International Feature Race - Part 2: The Auteurs

by Nathaniel R

To broaden your appreciation of this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar race we already looked at some overall trivia. Now let's look at some stats involving the artists behind the camera. We'll highlight 14 of the directors in the mix this year from legends, to debuts, to queer artists, to a handful of filmmakers that we've interviewed already....

LEGENDS & MASTERS

Park Chan-wook. Photographed by Oh Suk Kuhn

• Park Chan Wook (South Korea's Decision to Leave) 
Remarkably this 59 year-old auteur and Academy member has never been submitted by South Korea before despite a rich filmography with classics like The Handmaiden, Thirst, Lady Vengeance, Oldboy and Joint Security Area behind him...

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Oscar Volleys: The Worldbuilding of Production Design

Team Experience will be discussing each Oscar category as we head into the precursors. Here's Eurocheese and Nick Taylor... 

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

EUROCHEESE: Hi Nick! We have an exciting group of larger-than-life worlds to conquer for Production Design, but maybe it would be best to start with the elephant in the room: Despite some mixed reviews on Babylon, I have to imagine if nothing else it will make its coked-up presence known here, as homage to Hollywood's glory days. Then we have two blockbuster sequels to previous Best Production Design winners, with Black Panther Wakanda Forever and Avatar The Way of Water both asking similar questions: will the branch be excited enough for an encore nomination? I'm actually leaning towards no, now that we've seen the CGI-heavy worlds. Both might make more sense in other craft categories.  I'm curious to hear your thoughts though...

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Best International Film Reviews: Croatia, Italy, and Portugal

by Cláudio Alves

Let's continue our travels through the Best International Film Oscar submissions, with a focus on Southern European cinema this time. Specifically, today's subjects are the films from Italy, Croatia, and my beloved Portugal. This is a tale of one victor and two persevering losers who still manage to send in new films for consideration every year. While Italy is the category's reigning champion with eleven wins, Croatia and Portugal have yet to be nominated. They've never even made it into the shortlists. In the latter case, the country holds the record for the most submissions without a single nod. With great sadness in my heart, I must say that Portugal's Oscar fate is unlikely to change this season…

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The Joys and Struggles of Making "The Woman King"

by Patrick Ball

Gina Prince-Bythewood in conversation with Kasi Lemmons. Photo: Patrick Ball

This week Sony Pictures held a Downtown Manhattan screening for their awards contender The Woman King, at the Roxy Cinema. With its handsome below-the-line offerings and the true actor/producer star wattage of Viola Davis behind it, The Woman King looks to be one of Sony’s top contenders as we head into the intense first phase of Award Season. With the critics groups beginning to announce, and many major awards bodies entering their voting periods ahead of nominations, now is the time to grab the metaphorical crown, as it were...

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Linky Chatterley

• Cartoon Brew the long awaited animated feature adaptation Nimona is back on. Now at Netflix since Disney shuttered it mid production. It was first announced way back in 2017.
• Out Pedro Almodóvar's gay western short Strange Way of Life will premiere at Cannes in May
• AV Club RIP documentarian Julia Reichert (American Factory)

NIMONA

More after the jump including Paul Mescal's taste buds, Amazon Prime numbers, Lady Chatterley's Lover sex scenes, and a tribute to a movie poster giant...

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