Academy Awards 2024 Full List of Winners with My Own Private Commentary
Full list of winners
International feature film
The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom. Jonathan Glazer directed and co-wrote with Martin Amis whose original novel was the basis of the movie. Its world premiere was in 2023 Cannes Competition where it won the Grand Prix. It went on to play Toronto, San Sebastián and Zurich. Starring Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller who was herself up for Best Actress Oscar in her other movie, Anatomy of a Fall, which won for Best Original Screenplay.
I am so glad this won. My prediction in December was that this would “win if the Academy goes for the most intellectually stirring and gut-wrenching account of fascist life as lived by good fascists. I would select this as my winner but I think the Academy will find it too depressing, too ponderous and too intellectual.”
The Zone of Interest also won for Sound Design. The sound designer Johnnie Burn, also designed the sound of Poor Things and Nope. This German and Polish-language Holocaust drama was the first ever British film to win in this category.
Taking to the stage with producer James Wilson — who has made a series of speeches cautioning against selective empathy — Glazer said that when making the film, the pair had been eager to make its story as contemporary as possible.
All our choices are made to reflect and confront us in the present. Not to say, ‘Look what they did then,’ rather ‘Look what we do now.’ Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.
He directly addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling out the “dehumanization” shown both in his film and in reality. “This is not about the past, it’s about now”.
Read more from The Guardian.
In his acceptance speech which is still causing waves of accusations against him in the U.S., Glazer — who, like Wilson, is Jewish — continued: “Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack in Gaza.”
Parsing his misrepresented statement, which is not totally clear in its delivery, he is refuting the fact that his identity as a Jew is being highjacked by an occupation which results in death for so many on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In my words: “I reject the war carried out by Hamas and Netanyahu! I call for a ceasefire. And I am a good Jew.”
He finished by dedicating the film to the memory of an elderly Polish woman he had met called Alexandria, who had worked for the Polish resistance when she was just 12.
She recounted how she had cycled to the camp to leave apples, and how she had found the mysterious piece of written music, which, it turned out, had been composed by an Auschwitz prisoner called Thomas Wolf, who survived the war. “She lived in the house we shot in,” Glazer told the Observer last year.
“It was her bike we used, and the dress the actor wears was her dress. Sadly, she died a few weeks after we spoke.”
The whole point of his film ‘Zone of Interest’ is, in his own words is,
[Do] not … say ‘Look what they did then,’ rather [say], ‘Look what we do now’.
Watch his acceptance speech here.
This speech has led to so many accusations against him from institutional Jewish voices, from ADL to Holocaust Survivors’ Foundation USA. Taken out of context, his words sound one way; taken within their context, they reflect the best of Jewish values. Jewish Telegraph Agency gives the best overview of the controversy his words have created and JTA also includes the Berlinale’s similar controversy: “Glazer’s speech unfolded during a period of intense scrutiny around Israel-related comments in the arts and entertainment world. Advisors to the globally renowned Berlin Film Festival also suggested this week that they might alter rules around speeches after some of this year’s award winners — including a few Jewish and Israeli directors — used their time to condemn Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza.”
I would congratulate Glazer and his team for making such an extraordinary film AND for opening up the doors to the internal debate that is dividing the Jewish communities worldwide. That the acts and debates are turning some of the non-Jewish world into something we have not witnessed in 75 years is also worth noting…and commenting on if we can find the words.
Read the LA Times interview with Glazer from January 11, 2024 by Joshua Rothkopp, Film Editor, entitled, ‘The Zone of Interest’ took a decade of work. Its director will never be the same.
EXTREMELY INTERESTING!! Read about the Zone of Interest’s real life Nazi family. Rainer Höß is the grandson of Auschwitz top executioner Rudolf Höß. HERE in ExBerliner.com.
See the anatomy of a Scene from the NY Times here.
U.S. release February 2, 2024 by A24. ISA A24 as of January 2024 had licensed it to Argentina and Brazil — Diamond Film; Australia and New Zealand — Madman; Germany-Leonine; Greece-Spentzos; Japan-Happinet; Poland-Gutek; Portugal-Alambique; Romania-Bad Unicorn, U.K.-Film Four; U.S.-A24 (of course). As of this date, March 11, 2024 it has also been licensed to Baltics-Kino Pavasaris; Benelux-Cineart; Canada-Elevation; France-Bac for theatrical and Blaq Out for DVD, BluRay and Ultra HD Bluray; Hong Kong-EDKO; Mexico-Diamond; Spain-Elastica and Wanda Vision; So. Africa-Empire; Switzerland-Filmcoopi; Worldwide VoD and video-Cinemax
Original screenplay
- Anatomy Of A Fall Cannes Palme d’Or Winner 2024. Justine Triet and partner Arthur Harari won best original screenplay for this marital thriller. Triet is the first French woman to win in this category. “It will help me in my midlife crisis, I think,” she joked in her speech.
