2022 Oscar Nominations: DRIVE MY CAR, FLEE and THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Receive Nods
After weeks of anticipation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finally unveiled the official list of nominees for the 2022 Oscars this morning. Multiple films from the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival program were included in this year’s group of Academy Award hopefuls, which includes a significant number of works from international directors. Here’s a quick rundown:
DRIVE MY CAR
NOMINATED FOR: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best International Feature, Best Director, Best Picture
DRIVE MY CAR enters the Oscars arena with considerable momentum, grabbing nods for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, Best Director and Best Picture after raking in accolades from the National Society of Film Critics, Golden Globes and New York Film Critics Association. Adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short story, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s three hour drama follows a grieving actor and theater director (Hidetoshi Nishijima) who befriends the young chauffeur (Tôko Miura) tasked with driving his beloved red Saab. The Woodstock Film Festival hosted a special screening of DRIVE MY CAR last December.
FLEE
NOMINATED FOR: Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature
Reflecting its unique combination of genres, Jonas Poher Rassmuessen’s excellent animated documentary FLEE received nominations in three different award categories, including Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature. The official Centerpiece Film for the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival, FLEE follows the story of Amin, a successful queer academic living in Denmark who must confront his hidden past as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
NOMINATED FOR: Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature
Joachim Trier’s THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature. The Norwegian auteur’s postmodern tale of a young woman who explores multiple lovers and career paths to find her true calling in life was the official Spotlight Film for the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival.
SUMMER OF SOUL
NOMINATED FOR: Best Documentary Feature
Amir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut SUMMER OF SOUL received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature. The film, which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim, tells the story of the forgotten 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a multi-day celebration of Black music and culture that featured performances from legendary acts like Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone. The Woodstock Film Festival held a “sold-out” free drive-in community screening of the film last summer.
BEING THE RICARDOS
NOMINATED FOR: Best Supporting Actor – J.K. Simmons, Best Actor – Javier Bardem, Best Actress – Nicole Kidman
Congratulations to WFF Board Member Declan Baldwin, whose company Big Indie Pictures was the production partner on the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz biopic BEING THE RICARDOS, which received three Academy Award nominations. J.K. Simmons is up for Best Supporting Actor with leads Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman receiving nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively.
ATTICA
NOMINATED FOR: Best Documentary Feature
We would also like to give a shoutout to WFF friend and alumni Stanely Nelson’s ATTICA, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. The film, which Nelson co-directed with Traci A. Curry, revisits the events leading up to the deadly 1971 Attica prison riot.
The 94th Academy Awards will be held on March 27, 2022 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Click here for the full list of nominees. Good luck to everyone who made the cut!