For many film fans, the Oscars are the highlight of the year. Due to pandemic conditions, this year it was an unusual spectacle on all levels. Usually, the glamorous movie night takes place annually in February. A postponement like this year has occurred only three times in the history of the Academy Awards: in 1938 after severe flooding in Los Angeles, in 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in 1981 after the assassination of President Ronald Reagan. Also, the ceremony, usually brimming with stars on the red carpet, took place in a slimmed-down version this year. True, the Academy Awards were not just a streaming event, but also live at the Dolby Theatre and the Union Station building in Los Angeles. But in the locations there were fewer guests and more distance. For example, only 170 total guests were allowed at the Dolby Theatre. There was also no host to guide the audience through the program with wit. The awards were handed out non-stop and so the ceremony felt less entertaining and glamorous. One could say that Hollywood was shrunk down to a comprehensible level.
History And Statue
The award, which is currently presented in over 30 different categories, was established by MGM Studios on February the 12th 1929. Every year, the best films of the previous year are honored. To qualify for the Academy Awards, a feature film must be shown in a public theater for at least seven days between January 1st and December 31st of a given year. A film is considered a feature film if it has a minimum length of 40 minutes and is released as a 35- or 70-mm print or as a 24- or 48-fps digital cinema format (minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels). It does not matter whether the film is of U.S. or foreign origin.
The design for today’s statuette was provided at the time by Cedric Gibbons, art director of MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). The now famous figure of a golden sword bearer standing on a film reel was sculpted by Conrad Nagel. The founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science spent 500 dollars on it. The Oscar is 34 cm tall and weighs 4.3 kg. Since 2016, the coveted film prize has been made of bronze, as it was in the very beginning. It is electrolytically coated with 24-karat gold. During the Second World War, due to a shortage of raw materials, substitute materials were used. Thus, until 2015, the statue was made of tin alloy (Britannia metal) and was a little lighter. The names of the winners, the Oscar category and the title of the film are engraved on the base of the statue only after the award ceremony.
Streaming Service clears up
This year, streaming services were eligible for the first time. In total, there were 49 nominations for streaming services. After 14 productions from Netflix were nominated for numerous Oscars, Netflix cleaned up and can share responsibility for six awards: Best Cinematography and Best Production Design for the 10-time nominated film “Mank,” Best Documentary “My Octopus Teacher”; Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Best Animated Short Film for “If Anything Happens I Love You.” 12 nominations went to Amazon productions. However, only one film was awarded: “Sound of Metal” for Best Editing and Best Sound.
A highlight was the presentation of an honorary Oscar to Tyler Perry and his moving speech for his humanitarian commitment.
The Best International Film goes to Denmark for “The Frenzy” by Thomas Vinterberg, who dedicated the film in his speech to his late daughter, who was also supposed to play a role in the film but unfortunately died in a car accident 4 days before shooting started.
Nomadland has already won over 230 awards and has now picked up the three most important Oscars with Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Picture and Best Director.
The Winners
Best Picture: Nomadland
Directing: Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Actress In A Leading Role: Frances McDormand – Nomadland
Actor In A Leading Role: Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Actress In A Supporting Role: Youn Yuh-jung – Minari
Actor In A Supporting Role: Daniel Kaluuya– Judas and the Black Messiah
Writing (Original Screenplay): Promising Young Woman
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Father
Animated Feature Film: Soul
International Feature Film: Another Round
Documentary (Feature): My Octopus Teacher
Cinematography: Mank
Costume Design: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Film Editing: Sound of Metal
Short Film (Animated): If Anything Happens I Love You
Short Film: Two Distant Strangers
Documentary (Short Subject): Colette
Production Design: Mank
Makeup And Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Music (Original Score): Soul
Music (Original Song): Fight for You – Judas and the Black Messiah
Sound: Mank
Visual Effects: Tenet
More diversity mandatory
Starting in 2024, there will be some changes in the Best Picture category. The Academy Award is striving for greater diversity and obliges applicants to fulfill at least two of the diversity categories. In total, there will be four different specifications to choose from. In addition to diversity quotas, which must be met in the future, minorities can be used for leading roles or social issues can be addressed in the film.
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