Pity this year’s Oscar voters.
The Academy screening portal is already overwhelmed by hundreds of indie wannabes, international submissions, and documentaries.
And just when film festivals, critics groups, and online screenings started to solidify frontrunners like “One Night in Miami,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “Nomadland,” this crazy year brings a second wave of brand-new movies.More titles will screen in the weeks before the February 28 Oscar eligibility deadline.
Some were caught in the uncertainty of releasing during a pandemic, as distributors kept pushing back for a proper theatrical release that never came.
Others were pressing toward completion.Since fresh entries often surge to the front of voters’ minds, last-second bids can be successful (see: Clint Eastwood with Oscar-winners like “American Sniper” and “Million Dollar Baby”).
This year, these titles could see another advantage: When people can’t gather, there’s no word of mouth and that makes 2021 the least-predictable award season.
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