‘Better Days’ Gets Oscar Nomination as ‘Nomadland’ Competes in 6 Categories
School bullying drama “Better Days,” which survived some major interference before going on to become one of the biggest films in China in 2019, has made the list of nominations for Best International Feature Film at 2021’s Academy Awards, with Disney’s much-maligned Mulan remake surprisingly getting a nod in two categories. As expected, Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland — the subject of a nationalist controversy in China — has come away with a number of nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director. That latter nomination makes history, with Zhao the first Asian woman to officially be in the running for the award. In other China-related Oscar nom news, Over the Moon is nominated in the Best Animated Feature Film category. Unfortunately, Hao Wu’s Wuhan-focused film 76 Days missed out in the documentary category. Read more REDII China
Asian Buyers Talk Pandemic Survival Strategies and the Year Ahead
While cinema closures have become the new normal in most of Europe and North America, several Asian markets managed to keep their doors open for business most of last year. Screen talked to some of the key Asian buyers who are still active in buying and releasing films. Cindy Lin, founder of Infotainment China Media indicated that 80% of the market share during Chinese New Year belonged to the top two films, with only 20% left to split among the rest. This is a reflection of the K-shaped market in China – big titles get bigger, leaving little room for smaller films. Read more Screen Daily
