By Robert Goldrich
This week’s installment of SHOOT’s The Road To Oscar Series connects with three directors who had a major hand in historic firsts. Belfast (Focus Features) writer-producer-director Kenneth Branagh individually scored three of the film’s seven Oscar nominations–Best Director, Best Picture and Original Screenplay. The latter two made Branagh the first to receive Academy Award nods across seven categories in his career. He had previously been nominated in the Director, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay and Live-Action Short categories.
Meanwhile director Ryusuke Hamaguchi saw his Drive My Car (Janus Films and Sideshow) break new ground. Drive My Car became the first Japanese film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Drive My Car received a total of four nods—the others being for Best International Film, Director and Adapted Screenplay (Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe).
And writer-director Siân Heder’s CODA (Apple Original Films) scored three Oscar nominations–Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (for Heder) and Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur). Two of the nods made history. CODA became the first film with a predominantly deaf cast to be honored with a Best Picture Oscar nomination. And Kotsur became the first deaf male actor to ever be nominated for an Academy Award.
The film stars Emilia Jones as Ruby who is a CODA, the abbreviation for child of deaf adult. She is the only hearing person in her deaf family which finds its fishing business in jeopardy. Ruby becomes torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents (portrayed by Kotsur and Marlee Matlin). Matlin of course is the first deaf actor to win an Oscar, for Best Supporting Actress in 1987 for Children of a Lesser God. Also in the CODA cast is Daniel Durant, a deaf actor who portrays Ruby’s brother.
It’s been 35 years since Matlin won the Oscar with barely any representation of deaf actors during that span. On Oscar nominations announcement day, Kotsur recalled, “I can still remember watching Marlee win her Oscar on television and telling friends I was going to get nominated one day and them being skeptical.”
CODA underscores the need for diversity in Hollywood, showcasing the artistry of deaf performers. The hope is that the film’s success will translate into more opportunities for deaf talent.
Robert Goldrich is an editor for SHOOTonline
Ben Clark appointed managing director of The Mill London
The Mill, part of the Technicolor Group, has appointed Ben Clark to serve as managing director of the London studio, directly reporting to president Mark Benson. Clark brings a wealth of experience across the brand, production, and agency sectors. Prior to joining The Mill, Clark worked at The & Partnership, founded Acne, a full-service production company (subsequently acquired by Deloitte Digital), and most recently, was EMEA chief production officer, McCann Worldgroup and Craft.
Clark’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for The Mill as the company continues to innovate across its global studios, leveraging new technologies to drive creativity across multiple platforms.
Benson said of Clark, “His vast experience will undoubtedly support our work as we evolve in today’s rapidly shifting market.”
“The Mill’s legacy of creative innovation is unparalleled, and I’m eager to collaborate with our award- winning artists and technologists to deliver groundbreaking experiences for our clients,” said Clark who added, “By empowering our teams with AI tools and fostering strong partnerships, we can enhance our capabilities and stay at the forefront of technological trends.”
With the expertise of The Mill’s sister studios--MPC, Mikros Animation, and Technicolor Games--the company is positioned to offer innovative solutions at scale. Clark concluded, “The Mill’s unique creative strength, combined with this collaboration, enables us to continue producing culturally significant and effective content for clients worldwide.”
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