Channel 4’s feature-film-making arm Film4 Productions has scored an unprecedented 15 Oscar nominations across six movies, including a best picture nod for Room, six nominations for Carol, and a best actress nod for Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years.
Carol, the lesbian romance adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt and starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, was the best-performing of Film4’s list, earning acting nominations for Blanchett and Mara (as best actress and best supporting actress respectively) as well as costume design, original score, cinematography, and adapted screenplay for Phyllis Nagy. Surprisingly, however, Carol received neither a best picture nomination, nor one for its director Todd Haynes.
Room, the kidnap drama inspired by the Fritzl case and adapted from Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel, picked up four nominations: picture, actress for Brie Larson, director for Lenny Abrahamson and adapted screenplay for Donoghue.
Both these films have been heavily tipped for awards, as has Amy, the Asif Kapadia-directed study of musician Amy Winehouse, which duly collected a best documentary Oscar nomination to add to its Bafta nomination in the same category. The Oscars have also righted what many commentators felt was a major oversight from the British Academy by nominating Rampling for best actress for her superbly understated performance in the Andrew Haigh-directed marital drama 45 Years.
More surprising, perhaps, was the recognition for sci-fi fable Ex Machina, which scored a best original screenplay nomination for its writer-director Alex Garland, as well as best visual effects for a story that revolved around a digitally altered Alicia Vikander playing a robot called Ava. Youth, directed by Italian film-maker Paolo Sorrentino, also received a nomination for best song, for music written by David Lang. Youth features Michael Caine as a composer who resists overtures from the royal family to conduct a birthday concert for Prince Philip.
David Kosse, the recently appointed director of Film4 said: “Fifteen nominations ... is an amazing validation of our belief in the potential of these bold, inspirational stories ... I am delighted to see so many of our friends and partners honoured today.” Kosse took over Film4 in 2014 from Tessa Ross, who had become head of Film4 in 2003.
Film4’s triumph is all the more remarkable because of its dismantling and near-closure in 2002, as well as its existence as a standalone unit being put in doubt by its parent company. However, under Ross’s leadership it survived and thrived, with its marque gracing such award-winning films as 127 Hours, The Iron Lady and 12 Years a Slave.
The Oscars ceremony takes place on 28 February at the Dolby theatre, Los Angeles.
