Oscar nominations a ‘historical moment’ for Vancouver’s Asian community
Posted January 25, 2023 12:01 pm.
Last Updated January 25, 2023 12:04 pm.
This year’s Oscar nominations have those in Vancouver’s Asian film community excited.
A record number of Asian actors and producers were nominated for an Academy Award during the announcement on Tuesday. The majority of the nods came from Everything Everywhere All at Once, which is up for 11 awards.
“It is obviously a historical moment,” Director and producer of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival Lynne Lee told CityNews.
“It really proves that there is an audience out there, not just amongst Asian audiences, but in the mainstream audiences in North America and around the world.”
2023 marks a record year for Asian actors nominated, with Michelle Yeoh making history for Best Actress, and Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Hong Chau all up for supporting roles.https://t.co/qRFxD2bmea
— Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) (@VAFFvancouver) January 24, 2023
Lee points to Michelle Yeoh’s nomination as best actress in Everything Everywhere All at Once, making her the first Asian woman to receive a nomination for the award.
“It’s taken her 40 years to be recognized for her acting chops and not just a martial artist on screen and she deserves a nomination,” she said.
In addition to Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan received nominations for best supporting actress and actor, respectively, for their roles in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The Daniel Kwan film also received Oscar nominations for best picture, directing, costume design, film editing, original score, original song, and original screenplay.
“Honestly, it really shows that it’s not just the actors that are being recognized, it’s the talent off the screen,” Lee noted.
With the success the film has seen since its 2022 release, Lee says it’s also a win for Asian representation on the big screen.
“A lot of people, when they were growing up, they never saw themselves represented on screen. Subconsciously, they don’t feel that they have the chance to succeed on camera or have their stories being told. And that’s the reason a lot of people did feel marginalized,” she explained.
“I think it really is important to normalize and understand the diversity of our community. It’s absolutely critical and we cannot stop showing stories from all different groups to create a more inclusive society,” Lee explained.
Hong Chau also received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role in The Whale.
While Lee and Vancouver’s Asian film community will be watching to see how many Oscars will go to Asian performers and filmmakers, a few other movies also have a local connection at this year’s Academy Awards.
Vancouver VFX companies worked on Oscar-nominated films
Hollywood North appears to have made its mark on this year’s batch of Oscar nominations.
According to the Vancouver Economic Commission, three Vancouver-based production studios had a hand in three films that are up for awards.
A commission spokesperson confirmed to CityNews that post-production company Digital Domain contributed to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is up for best visual effects.
The company is also said to have worked on Avatar: The Way of Water which is up for the same award. Weta FX, another Vancouver visual effects company, also worked on the James Cameron epic.
Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Vancouver studio, the commission says, also worked on The Sea Beast, which has been nominated for best-animated feature film.
The 95th Academy Awards will take place on Mar. 12.
