender inequality in Hollywood, included no female directors. Some had campaigned for Debra Granik (“Leave No Trace”) or Chloe Zhao (“The Rider”) to become the sixth woman ever nominated for best director.
The nominations, announced by Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross from the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, included plenty of surprises. In a blockbuster year for documentaries , the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My
The acting categories played out largely as expected with a few notable differences. Along with Lady Gaga, Colman and Aparicio, the best lead actress nominees were Glenn Close (“The Wife”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”).
In best actor, the expected front runner Christian Bale was nominated for his transformation into Cheney in “Vice” (Bale’s fourth Oscar nod), along with Cooper, Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”).
The nominees for best supporting actress were Amy Adams (“Vice”), Marina De Tavira (“Roma”), Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), along with Stone and Weisz. Tavira was something a surprise, likely unseating Claire Foy of “First Man.”
But perhaps the biggest acting snub came in best supporting actor, where Timothee Chalamet, who broke through last year with “Call Me By Your Name,” was left out for his drug addict turn in “Beautiful Boy.” Nominated were previous winner Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”), Adam Driver (“BlacKkKlansman”), Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) and Sam Rockwell (“Vice”), who won the trophy last year.
With nominees like “The Favourite,” ”Can You Ever Forgive Me,” ”Green Book” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis called it “a banner year for LGBTQ inclusion.”
Some Oscar regulars padded their career tallies. Joel and Ethan Coen notched their seventh screenwriting nomination. Close, never a winner, landed her seventh acting nod. Costume designer Sandy Powell received her 13th and 14th nominations, for “The Favourite” and “Mary Poppins Returns.” But the nominees were also crowded with first-timers, including new performers (Aparicio) and veteran ones (Grant, Elliott, Colman, King). Paul Schrader, the 72-year-old “Taxi Driver” scribe, was nominated for his first Oscar for the script to his religious thriller “First Reformed.”
The lead-up to Tuesday’s nominations was rocky for both the film academy and some of the contending movies. Shortly after being announced as host, comedian Kevin Hart was forced to withdraw over years-old homophobic tweets that the comedian eventually apologized for. That has left the Oscars, one month before the Feb. 24 ceremony, without an emcee, and likely to stay that way.
Some film contenders, like “Green Book” and the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” have suffered waves of backlash, even as their awards have mounted. Before landing five nominations Tuesday, “Green Book” — which has been criticized for relying on racial tropes — won the top award from the Producers Guild , an
Last year’s Oscar telecast was watched by a record low of 26.5 million viewers . This year will at least feature a number of popular nominees, including “Black Panther,” ”Bohemian Rhapsody” and “A Star Is Born.” Just how many people have seen “Roma,” though, remains a mystery. Netflix doesn’t release box office receipts or streaming viewership.
It’s also an unusually international crop of nominees. It’s only the second time that directors from two foreign language films were nominated for best director (Cuaron and Poland’s Pawlikowski). “Roma” is aiming to be the first foreign language film to win best picture. Some of that could potentially be attributed to a changing academy, which has greatly expanded its ranks in recent years to diversify its membership, including more overseas members.
Up for best foreign language film are “Roma,” ”Cold War,” ”Capernaum” (Lebanon), “Never Look Away” (Germany) and the Palme d’Or winner, “Shoplifters” (Japan).
A year after taking home best picture with “The Shape of Water,” Fox Searchlight tied Netflix with 15 nominations, even as Searchlight and its parent studio, 20th Century Fox, are in the process of being acquired by the Walt Disney Co. If their releases counted under Disney, the new mega-studio would have dwarfed all studios with 37 nominations.
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AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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For full coverage of the Oscars, visit: https://apnews.com/AcademyAwards
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
Alberta
Province adds $335 million over three years to attract more investment from Hollywood
Action! for Alberta’s film and television industry
Alberta’s screen-based sector has momentum, and Alberta’s government is helping to make the province a magnet for the job-creating film and television industry.
In 2020, Alberta’s government launched the Film and Television Tax Credit, causing the province’s film and television industry to grow in size and reputation. Since then, Alberta has attracted 129 productions with a total production value of $1.7 billion. This growth has resulted in approximately 9,000 direct and indirect jobs for Albertans.
To keep this momentum going, Alberta’s government continues to make changes to the program and increase investment in it. One year after the tax credit was launched, the cap was raised, resulting in a doubling of the province’s film and television sector. Now, Alberta’s government is increasing its investment to a total of $335 million over three years to continue attracting the attention and investment dollars of Hollywood.
“Alberta is experiencing exponential growth in our film and television sector, and we are well on our way to becoming a top Canadian jurisdiction for producers from around the world. Since the introduction of the Film and Television Tax Credit, the film and television sector in Alberta has doubled. Productions reach every part of Alberta – big cities, small towns and rural locations – and use local resources, businesses, accommodations and contractors, supporting thousands of jobs.”
As the province’s film and television industry grows, so does the quality and number of Alberta-made productions. To help grow and promote local talent and productions, Alberta’s government is also doubling the funding to the Alberta Made Screen Industries Program. This funding will support local producers and attract productions from around the world to set up shop in Alberta.
