Women nominees at the 2019 Oscars

Oscars 2019 Have Long Way to Go On Gender Equality

Whereas Film Festivals are signing a Pledge (*) pushing themselves to achieve greater gender parity by the year 2020, the Oscars are an all- male party since women are still under-represented. In this year’s Oscar nominations, celebrating diversity, women were not invisible but their presence is still insufficient, peaking at no female nominee at the best director category and only two women nodding noms at the writing categories.

However, a few women can raise the golden statuette in this year's edition, actresses, Make-up and Costume Design aside, as the award is secured in these categories. Remarkable mention to the British costume designer Sandy Powell, who is twice nominated for Mary Poppins Returns and The Favourite.

At the documentary field, four out of five contenders, are directed or produced by women. There're also chances at the best film in a foreign language with Nadine Labaki's CAPERNAUM and it's refreshing to see three women vying for the Oscar for composing the best song. Women are also nominated for adapted and original screenplay, best shortfilm (live-action, animated and documentary), sound editing, and production design.

(*)Introduced at the 2018 edition of Cannes, the Pledge is a way to hold festivals accountable as they work towards full gender parity. It does not include mandatory quotas for films directed by women, but commits to an even gender ratio in festival management, and improving transparency around selection processes by publicly listing the members of its selection and programming committees. Cannes, Locarno, Sarajevo, Toronto, Venice and San Sebastian are among the festivals that have signed the Pledge.

Foreign Language.

Only One film out of five has been directed by a woman. Capernaum (Lebanon) by Nadine Labaki, which has been previously awarded at Festival de Cannes.

Best Documentary

RBG by Betsy West and Julie Cohen

Octogenarian Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice in 1993, had spent her prior legal career battling laws that allowed gender discrimination. Supported by her devoted husband, a fellow lawyer, and their two children, Ginsburg becomes renowned for her tireless work ethic, liberal outlook and keen intellect.

Free Solo by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Director), Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

Renowned free solo climber Alex Honnold has long desired to attempt El Capitan, the 3,000-foot granite rock in Yosemite National Park. Although he wants to begin, Honnold is suddenly plagued by injuries and his friends and family worry for his safety. Nothing can stop him, however, and Honnold becomes the only athlete to make the treacherous ascent without ropes.

Minding the Gap by Bing Liu and Diane Quon

As he films his fellow skateboarders over the years, Bing Liu wonders why so many of them have experienced contentious relationships with their fathers. As he focuses on friends Zack, who is about to become a father himself, and Keire, who is grappling with his racial identity, Liu realizes that he must resolve his feelings about his own abusive childhood.

Hale county this morning, this evening  by RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim

The dreams and everyday experiences of friends Daniel and Quincy, and also those of Boosie, the mother of Quincy's children, are depicted as they go about their lives in Hale County, Alabama. Also explored is the idea of how the Southern African-American experience can be depicted on film.

Short documentary

Period. End of sentence. by Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Shortfilm Animated

Animal Behaviour by Alison Snowden and David Fine

Late Afternoon by Louise Bagnall and Nuria González Blanco

BAO  by  Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

Shortfilm Live Action

Marguerite by Marianne Farley

Best Song

We celebrate three nominations for women composers.

“Shallow” from A Star Is Born. Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga,

“I’ll fight” from RBG. Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

"When a cowboy trades his spurs for wings" from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs music and lyrics by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Writing (original screenplay)

The Favourite written by Deborah Davis and Tony Mcnamara

Writing (adapted screenplay)

Can you ever forgive me? Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

Production Design

The Favourite. Production design by Fiona Crombie

Sound Editing

Bohemian Rhapsody. Edited by  John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone

First Man. Edited by Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan

Sound Mixing

First Man. Mixed by Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis

Make-Up and Hairstyling

Border. Artist: Pamela Goldammer

Mary Queen of Scots. Artists: Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks

Vice. Artists: Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney

COSTUME DESIGN

Black Panther. Ruth Carter

The Favourite.  Sandy Powell

Mary Poppins Returns. Sandy Powell

Mary Queen of Scots. Alexandra Byrne

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Mary Zophres