February 05, 2018
Oscars: 100-Plus Nominees Gather for Lunch and Class Photo
Nominees in attendance included Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Greta Gerwig and Kobe Bryant.
In a way, the annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon is even cooler than the Oscars: Almost all of the nominees show up — 170 this year, ranging from perennials Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg (best actress and best picture nominees for The Post, respectively) to rookies Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele (both best director and best original screenplay nominees for Lady Bird and Get Out, respectively) — but, aside from the nominees' plus-ones (and a few lucky journalists), it's an exclusive affair, with the only other guests being members of the Academy's board of governors. As a result, no one goes home a loser; and everyone has a lot of fun — plus a multi-course meal is served, which doesn't happen on Oscar night.
In the words of the veteran publicist Marvin Levy, a member of the Academy's board and Spielberg's longtime rep, who has probably attended every Oscar Nominees Luncheon, "It never gets old."
Another hallmark of the Oscar Nominees Luncheon are speeches. First-term Academy president John Bailey referenced the Academy's ongoing inclusion efforts, as well as the #MeToo crisis that has engulfed Hollywood (and beyond), when he said, "I may be a 75-year-old white male, but I'm every bit as gratified as the youngest of you here that the fossilized bedrock of many of Hollywood’s worst abuses are being jackhammered into oblivion." Oscar telecast producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd applauded the diversity of this year's nominees, which they said was more reflective of society than nominee classes of years' past. And special guest Patton Oswalt humorously advised guests about how not to mess up their speech if they should win an award.
In a nice twist, the Academy makes sure that no more than one nominee from any film or category is seated at the same table (with the exception of those who are married — of which there are a record number this year — such as The Big Sick's nominated screenwriters Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani). One table included Spielberg, Gerwig, best supporting actress nominee Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water), best documentary feature nominee JR (Faces Places) and a cardboard cutout of Agnes Varda (JR's co-nominee for Faces Places, and a 2017 honorary Oscar recipient, who could not be in attendance). Another, like the one that I drew via the lottery that they hold to determine where journalists sit, contained no household names, but some pretty impressive film artists: best sound editing nominee Alex Gibson (Dunkirk), best animated short nominee Max Porter (Negative Space), best visual effects nominee Stephen Rosenbaum (Kong: Skull Island), best documentary short nominee Frank Stiefel (Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405) and best sound mixing nominee Stuart Wilson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi).
Among those seen chatting between courses and speeches: Daniel Ellsberg, the Pentagon Papers whistleblower whose story helped to inspire The Post, with Spielberg and then with best original screenplay nominee Aaron Sorkin (Molly's Game) and the woman who inspired his film, Molly Bloom; Disney chief Bob Iger, whose ABC network broadcasts the Oscars and who also serves as the chair of the campaign for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and Netflix chief Ted Sarandos; best picture/director/original screenplay nominee Guillermo del Toro and seatmate Michael Mann, an Academy governor for the directors branch; Roger Ross Williams, an Academy governor for the documentary branch, with Netflix docs chief Lisa Nishimura; best documentary feature nominee Bryan Fogel (Icarus) and best supporting actor nominee Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project); and former Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Academy governor-at-large Reginald Hudlin.
The luncheon culminates with a class photo featuring all of the present nominees standing on risers beside a giant Oscar. They take their places after being introduced — this year, for the second year in a row, by Laura Dern, a governor of the Academy's acting branch (who humorously announced the nominees from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in which she appeared, with a little more pizzazz than others). She seemed to get a particular thrill out of introducing best animated short nominee Kobe Bryant (Dear Basketball) — even ad-libbing, "I'm a Los Angeles native!" — who was greeted very warmly in the room (I, Tonya best supporting actress nominee Allison Janney approached him, "I never ask for photos, but..."), and then seated just to the right of the giant Oscar (he'd probably tower over it if he was standing).
The loudest ovation, though, for whatever it's worth (this room is not exactly a scientific sample of Oscar voters), was accorded to Mudbound's Rachel Morrison, whose best cinematography nomination made her the first woman ever nominated for that honor. Peele wasn't far behind. Others who were audibly popular with those in the room include Gerwig, Janney, del Toro, Streep, Spielberg, Dafoe, best actress nominees Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) and Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), best actor nominee Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), best director nominees Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) and Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread), best supporting actor nominee Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and best adapted screenplay nominee Dee Rees (Mudbound).
Some other fun facts: guests of nominees included producer Frank Marshall (accompanying Fogel) and actor Danny Glover; best original song nominee Common (Marshall) was introduced by his birth name, "Lonnie Lynn," which undoubtedly explains why his reception wasn't louder; and Nanjiani snapped a selfie before the official photo was taken, which has got to be up there with Ellen DeGeneres' from the Oscars a few years ago, in terms of awesomeness.
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SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest Winners Announced
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Competition Receives a Record Number of Submissions that Highlight the Power of Innovation SHENZHEN, China, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyPixel, one of the world's most popular online communities for aerial photography and videography, today announces the winners of the SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest. Co-organized with DJI, this year's competition attracted over 130,000 submissions – a 100% increase from the previous year. The contest welcomed submissions from across the creator community, which includes professionals, aerial enthusiasts, and creative newcomers, showcasing their personal histories through the art of visual innovation. A Contest Shaped by You The SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest is a testament to the power of innovation led imagery, honoring stories that shape the art of image capture both on solid ground and amidst the clouds. SkyPixel has cultivated a community-driven platform that reflects the dreams and aspirations of creators worldwide, and the annual competition has been a conduit for people who love image creation to express themselves as it authentically reflects the desires and aspirations of creators worldwide. Industry-Leading Judges The 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest was assessed by a Judging Panel of incredible professionals in the industry. In photography, seasoned experts include Wen Huang, a World Press Photo judge and Senior Editor, and Anne Farrar, Assistant Photography Chief Editor at National Geographic, Nan Li, the Photo Director of Southern Weekly, and Daniel Kordan, a renowned landscape photographer. In the video category, the judges include Michael Fitzmaurice, the Aerial Director of Photography of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," and Xiaoshi Zhao, known for his award-winning work on "Forever Enthralled." Bing Xi, a prominent figure in the Chinese TVC industry, and celebrated filmmaker Brandon Li round out the panel. After careful deliberation, the panel proudly presents the final winners for the year. 9th Annual Best Work Prize – Video: "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar" by Luke Bredar This year's video judging panel, which includes award-winning Cinematographers and Directors of Photography, chose Luke Bredar's video, "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar." This short film mixes heart-pounding action shots of a skier racing down a snowy mountaintop landscapes with breathtaking shots of Alaska's mountainous, winter terrain. Luke Bredar details the thought process behind the short film, "The motivation behind creating this video was to evoke themes of otherworldliness, objective risk, the interplay between risk and the essence of human spirit, solitude, impermanence, self-sufficiency, and the journey of incomplete wandering intertwined with heartbreak." This short film is an epic story made in collaboration with Matchstick Productions. Bredar explains how he pursues a better visual presentation through his creative process "I think to myself. How would my child self want to see this filmed? And I almost always get a clear vision in response. There are a myriad of challenges shooting aerial cinematography in mountain environments, but they are all ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
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