Two female filmmakers have been nominated for the first time this year
This was a year where theatres got shut down for months due to the pandemic, but for the first time ever, Academy Awards nominations went to two female filmmakers and a historically diverse set of actors, but in the end, the lead was taken by David Fincher’s Mank.
Mank is a black-and-white period drama about Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, and was able to easily beat the others to top the nominations for the Academy Awards, and ended up with 10 nominations including best picture, best director, and acting nominations for Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, along with others for its craft.
The other nominations
The six other nominations were taken by six films, all of which are also contenders for best picture: Judas and the Black Messiah, Nomadland, Minari, Sound of Metal, The Trial of Chicago 7 and The Father. Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman is also a contender.
The Best Director category made history this year. In the past, a total of only five women were nominated, but there were two this year. Chloé Zhao got selected for her haunting and melancholic road-trip drama Nomadland along with Fennell for her dark revenge comedy. “Never going to stop crying,” Fennell tweeted out. The late Chadwick Boseman also got a nod for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Zhao’s nomination
Zhao became the first Asian woman nominated for best director, and is currently the most nominated woman in a single year in Oscar history. She also received mentions for the film’s adapted screenplay, editing and as a producer in the best picture category.
This year’s Academy Awards are eagerly awaited.