Latest news with #2025AcademyAward
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham invited to join prestigious Oscars Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has released the names of the 534 new invitees offered membership, including several 2025 Academy Award winners and nominees In the largest invitation list since 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited over 500 new members into their ranks. The annual list of creatives invited to join the Academy includes numerous A-list stars and several 2025 Academy Award nominees and winners. On June 26, the Academy released its list of 534 invitees - which include directors, writers, actors, casting directors, cinematographers, film editors and those with many other ranging roles in the film industry. Many notable newbies include 2025 Oscar winners, including Mikey Madison (Best Actress, Anora) and Kieran Culkin (Best Supporting Actor, A Real Pain). Among all the invitees this year 91 are past Oscar nominees including 26 winners. All Oscar nominees are automatically considered for membership in the year in which they are nominated. Others require sponsorship by two Academy members from the branch or category to which they are seeking admission, with the vast majority being invited to become members. Other prominent names include Ariana Grande, Gillian Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Invitations have also been extended to many big British stars. British stars featured include Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, 28 Years Later), Emma Corrin (Nosferatu, The Crown), Andrew Scott (Fleabag, All of Us Strangers) and Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice). Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! The new list also includes Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian filmmaker who was detained in Israel weeks after winning the Best Documentary Feature prize for No Other Land. The Academy apologised for not issuing an immediate public condemnation of his treatment after receiving widespread criticism. The uptick in invitations suggests a renewed effort by the Academy to address gaps in diversity. The Academy exhibited a similar increase in invitations between the mid 2010s and 2020 following the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 41 percent of the 2025 invitation class are women, 45 percent hail from underrepresented communities and 55 percent are based outside of the United States (in 60 different countries and territories). If all invites are accepted, total members will be up to 11,120 and the number of voting members will be 10,143. The overall diversity stats still leave much to be desired as even with the new class the Academy would be 35% women, 22% from underrepresented communities and 21% international. 'We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists and professionals to join the Academy,' Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. 'Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.'
Express Tribune
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Winner of Best Animated Film at the 2025 Oscars Was Made on Free Software
The 2025 Academy Award for Best Animated Film went to Flow, a groundbreaking and emotionally powerful animated feature that has taken the world by storm. The film tells the poignant story of a solitary black cat and other animals struggling to survive in a world submerged by rising floodwaters. In a powerful commentary on environmental disaster and survival, Flow combines breathtaking animation with a deeply moving narrative. What makes Flow even more remarkable is its modest budget and the use of entirely free, open-source software. With a production budget of only $3.5 million, which may sound like a lot to some, it's actually a very minimal sum when compared to the astronomical costs of typical animated features. For context, the much-anticipated Inside Out 2 had a massive budget of $200 million, yet Flow managed to surpass it in both artistic merit and storytelling. Winning the Oscar is not just a triumph for the film but for the entire Latvian film industry—Flow is Latvia's first-ever Oscar winner in the Best Animated Film category, making this victory a historic milestone for the nation. Perhaps the most impressive part of Flow's production is that it was entirely created using Blender, a free, open-source animation software. Blender has long been favored by independent animators and small studios, and this victory shows just how far it can take a creative vision. The use of Blender in Flow is a testament to the power of open-source tools and how they can level the playing field, offering filmmakers the ability to create stunning visuals without the need for a high-budget, proprietary animation platform. Director Gints Zilbalodis, who was also responsible for the film's concept, began the project with just a simple sketch for the main character. 'It was just a sketch to start, and the rest of the world was designed and modeled directly in 3D. It was faster and easier to do it this way,' Zilbalodis said. The only concept photo. This direct approach to 3D modeling and design was not only efficient but allowed the team to focus more on the emotional depth of the film rather than getting bogged down by intricate details. The result was a stunningly unique, immersive experience that captivated audiences and critics alike. Flow's success shows that big budgets are not always necessary to tell a powerful story, and that the right creative tools—like Blender—can allow an indie production to compete on the world's biggest stage. The film's Oscar win is a victory for both animation and the independent filmmaking community, proving that with passion, talent, and the right tools, anything is possible.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elton John and Brandi Carlile Announce Album, Shares New Song 'Who Believes in Angels?': Listen
All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by Pitchfork editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. Brandi Carlile and Elton John, photo by Peggy Sirota Elton John and Brandi Carlile are releasing an album together: Who Believes in Angels? lands on April 4 via Interscope. Listen to the title song below; scroll down for an album trailer. John and Carlile made Who Believes in Angels? with John's longtime songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, and producer Andrew Watt. They began work on the album, in October 2023, at Los Angeles' Sunset Sound. Additional musicians on the new album include Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, renowned bassist Pino Palladino, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer. Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin, and Andrew Watt were recently nominated for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Original Song. The track, originally made for the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, is featured on Who Believes in Angels? In 2021, John and Carlile released the song 'Simple Things' for the former's Lockdown Sessions album. Revisit Pitchfork's 'Pass the Aux' video with the musicians from around that time. $40.00, Rough Trade Who Believes in Angels?: 01 The Rose of Laura Nyro 02 Little Richard's Bible 03 Swing for the Fences 04 Never Too Late 05 You Without Me 01 Who Believes in Angels? 02 The River Man 03 A Little Light 04 Someone to Belong To 05 When This Old World Is Done With Me Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
