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Oscars 2020 recognize Documentary works but snub women at directorial category

Alexia Muiños Ruiz
Alexia Muiños Ruiz

The Academy recognizes women's work at Documentary categories while snubs them for best Director

Unfortunately there will be no women nominated for Best director in 2020. Only at the documentary categories, we can find more female representation including Honeyland's nod to Best Foreign Film and Best Documentary.

We celebrate the acknowledgment of Hildur Guðnadóttir's score for  Joker and a new nomination for veteran editor, Thelma Schoonmaker for  The Irishman.

As regards the main prizes, women have received nominations at both writing categories:

Original Screenplay1917

co-writing by Krysty Wilson-Cairns and Sam Mendes

Adapted Screenplay: “Little Women” 

Greta Gerwig's fine adaptation has been acknowledged  in the Adapted Sreenplay and also for Best Film, Costume Design, Original Score  and Main and Supporting actresses.

Best Documentary Feature:

Four films are directed or co-directed by women

American Factory,”co-direction by Julia Rieichert, Steven Bognar
The Edge of Democracy,” by Petra Costa
For Sama,” co-direction by Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Honeyland,”co-direction by Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov

Best International Feature Film:

Again “Honeyland,” by Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov

Best Documentary Short Subject:

Four films are either directed or co-directed by women

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone,” Carol Dysinger
Life Overtakes Me,” Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas
St. Louis Superman,” Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
Walk Run Cha-Cha,” by Laura Nix

Best Live Action Short Film40% of the film directed by women

“Brotherhood,” by Meryam Joobeur
“A Sister” by Delphine Girard

Animated Short:

Delighted to see that 3 of the nominated shorts are directed by women

“Dcera,” Daria Kashcheeva
“Kitbull,” Rosana Sullivan
“Sister,” Siqi Song

Sound Editing:

“1917,” Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate

Costume Design: 80% of the nominees are female

As usual, women are well represented at Costume Design.

”The Irishman,” Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson
“Jojo Rabbit,” Mayes C. Rubeo
“Little Women,” Jacqueline Durran
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Arianne Phillips

 

Big oversights:

Mati Diop’s  Cannes Jury Prize “Atlantics"; Nanfu Wang’s documentary “One Child Nation,"; Celine Sciamma’s Cannes Script winner “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, Chinonye Chukwu’s prison drama won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Clemency; Teona Mitevska feminist satire "God exists, her name is Petrunya", Melina Matsoukas’ “Queen and Slim",  Lulu Wang's “The Farewell", Olivia Wilde’s instant-classic comedy “Booksmart”; Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe’s, “Greener Grass”; Lorene Scafaria’s “Hustlers.” who earned Best Director nod from the Indie Spirit Awards; “Honey Boy” earned director Alma Har’el a Directors Guild of America nomination for Best First Feature.