We all know that the internet is a double-edged sword. It has brought worlds of information to our fingertips, to the point where if there's something known by our species, it can be disseminated and taught to you in a matter of clicks. The flipside is that it's given rise to copious amounts of misinformation, … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2023 – International Feature (VIDEO)
The quest to tackle the list of candidates for specialized feature films is always a fun adventure. Fifteen films make the shortlist for both International and Documentary, while the Animated field is just whatever eligible movies get submitted regardless of individual merit or quality. But it's always exciting to see as many of them as … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The End of the Tour
Today's the semi-big day! We've reached the last major milestone before the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards are revealed. With one month to go, the official shortlists have been released for 10 specialty categories. For all intents and purposes, the pre-Blitz has begun, and it's time to plan viewing strategies for the next few … Continue reading A Little Short – 95th Academy Awards Shortlists Announced!
For the first time ever, I accomplished my goal of seeing the entire shortlist for International Feature. And trust me, it's quite the task, as this is the one category where even the most stalwart Oscar fanatic could be deprived of any chance to see a nominated film, or even a submitted one. According to … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – International Feature
We've reached the final stage of the pre-Blitz with today's announcement of 10 shortlists for specialty categories for next year's Oscars. And as always, there are some truly baffling decisions made by the individual branches to go along with the more logical ones. From here on out it's nothing but hunting and viewing as I … Continue reading Your Dis is on My List – 94th Academy Award Shortlists!
We're but a few days away from the Academy releasing its shortlists, including the final 15 vying for International Feature. As mentioned in Part 1 of this roundup, I was able to purchase access to 14 of the worldwide submissions via a virtual cinema option through the California Film Institute, which is still available until … Continue reading DownStream – Around the World, Part 2
Through a combination of luck, increased distribution, and me just being an obsessive, I've been able to get an amazing head start on the International Feature category for next year's Oscars. Often the hardest category to finish, thanks to Academy rules that do not mandate domestic screening, this year I've been able to track down … Continue reading DownStream – Around the World, Part 1
It's finally happened. The Oscar Blitz has officially entered the preliminary stages, at least from a public-facing perspective. The deadline for specialty feature films to submit to the Academy was on November 1, and typically as soon as eligibility is determined, the powers that be at AMPAS publish those lists. For whatever reason, we had … Continue reading Put On Your Blitzin’ Shoes – Academy Announces Specialty Feature Submissions
We're in the preliminary stages of next year's Oscar Blitz, with me sitting here eagerly anticipating the official announcement of specialty submissions before the shortlists come out on December 21. Part of that early zeal has included monitoring news feeds (and let's be honest, Wikipedia) for individual countries to announce their entries for International Feature, … Continue reading DownStream – Netflix International
If there's any one category that gives me fits and anxiety attacks year in and year out, it's this one. It's not that the entrants are bad by any means, it's simply a matter of access. The eligibility calendar for International Feature submissions shifts back a couple of months before the general ballot, so as … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2021 – International Feature
I Actually Paid To See This 