Oscar Season 2025-2026; Sundance Film Festival Re-Cap; New Voices, Splashy Premieres, Skittish Distributors and Titles That Can Go the Distance
On this episode of ACADEMY ANONYMOUS:An uncertain future for Utah and the Sundance Film FestivalSundance 2025 again key to unlocking the early favorites for Best Documentary OscarA24 teams with Pastel again on Eva Victor’s “Sorry, Baby” - screenwriting winner, early critics darling and standout debut among US Dramatic CompetitionRace for Best International Feature starts with selection of co-production titles among World Dramatic Competition - Canada, Argentina, North Macedonia, Turkey, India, UK, Poland, FranceUnderdog “Omaha” and John Magaro pull on the heartstrings just right, dismiss the title at your own peril!!Crowd-pleasing debuts for “The Ballad of Wallis Island” and “The Wedding Banquet” look to signal sleeper hits for Focus Features and Bleecker Street in theaters this spring Josh O’ Connor makes first (but NOT last) festival stop this year with “Rebuilding” - in a year where he’s primed to finally break into major Oscar acting raceWill the Academy Awards ever wake up to the artistic achievement of “Peter Hujar’s Day” director Ira Sachs? The BIG 3 titles from Sundance 2025!“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” kickstarts a big year for Safdie-esque cinema, BUT can this brand of filmmaking crossover with the Academy Awards in a big way?Can “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” succeed where “Hereditary” failed and finally bring Rose Byrne to the Oscars for Best Actress? Will “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” get lost among A24’s slate of films?Queer-Golden Age Hollywood musical hybrid “Kiss of the Spider Woman” has all the cards it needs for a long, successful Oscar runThe prestigious legacy of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” - Bill Condon, William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Hector Babenco, Kander & Ebb, Chita Rivera, Terrence McNallyColleen Atwood, Oscar-winning Sound Designers and veteran Production Designer and DP in the Oscar hunt for sumptuous visuals on display in “Kiss of the Spider Woman”Jennifer Lopez channels old-Hollywood glamour and dances her way to another Oscar bid for Best Supporting Actress in “Kiss of the Spider Woman”Tonatiuh poised for breakout year as Molina, Diego Luna's heartfelt turn and reputable career to figure in Best Supporting ActorNetflix bets on “Train Dreams,” but after last year’s “Sing Sing” can Bentley and Kwedar score consecutive Best Adapted Screenplay nods with prized source material?“Train Dreams” to factor into Best Cinematography, but is it going to miss the big-screen treatment?Joel Edgerton wins strong mentions for Best Actor but will he be the victim of the film’s use of voice-over?Is Netflix the right fit for “Train Dreams” Best Picture hopes?Where have all the distributors gone?! Big-name independents scaring themselves out of sure-fire Oscar contention and potential mass audience appeal
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