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SALT LAKE CITY -- Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning and more than 20 of them have Utah connections.
So both the state and the Sundance Film Festival are celebrating a big connection to the Academy Awards...
Related:
Local filmmaker shows us his ballot
Local filmmaker Craig Clyde has been in the business for more than 40 years and is on the Academy Awards panel this year. He talked to ksl.com about this year's nominees and why they're considered the "best" of 2010.The story of hiker Aron Ralston, who severed part of his right arm to escape a slot canyon in Southern Utah, received six Academy Award nominations. Shot in Utah, "127 Hours" with its sweeping vistas serves as not only a showcase for the state but brought jobs money into the local economy.
Utah Film Commission Director, Marshall Moore, spends 10 days at Sundance meeting filmmakers and talking about our Utah film crews who worked on the latest Oscar contender.
"I keep calling it the movie that keeps giving. They were in the state for six months. They constructed these large sets to mimic Blue John Canyon, at the Granite Furniture Warehouse in Salt Lake. But, then they actually went to the canyon for a few weeks, too. They worked with us with our state incentives. That's what kept them here. They had some options about where they could go and build those sets and maybe use another crew, even though the story did take place in Utah. 90% of the crew members were really from Utah and that is a testament to our local crew, our local workforce, support vendors, everyone who contributed to the making of that production should be proud today to be recognized by the Academy."
As for the Sundance Film Festival, one of last year's winners has now been nominated for four Academy Awards.
A small independent film titled "Winter's Bone" won the U.S. Dramatic Competition in 2010 at Sundance. The Oscar nominations include one for Best Picture, Jennifer Lawrence, Best Actress, John Hawkes, Best Supporting Actor and best adapted screenplay. The story takes place in the Ozarks and follows the trials of a girl who searches for her father, who has disappeared into the world of illegal meth labs.
In all, 9 films in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival received 15 nominations... some for actors, others for best documentary, even a best animated short.
The whole point of the Institute is to be able to nurture storytellers, wherever they come from, whatever their stories.
–- Brooks Addicott, Associate Director of Media Relations, Sundance Film Festival
15 Oscar Nominees from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival "Winter's Bone" - 4 nominations "The Kids are All Right" - 4 nominations "Blue Valentine" - 1 nomination "Animal Kingdom" - 1 nomination "Exit Through the Gift Shop" - 1 nomination "Gas Land" - 1 nomination "Restrepo" - 1 nomination "Waste Land" - I nomination Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage - 1 nomination
Brooks Addicott, Associate Director of Media Relations for The Sundance Film Festival said a number of the nominated films began at the Sundance Institute labs,The whole point of the Institute is to be able to nurture storytellers, wherever they come from, whatever their stories and I think this year's nominations really show diversity. It does support what we do here. So, no, the Oscars are not a goal for our filmmakers, although they would argue it probably is but, for us, it's just that these different people are getting their stories told and are out there and audiences are seeing them, which is great."
The festival says 'Sundance Today, Tomorrow the Oscars'.
E-mail: cmikita@ksl.com
