Friday, April 23, 2021

Who Will Win This Year's Oscars?

Get your popcorn, food delivery ready or your favorite snack by your side this Sunday because the 93rd Oscars are coming with a storm. Unlike any other awards show we have seen so far on TV, this one promises not just to be different but to be like a film we all will feel a part of.  The Academy Awards will be televised from two locations, the Dolby Theater and Union Station in LA, and it promises a whole lot of fun and glamour, as well as in-person red carpet moments.

This year's show with the theme "Bring Your Movie Love" is directed by Glenn Weiss and is divided in three parts - "Oscars: Into the Spotlight," the actual awards show and "Oscars: After Dark." To kick off the event the pre-show will feature all five of the nominated songs performed live by Celeste, H.E.R., Leslie Odom, Jr., Laura Pausini, Daniel Pemberton, Molly Sandén and Diane Warren, live from the Dolby Theater and Helsinki, Iceland.

This year's star cast includes Steven Yeun, Riz Ahmed, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Bong Joon Ho, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Viola Davis, Laura Dern, Harrison Ford, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Renée Zellweger and Zendaya.

These are my predictions for who will win the major categories this Sunday:

Best Film - "Nomadland"

Best Director - Chloe Zhao

Best Actor - Chadwick Boseman

Best Actress - Frances McDormand

Best Supporting Actor - Daniel Kaluuya

Best Supporting Actress - Maria Bakalova 

In addition to the big categories, there are also short films that are competing as well. These are the shorts nominated for an Oscar:

ANIMATED SHORT FILM NOMINEES 
 
BURROW 
Director: Madeline Sharafian 
Synopsis: A young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she's doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. Country of Origin: USA 

GENIUS LOCI 
Director: Adrien Merigeau 
Synopsis: One night, Reine, a young loner, sees among the urban chaos a moving oneness that seems alive, like some sort of guide. Country of Origin: France 

ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU 
Director: Michael Govier, Will McCormack 
Synopsis: In the aftermath of tragedy, two grieving parents journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child. Country of Origin: USA 

OPERA 
Director: Erick Oh 
Synopsis: “Opera” is a massive 8K size animation installation project which portrays our society and history, which is filled with beauty and absurdity. Erick enables viewers to experience the range of in-depth emotions through this epic reflection of human life. Country of Origin: USA/South Korea 

YES-PEOPLE 
Director: Gísli Darri Halldórsson 
Synopsis: One morning, an eclectic mix of people face the everyday battle - such as work, school and dish-washing. As the day progresses, their relationships are tested and ultimately their capacity to cope. Country of Origin: Iceland 

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM NOMINEES 

FEELING THROUGH 
Director: Doug Roland 
Synopsis: A late-night encounter on a New York City street leads to a profound connection between a teen in need and a DeafBlind man. Country of Origin: USA 

THE LETTER ROOM 
Director: Elvira Lind 
Synopsis: “The Letter Room” is a dark prison comedy about the secret life of a correctional officer who gets transferred to a job in the letter room, where a new world suddenly opens to him ways to find solace and spirituality afterwards. Country of Origin: USA 

THE PRESENT 
Director: Farah Nabulsi 
Synopsis: On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, how easy would it be to go shopping? Country of Origin: Palestine 

TWO DISTANT STRANGERS 
Director: Travon Free, Martin Desmond Roe Synopsis: In "Two Distant Strangers,” cartoonist Carter James' repeated attempts to get home to his dog are thwarted by a recurring deadly encounter that forces him to relive the same awful day over and over again. Starring Joey Bada$$, Andrew Howard and Zaria Simone. Country of Origin: USA 

WHITE EYE 
Director: Tomer Shushan 
Synopsis: A man finds his stolen bicycle, which now belongs to a stranger. While attempting to retrieve it, he struggles to remain human. Country of Origin: Israel 

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM NOMINEES  

COLETTE 
Director: Anthony Giacchino  
Synopsis: On the anniversary of the start of the Nuremberg trials, 90-year-old Colette Marin-Catherine confronts her past by visiting the Nazi concentration camp in Germany where her brother was killed. As a young girl, she had been a member of the French resistance and had always refused to set foot in Germany. That changes when a young history student named Lucie enters her life. Prepared to reopen old wounds and revisit the terrors of that time, Marin-Catherine offers important lessons Country of Origin: France/Germany/USA 

A CONCERTO IS A CONVERSATION 
Director: Kris Bowers, Ben Proudfoot 
Synopsis: A virtuoso jazz pianist and film composer tracks his family's lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Country of Origin: USA 

DO NOT SPLIT 
Director: Anders Hammer 
Synopsis: The story of the 2019 Hong Kong protests, told through a series of demonstrations by local protestors that escalate into conflict when highly armed police appear on the scene. Country of Origin: USA/Norway 

HUNGER WARD 
Director: Skye Fitzgerald 
Synopsis: Filmed from inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in Yemen, HUNGER WARD documents two women health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war. The film provides an unflinching portrait of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they try to save the lives of hunger-stricken children within a population on the brink of famine. Country of Origin: USA 

A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA 
Director: Sophia Nahli Allison 
Synopsis: The injustice surrounding the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins at a South Central Los Angeles store became a flashpoint for the city’s 1992 civil uprising. As the Black community expressed its profound pain in the streets, Latasha’s friends and family privately mourned the loss of a vibrant child whose full story was never in the headlines. Nearly three decades later, director Sophia Nahli Allison removes Latasha from the context of her death to craft a dreamlike portrait of a promising life lost, demonstrating the impact one brief but brilliant life can have. Country of Origin: USA 

You can purchase tickets to view the shorts at:  https://tickets.oscar-shorts.com/

Tune in to watch the Oscars live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT this Sunday, April 25. 



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