Among the big surprises on the 2023 Oscar nominations list, Andrea Riseborough’s candidacy for Best Actress stands out. The British actress was awarded that honor thanks to her stellar performance in To Leslie; a modestly distributed drama film believed to be ignored by Hollywood Academy voters. However, an unusual last-minute campaign allowed Riseborough to sneak past the contenders for the golden statuette.
Promoting a film to be considered by Oscar voters often requires a considerable investment of money. However, the distributor Momentum Pictures, in complicity with director Michael Morris, chose to rely on word of mouth to give more reach to To Leslie. In just a couple of months, this tape became a sensation among famous actresses; For example, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Laura Dern, Amy Adams and Charlize Theron, who, whether on social media or in any other circumstance, spoke positively of her.
On the other hand, although the official version indicates that this harmless mechanism of spreading the word was what allowed To Leslie To win the 2023 Oscar spotlight and score a nomination for Andrea Riseborough, there have been allegations that Momentum actually bribed the right people.
This Friday, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the Hollywood Academy is conducting “a review of campaign procedures around this year’s nominations” in order to rule out any type of infringement. The statement issued by the organization speaks in general terms. But it is evident that his pronouncement arises by virtue of the controversy generated by that surprising candidacy.
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Read the full statement below:
The goal of the Academy is to ensure that the competition for the Awards is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive award process.
We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure no guidelines have been violated, and to let us know if any changes to the guidelines may be necessary in a new era of media social and digital communication.
We are confident in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and we support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances.
The 95th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Enter HERE to see the full list of nominations.
for now, To Leslie It lacks a release date in Mexico.
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.
