Oscar Predictions: Who will compete for Costume Design and Cinematography?

by Nathaniel R

"Cyrano" with Peter Dinklage was a hit Off Broadway. Will this musical version transfer well to the screen?

By now you've gotten a sense from the predictions for most of the craft categories which films we think Oscar voters might be fond of come January when they're voting on nominations. Now let's talk more in depth about two of our favourite races to keep eagle eyes on each year: Costumes and Cinematography.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Of Oscar's four favourite living costume designers --  Sandy Powell (15 nominations and 3 wins), Colleen Atwood (12/4), Jenny Beavan (10/2), Milena Canonero (9/4), and Jenny Beavan (10/2) -- only Colleen Atwood is sitting out this cinematic year...

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Cannes at Home: Day 5

by Cláudio Alves

After the virulently negative reviews that befell The Last Face, it's surprising to see Sean Penn back in the main competition so soon. Flag Day marks Penn's third directorial effort to vie for the Palme d'Or after winning big in Cannes as an actor. The reactions, so far, seem primarily positive, and that's a big step-up from last time. Another main competition screening was Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen's Compartment No. 6, which some have already compared to Before Sunrise. Back in 2016, he won the Un Certain Regard section with The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, so this promotion to the big league feels especially earned. To celebrate the occasion, our alternative program shall focus on these directors' earlier successes…

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93rd Academy Awards: Black-and-White edition

by Cláudio Alves

Despite some semi-shocking results in the major categories, this year's Oscars were relatively surprise-free. Sure, the Best Original Song choice was unexpected, but there are very few precursors for that particular category, leaving it always a bit up in the air. Only one "below the line" or "technical" category managed to shock me. That was the Cinematography race. While David Fincher's Mank had nabbed the ASC prize, I assumed Nomadland would get an easy win on Oscar night. After all, it swept the critics' prizes, won the BAFTA the production went into the ceremony as the Best Picture frontrunner. Nomadland even won that last one. Nevertheless, Joshua James Richards' poetic landscapes were ignored in favor of Erik Messerschmidt's silvery monochrome for Mank...

The conclusion to this specific race is even crazier when one considers that the Fincher flick was Messerschmidt's first feature. That being said, Mank's in black-and-white, making it part of a trend to (over?)reward grayscale cinema at the Oscars. If you want to win a Cinematography Oscar, don't forget to drain the color out of your picture. Would Nomadland have won if it had been shot in black-and-white? Last year, I explored how AMPAS has been infatuated with monochrome cinematography, going so far as to nominate such a hostile, complicated art film as The Lighthouse. Furthermore, because Parasite was re-released in black-and-white, I also made a photo collection examining how each Best Picture nominee would look in glorious black-and-white. Inspired by those past write-ups, here's a collection of screenshots from the other Best Picture nominees, four of which were defeated by Mank in this category...

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Westerns and the Best Cinematography Oscar

by Cláudio Alves

With News of the World nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar, I started thinking about the relationship between the western and this particular craft and awards category. My relationship with the intrinsically American genre hasn't always been one of admiration, and for years I counted it among my least liked genres. However, some historical research and the watching of many fascinating classics made me reappreciate the possibilities of the western. I gained a new respect for its importance. The wondrous feats of cinematography had a lot to do with it… 

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93rd Academy Awards: "Cinematography as ________ "

Please welcome new contributor Timothy Lyons...

The cinematographers’ branch (like all branches in the Academy) loves a familiar face - think your Lubezkis, your Richardsons and your Deakinses. One of the happy byproducts of an unusual cinematic year mostly void of big anticipated productions and usual suspects, is the higher-than-normal number of newbies recognised across the craft categories for this year’s Oscars. The five nominees for Best Cinematography are made up of: one returning nominee, one longtime veteran of the industry finally getting his due, one up-and-coming darling of the indie scene, one newcomer shortlisted for his feature film debut, and one individual who is (shockingly) on his first nomination despite shooting one of the most picturesque Best Picture winners (!) in recent memory.

Let's explore the five achievements the Academy has chosen to reward these artists for, presented in ascending order of personal preference…

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