From a jazzy Ryan Gosling, to a Montreal team behind 乌鸦传媒淎rrival,乌鸦传媒� and a trio of homegrown animators, there乌鸦传媒檚 a healthy dose of Canuck amongst this year乌鸦传媒檚 Oscar nominees.
Here are five Canadian bullet points for Sunday乌鸦传媒檚 show, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC and CTV:
GA-GA FOR GOSLING
Awards shows have been showering the London, Ont., native with nominations for his 乌鸦传媒淟a La Land乌鸦传媒� role as a jazz pianist who falls in love with a fledgling actress, played by Emma Stone. The former 乌鸦传媒淢ickey Mouse Club乌鸦传媒� star has already won a Golden Globe for the part and is up for an Oscar for best actor. It乌鸦传媒檚 his second such Oscar nomination after 2006乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒淗alf Nelson,乌鸦传媒� in which he played a high school teacher with a drug addiction.
Fun fact: Gosling found inspiration in the musicals 乌鸦传媒淭op Hat乌鸦传媒� starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire (乌鸦传媒淚 like Fred乌鸦传媒檚 style. He乌鸦传媒檚 very mischievous,乌鸦传媒� he said) and 乌鸦传媒淎n American in Paris,乌鸦传媒� which he called 乌鸦传媒渧ery experimental and yet it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 feel pretentious.乌鸦传媒�
DENIS VILLENEUVE HAS ARRIVED
Hollywood is hot for the talents of this French-Canadian gem, who is nominated for best director for his heady alien-invasion drama 乌鸦传媒淎rrival.乌鸦传媒� It乌鸦传媒檚 his second Oscars ride after his 2010 drama 乌鸦传媒淚ncendies乌鸦传媒� was nominated for best foreign-language film. The Quebec filmmaker has had a string of high-profile projects in recent years, including 乌鸦传媒淧risoners,乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淓nemy乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒淪icario.乌鸦传媒� His next film is a whopper: the hugely anticipated 乌鸦传媒淏lade Runner 2049,乌鸦传媒� starring Gosling.
Fun fact: Villeneuve has dreamed of doing science fiction since childhood, when he read European sci-fi comic books. 乌鸦传媒淚 was raised with dreaming about space all my childhood,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 part of the 乌鸦传媒楽tar Wars乌鸦传媒� generation.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淎RRIVAL乌鸦传媒溛谘淮綐s MONTREAL MOMENTUM
Several other Montrealers who worked on 乌鸦传媒淎rrival乌鸦传媒� are also up for Oscars. They include sound editor Sylvain Bellemare production designer Patrice Vermette and decorator Paul Hotte and sound mixers Bernard Gariepy Strobl and Claude La Haye.
Fun fact: Bellemare found inspiration for the sound of the heptapod aliens in Pink Floyd乌鸦传媒檚 music and a melange of animals. 乌鸦传媒淲e tried to do something that 乌鸦传媒� was more based on instinct and rhythm,乌鸦传媒� he said.
HIGH HOPES FOR ANIMATED SHORTS
Three of the five titles nominated in the best animated short category have Canadian ties. 乌鸦传媒淏lind Vaysha乌鸦传媒� is by Montreal乌鸦传媒檚 Theodore Ushev and produced by the National Film Board of Canada. 乌鸦传媒淧ear Cider and Cigarettes,乌鸦传媒� produced by Cara Speller, is directed by Robert Valley of Vancouver. And the Pixar-produced 乌鸦传媒淧iper乌鸦传媒� is helmed by Alan Barillaro of Chippawa, Ont.
Fun fact: When Ushev heard of his nomination, he fainted, overwhelmed by pent-up emotions from the campaign. 乌鸦传媒淎 lot of people were telling me, 乌鸦传媒榊ou have a chance, you have a chance,乌鸦传媒� and when a lot of people tell you this you just get nervous,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 had to do a lot of yoga and sports to tame the pressure.乌鸦传媒�
FIRST NOD FOR 乌鸦传媒�13TH乌鸦传媒� PRODUCER
Winnipeg-born producer Howard Barish has his first Oscar nomination for the documentary 乌鸦传媒�13th,乌鸦传媒� which looks at the criminalization and mass incarceration of African Americans in the U.S. He shares the nomination with filmmaker Ava DuVernay and her co-writer, Spencer Averick.
Fun fact: Barish first met DuVernay a decade ago and also had producer roles on her 2010 debut 乌鸦传媒淚 Will Follow乌鸦传媒� and her 2012 film 乌鸦传媒淢iddle of Nowhere.乌鸦传媒� Working on her first two films inspired him to focus on 乌鸦传媒済iving back.乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淢y current projects revolve around producing small independent features which will embrace emerging talent and first time directors,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒� Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
乌鸦传媒� with files from David Friend.
