From a jazzy Ryan Gosling, to a Montreal team behind 鈥淎rrival,鈥� and a trio of homegrown animators, there鈥檚 a healthy dose of Canuck amongst this year鈥檚 Oscar nominees.
Here are five Canadian bullet points for Sunday鈥檚 show, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC and CTV:
GA-GA FOR GOSLING
Awards shows have been showering the London, Ont., native with nominations for his 鈥淟a La Land鈥� role as a jazz pianist who falls in love with a fledgling actress, played by Emma Stone. The former 鈥淢ickey Mouse Club鈥� star has already won a Golden Globe for the part and is up for an Oscar for best actor. It鈥檚 his second such Oscar nomination after 2006鈥檚 鈥淗alf Nelson,鈥� in which he played a high school teacher with a drug addiction.
Fun fact: Gosling found inspiration in the musicals 鈥淭op Hat鈥� starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire (鈥淚 like Fred鈥檚 style. He鈥檚 very mischievous,鈥� he said) and 鈥淎n American in Paris,鈥� which he called 鈥渧ery experimental and yet it doesn鈥檛 feel pretentious.鈥�
DENIS VILLENEUVE HAS ARRIVED
Hollywood is hot for the talents of this French-Canadian gem, who is nominated for best director for his heady alien-invasion drama 鈥淎rrival.鈥� It鈥檚 his second Oscars ride after his 2010 drama 鈥淚ncendies鈥� was nominated for best foreign-language film. The Quebec filmmaker has had a string of high-profile projects in recent years, including 鈥淧risoners,鈥� 鈥淓nemy鈥� and 鈥淪icario.鈥� His next film is a whopper: the hugely anticipated 鈥淏lade Runner 2049,鈥� starring Gosling.
Fun fact: Villeneuve has dreamed of doing science fiction since childhood, when he read European sci-fi comic books. 鈥淚 was raised with dreaming about space all my childhood,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 part of the 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� generation.鈥�
鈥淎RRIVAL鈥溾�榮 MONTREAL MOMENTUM
Several other Montrealers who worked on 鈥淎rrival鈥� are also up for Oscars. They include sound editor Sylvain Bellemare production designer Patrice Vermette and decorator Paul Hotte and sound mixers Bernard Gariepy Strobl and Claude La Haye.
Fun fact: Bellemare found inspiration for the sound of the heptapod aliens in Pink Floyd鈥檚 music and a melange of animals. 鈥淲e tried to do something that 鈥� was more based on instinct and rhythm,鈥� he said.
HIGH HOPES FOR ANIMATED SHORTS
Three of the five titles nominated in the best animated short category have Canadian ties. 鈥淏lind Vaysha鈥� is by Montreal鈥檚 Theodore Ushev and produced by the National Film Board of Canada. 鈥淧ear Cider and Cigarettes,鈥� produced by Cara Speller, is directed by Robert Valley of Vancouver. And the Pixar-produced 鈥淧iper鈥� is helmed by Alan Barillaro of Chippawa, Ont.
Fun fact: When Ushev heard of his nomination, he fainted, overwhelmed by pent-up emotions from the campaign. 鈥淎 lot of people were telling me, 鈥榊ou have a chance, you have a chance,鈥� and when a lot of people tell you this you just get nervous,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had to do a lot of yoga and sports to tame the pressure.鈥�
FIRST NOD FOR 鈥�13TH鈥� PRODUCER
Winnipeg-born producer Howard Barish has his first Oscar nomination for the documentary 鈥�13th,鈥� which looks at the criminalization and mass incarceration of African Americans in the U.S. He shares the nomination with filmmaker Ava DuVernay and her co-writer, Spencer Averick.
Fun fact: Barish first met DuVernay a decade ago and also had producer roles on her 2010 debut 鈥淚 Will Follow鈥� and her 2012 film 鈥淢iddle of Nowhere.鈥� Working on her first two films inspired him to focus on 鈥済iving back.鈥� 鈥淢y current projects revolve around producing small independent features which will embrace emerging talent and first time directors,鈥� he said.
鈥� Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
鈥� with files from David Friend.
