Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees Spotlights Cross-Section Of Movies In The Oscar Picture

David Morgan
·4 min read
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As we race to the Oscar finish line, it has certainly been a year to remember. The movie business all but shook off the last vestiges of the Covid era with the phenomenon that was Barbenheimer — collectively, Barbie and Oppenheimer earned more than $2 billion globally at the box office. Not only is cinema alive and kicking, but both of those box office behemoths are Oscar-nominated for Best Picture.

It sets the stage for Contenders Film: The Nominees, Deadline’s annual awards-season showcase. Today, we sit down with casts and creatives from eight of this year’s Oscar-nominated films, representing hopefuls spanning categories from the crafts to Best Picture. The virtual livestream begins at 9 a.m. PT.

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The Best Picture competition is still very much on, and Focus Features’ The Holdovers is in the running. Joining us today for a Q&A conversation are director Alexander Payne, producer Mark Johnson and Original Screenplay-nominated writer-producer David Hemingson, who based the East Coast boarding school story on his own life experience and the character of his beloved uncle. Joining them are Supporting Actress nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Best Actor nominee Paul Giamatti.

After winning the Palme d’Or in Cannes, Anatomy of a Fall has become a huge hit, even though France failed to select it for the International Oscar race. Representing the film today at Contenders will be director/co-writer Justine Triet’s co-writer Arthur Harari and producer Marie-Ange Luciani, who artfully created a film that bridges genre, language and time.

Killers of the Flower Moon from Apple Original Films has 10 Oscar nominations under its belt including Best Picture, and nods for director Martin Scorsese and Lily Gladstone, who carries the true story of Mollie Burkhart, an oil-rich Osage woman preyed upon by her husband (Leonardo DiCaprio). Our panel includes cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, production designer Jack Fisk, set decorator Adam Willis and Osage music consultant Scott George.

Ridley Scott’s epic Napoleon from Apple Original Films also scored with nominations for Visual Effects, Production Design and Costume Design. To discuss are costume designers Janty Yates and David Crossman, along with production designer Arthur Max.

We’re also turning the Deadline spotlight on documentary, with the team that put together National Geographic’s Bobi Wine: The People’s President. Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo co-directed the story about the Ugandan pop star who used his music and popularity to fight the regime of dictator Yoweri Museveni. And incredibly, during the making of the film, Bwayo survived a gunshot to the face.

Writer-director-producer Nisha Pahuja and editor Mike Munn will also be here to represent Notice Pictures’ Documentary Feature nominee To Kill a Tiger, about an Indian family’s fight for justice after the brutal sexual assault of their daughter. Here, once again, the film’s subjects and Pahuja risked their safety to bring this harrowing story to light.

With Documentary Short nominee Năi Nai & Wài Pó, filmmaker Sean Wang showers love on his grandmothers Ye Yan Fuei and Zhang Li Hua, who also happen to be the best of friends and a “supergrandma” team. That indomitable duo will be here with their grandson to discuss their filmmaking experience.

Director Peter Sohn will be on hand too to discuss Elemental, his Best Animated Feature nominee from Disney/Pixar Animation Studios. The film follows a family created from fire who face prejudice from other elements in their world.

Below is the lineup of panels for the day in order of appearance. Follow along with the coverage all day on Deadline and on social at #DeadlineContenders. On Monday, we’ll launch the streaming site featuring all of the panel videos.

Here’s the schedule of today’s event:

APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

Napoleon

Janty Yates (Costume Designer)
David Crossman (Costume Designer)
Arthur Max (Production Designer)

Killers of the Flower Moon

Rodrigo Prieto (Cinematographer)
Jack Fisk (Production Designer)
Adam Willis (Set Decorator)
Daniel Lupi (Producer)
Scott George (Songwriter/Osage Music Consultant)

FOCUS FEATURES

The Holdovers

Alexander Payne (Director)
Mark Johnson (Producer)
David Hemingson (Writer/Producer)
Paul Giamatti (Actor)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Actor)

DISNEY | PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS

Elemental

Peter Sohn (Director)

DISNEY+

Năi Nai & Wài Pó

Sean Wang (Director)
Yi Yan Fuei (Subject)
Zhang Li Hua (Subject)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Bobi Wine: The People’s President

Christopher Sharp (Director/Producer)
Moses Bwayo (Director/Director of Photography)

NOTICE PICTURES

To Kill a Tiger

Nisha Pahuja (Writer/Director/Producer)
Mike Munn (Editor)

NEON

Anatomy of a Fall

Marie-Ange Luciani (Producer)
Arthur Harari (Co-Writer)

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