“Alberta-made film and television productions showcase Alberta’s unique culture, breathtaking landscapes and stories to audiences across the globe. We are increasing our support to smaller productions because they provide a unique Alberta-made training ground for emerging talent and create local, highly skilled workers in the sector.”
The Film and Television Tax Credit and Alberta Made Screen Industries Program work together to showcase the beauty and diversity of Alberta, create jobs, diversify the economy and support hospitality, service and tourism in the province. These targeted incentives to the film and television industries are helping to ensure Alberta remains the economic engine of Canada for years to come and the next film and television hub.
“The tax credit is central to the success of the industry. This is a competitive industry globally, and here in Alberta we’re fortunate we had the cap removed. Now we can see productions with budgets from $100,000 to well over $100 million. Now that we have a robust production environment, there are more opportunities for people to have well-paying creative jobs.”
“The Alberta government has provided supports for the film and television industry that provide certainty. It gives us more flexibility in how we’re moving forward in our film and television work and the way that we’re running our businesses.”
“Seeing the increase to the Alberta Made Production Grant in the last budget has been fantastic. It will help grow the local industry, which means so much to local performers because that’s where they build their resumés. It allows them to be a working performer, and not take side jobs or a day job somewhere else, and really focus on their craft.”
Quick facts
- According to Statistics Canada data:
- Every $1 million of production activity in the screen-based production sector creates about 13 Alberta jobs.
- Every $1 million of government investment under the Film and Television Tax Credit program is expected to support about 85 Alberta jobs.
- The film and television industry is experiencing significant growth nationally and globally.
- Every year, Alberta graduates more than 3,000 creative industry professionals from its post-secondary institutions.
- The production workforce has grown 71 per cent from 2017, or by about 4,000 workers across all positions.
- Alberta’s Film and Television Tax Credit supports medium- and large-scale productions with costs over $499,999 through a refundable tax credit on eligible Alberta production and labour costs to corporations that produce films, television series and other eligible screen-based productions.
- The Alberta Made Production Grant supports productions with a budget of up to $499,999.
- The Alberta Made Screen Industries Program, through the Alberta Made Production Grant, supports smaller productions that do not qualify for the tax credit, covering 25 per cent of eligible Alberta production costs to a maximum of $125,000.
- Every $1 investment in the Alberta Made Production Grant program generates an additional $4 in economic return.
Alberta
Edmonton to host “Road to the JUNOS Concert Series” leading up to Juno Awards week
From Explore Edmonton
Road to The JUNOS Concert Series Builds Excitement to JUNO Week.
Access and Diversity Key for Fans and Artists.
The JUNOS 2023 Host Committee is excited to announce an Edmonton-based concert series, titled Road to The JUNOS, as a lead-up to The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast and JUNO Week from March 9-13.
The concert series will be set in small, intimate venues around Edmonton and feature local and regional artists who one day may end up on the JUNOS stage. Road to The JUNOS is a collaboration between the JUNOS 2023 Edmonton Host Committee, CBC Music and Explore Edmonton. It aims to provide excitement and create momentum leading into Canada’s biggest celebration of music.
The 10-show concert series will run from Monday, February 6 through Tuesday, February 28 at local venues in Edmonton. Of note, the artists playing these events come from a wide variety of backgrounds and genres and offer an opportunity to see some of Canada’s newest and most exciting talent. Fans can be a part of an intimate JUNOS concert with an affordable advance ticket price of only $10.
Road to The JUNOS is possible thanks in part to federal funding through PrairiesCan’s Tourism Relief Fund. This Fund is positioning Canada as a destination of choice for domestic and international travel. PrairiesCan administers the Fund in Alberta.
“Edmonton is a vibrant and dynamic cultural hub and our government’s support for Road to The JUNOS will bring that experience to visitors from across Canada and around the globe. Through the Tourism Relief Fund and our partnership with organizations such as Explore Edmonton, communities across Canada will capitalize on the jobs and economic activity generated through Edmonton’s growing tourism industry.”
– The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan
“Road to The JUNOS is an important step in positioning Edmonton as an all-season destination and celebrating our community’s business and arts districts. I’m proud to see our government supporting Edmonton to build on its leadership in arts and culture while strengthening local tourism activity that benefits businesses in our city.”
– The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
“Road to The JUNOS is an exciting opportunity to grow Alberta’s music industry, showcasing local talent to visitors from all parts of Canada. The Alberta government is proud to support this series of concerts that features Alberta’s talent on stage as well as the venues, promoters and other music professionals.”
– The Honourable Jason Luan, Alberta Minister of Culture
“Canada has a long history of producing exceptionally talented musicians. The Road to The JUNOS concert series hopes to help give a platform to some of our up-and-coming artists and audiences a chance to say ‘we saw them when’.”
– Aimée Hill, co-chair, 2023 Host Committee
“Explore Edmonton is proud to support The JUNO Awards in March and we are delighted to be a part of this grassroots concert series. Promoting our local music venues, supporting talented Canadian musicians, and giving Edmontonians quality music experiences at an affordable price is such an important piece to the whole JUNOS experience. And we get to show off a little for the rest of Canada!”
– Traci Bednard, CEO of Explore Edmonton
The JUNOS Experience starts here. For more information and to buy tickets, visit: https://edmonton.junoawards.
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