By Cameron McAllister
While Georgia’s film industry continues to expand in all directions, it is only natural that we see an increase in the presence of Georgia productions on end-of-the-year lists and in award presentations.
With the nominations for the 89th Academy Awards announced this morning, it comes as no surprise that three films made in Georgia showed up. Theodore Melfi’s “Hidden Figures,” Morten Tyldum’s “Passengers” and Clint Eastwood’s “Sully” all received nominations. No two Georgia films were nominated in the same category.
“Hidden Figures” is the most lauded Georgia film of the year, taking home three nominations. The hit movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer and Best Adapted Screenplay for Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi. Spencer previously won in the same category for her performance in the 2011 film “The Help.”
“Passengers,” the outer space epic starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, might have under-performed this holiday season at the box office, but the film managed to rack up two Oscar nominations this morning. Thomas Newman was nominated for Best Original Score and the film also saw recognition in the Best Production Design category.
“Sully” was also nominated for Best Sound Editing. Director Clint Eastwood already has five Oscar statues of his own, and his films usually do well in the technical categories—whether or not they receive recognition for above the line talent.
The six Academy Award nominations for these three films represent a nice—albeit small—swath of all that Georgia put forward in 2016. Recently, the Georgia Film Critics Association announced a similar slate of nominations, with the notable inclusion of another Georgia film, Shane Black’s “The Nice Guys,” in several key categories.