Premiered Cannes 2023. ISA MK2 has licensed the film to Argentina and Brazil-Diamond; Australia and New Zealand-Madman; Austria-Panda Lichtspiele; Baltics-Kino Pavasaris; Canada-Elevation, China-Road Pictures; France-Le Pacte; Germany-Plion; Greece-Spentzos; Hong Kong-Golden Scene; Hungary-Mozinet; Iceland-Heimili Kvikmyndanna-Bio. Paradis; India- Picture Works; Indonesia-Klikfilm; Israel-New Cinema; Italy-Theodora; Japan-Gaga; MENA and Iran-Front Row; Mongolia-Sayan; Poland-M2; Portugal-NOS; Russia-New Film (Noviy); Russia, CIS, Baltics-Provzglyad; Singapore-Anticipate; So. Korea-Studo DHL and Green Narae; Spain-Filmin and Elastica; Sweden-Triart ; Switzerland-Filmcoopi; Taiwan-Hooray; Turkey-Mars and Basma Sinema; UK and Ireland-Picturehouse and Lionsgate for DVD and Bluray; USA-Neon, Criterion and Hulu; Airlines-SKEye
Adapted screenplay
- American Fiction by Cord Jefferson, his first big screen script. I loved this film because it allowed me to laugh at myself and others with a free conscience. Race relations are so taught that we need some space to regard our own sense of “wokeness” vis a vis the dilemna Black writers are faced with as their works are received and categorized based on White “woke” folks’ acceptance and reading of them. Read The Guardian’s interview with Jefferson here.
Premiered Toronto FF 2023. U.S.-Amazon MGM, Canada-Warner Bros. Worldwide Amazon Prime.
Documentary feature
- 20 Days in Mariupol shot by war reporter Mstyslav Chernov during the Russian siege of the Ukrainian city.
Chernov accepted the award saying that the Oscar was the first ever for a Ukrainian film. “I am honoured but I will probably be the first director on this stage to say that I wish I had never made this film.
“I wish to be able to exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine, never invading our cities. I wish to be able to exchange this for Russian not killing 10,000 of my fellow Ukrainians.”
Chernov said he also would love to be able to swap the honour for Russia “releasing the hostages” as well as “the civilians who are now in their jails.”
“I cannot change history. I cannot change the past,” he concluded. “But we all together, you — some of the most talented people in the world — can make sure the history record is set straight and the truth will prevail and the people of Mariupol and those who have lost their lives will never be forgotten.
“Because cinema forms memories and memories form history.”
Chernov concluded: “Thanks to Ukraine.”
World Premiere at Sundance. ISA Dogwoof has licensed the film to Brazil-Synapse; Finland-Finnkino; France-Originals Factory; MENA and Iran-Front Row; Spain-Filmin; Ukraine-Arthouse Traffic
Animated short film
- War Is Over! Directed by Dave Mullins, Written and Produced by Sean Lennon
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko is a 3D computer-animated short film produced by ElectroLeague studio. The animation and visual effects were created by Peter Jackson’s New Zealand-based VFX company Wētā FX. Epic Games’ Unreal Engine was used in production to create the imagery. The film was edited by John K. Carr and scored by Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman of the famous musical Newman family, no doubt.
Documentary short
- The Last Repair Shop.Directors: Ben Proudfoot, Kris Bowers. In Los Angeles, a few devoted craftspeople keep over 80,000 student instruments in good repair. This is an LA Times Documentary, very moving, distributed by Fox Searchlight. I loved the people in it and I loved that it mentioned my own LAUSD alma mater, Hamilton High School which has become a magnet school for music. I loved taking A Cappella Choir there in 1961. You can watch it on YouTube here.
Live-action short film
- The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar based on the story by Raoul Dahl adapted and directed by Wes Anderson. Netflix. You can watch it here.
Music (original score)
- Oppenheimer scored by Ludwig Göransson, a Swedish composer who also scored Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Mandolorian, and Tenet. In light of my bringing in Nordic Film Music Days to Berlin’s European Film Market, I am very proud of this proof of the film music coming out of the Nordic countries. I feel like I am a part of this new movement to bring film music into the film marketplace. Read my blog here.
Sound: The Zone Of Interest
Best picture: Oppenheimer
Directing: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Actor in a leading role: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Actor in a supporting role: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Cinematography: Oppenheimer
Film editing: Oppenheimer
and now for something new…:
Actress in a leading role: Emma Stone, Poor Things
Production design: Poor Things
Costume Design: Poor Things
Makeup and hairstyling: Poor Things
and the rest…:
Actress in a supporting role: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Animated feature film: The Boy And The Heron
Music (original song): “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
Visual effects: Godzilla Minus One
And finally, if you ever wonder what are the best festivals for launching potential Academy Award winning films, here is a graphic from Screen Daily. You can also do the research by looking up the titles on IMDb and going into “All Topics” and looking at “Release Dates”.
