Tag Archives: Oscars

‘Nina,’ Starring Zoe Saldana: The First Contender For The 2017 Oscars

imageHOLLYWOOD, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – Now that the 2016 Oscars have been handed out, it’s time for film makers and moviegoers to look to next year’s contenders. Critics are already saying that ‘Nina,’ a biopic about the legendary troubled singer Nina Simone, is leading the pack.

The new film stars actress Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo (‘Selma,’ ‘The Brave One’).

Saldana, a Latina, brings to life the blues legend who was a major figure during the civil rights movement.

There was one problem when Saldana was cast. She wasn’t  black enough. But make-up artists worked hard to make her light skin several shades darker. They even gave her a prosthetic nose.

And so, the rest is history. ‘Nina’ is all but assured of a nomination, perhaps even an  Oscar statuette for ‘Best Make-up’ come the 2017 Academy Awards.

Is this the beginning of the end of #oscarssowhite?

“Nina,”  hits theaters and VOD on April 22.

 

Black, Asian and Latino Film Celebrities Form Their Own “Oscars”

imageHOLLYWOOD, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – In an apparent response to the lack of diversity in the Oscar nominations for two years in a row now, a group of famous celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z, Tyler Perry and Spike Lee is partnering with Black Entertainment Television (BET) to establish the Boscars, the Black Oscars. The Boscars will award and recognize outstanding achievement in film among  Blacks.

Not to be outdone, Asians in Hollywood led by director Ang Lee, actors Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu, and scriptwriter Ronnie Del Carmen are also forming their own “Academy of Motion Pictures.” They plan to establish their own Oscars which they are calling Ascars.

Of course, Latinos won’t allow themselves to be left behind. They are in discussions with Univision and Telemundo to hold an annual film awards for Latinos. They’re calling it Lascars.

The Internet activist group responsible for the hashtag #Oscarssowhite, has thrown its unconditional support for the triple move by the film celebrities of color.

Meanwhile, Native Americans in film are also in the process of establishing their own Oscars. Unfortunately, the move is on hold until they come up with an appropriate name for their awards. They can’t use NASCAR because that name is patented by the Daytona-based stock car racing organization.

Is this the beginning of the end for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Oscars as we know it?

Stay tuned!

HENERAL LUNA LOSES OSCAR BID BUT MAY STILL WIN PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

imageHOLLYWOOD, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Heneral Luna may have failed in its bid to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, but hopes are still high that Luna will be elected next president of the Philippines.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today released  the “first cut” list of foreign film submissions that still have the chance of being nominated for the Oscars, and Heneral Luna was not one of them.

But in the field of Philippine presidential politics, where all the declared candidates (Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe, Mar Roxas, Rodrigo Dueterte and Mirian Defensor-Santiago) seem to have some serious problems or baggage,  the chances of Heneral Luna being elected as a write-in candidate are getting better by the day.

If elected, Heneral Luna will go down in world history as the first ever to be elected president, post-mortem.