The science fiction films "District 9" and "Star Trek" and Terry Gilliam’s "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" are among the films shortlisted for the makeup Oscar, the Academy announced on Monday.
The rest of the shortlist, from which the nominees will be chosen after a “bakeoff” at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on January 23: "Il Divo," "NIght at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," "The Road" and "The Young Victoria."
Three of those films will join a checkered list of nominees in a category that has always been something of a pain for Academy members who conscientiously try to see every nominee before voting.
This, after all, is the award responsible for the phrase “Academy Award nominee ‘Norbit.’” And it did the same to the unheralded likes of “The Nutty Professor,” “Bicentennial Man,” “The Time Machine,” “Click” and even “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” all of whom received their sole Oscar nominations in the makeup category.
To be fair, the category has nominated plenty of more acclaimed films, including “The Dark Knight,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Moulin Rouge,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Schindler’s List” and two of the three “Lord of the Rings” films.
The shortlist was chosen by a committee from the makeup branch; at least 15 members needed to attend for the results to be valid. Filmmakers and makeup artists responsible for the shortlisted films now submit 10-minute clips showcasing their work to the Academy. Those clips will be shown at the bakeoff, followed by brief Q&A sessions with the potential nominees. Members in attendance will hand in their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers reps on their way out of the theater, and the three films with the most votes will receive nominations.
(In the past, the category has occasionally had as many as four and as few as two nominees.)
The full press release:
January 11, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PALETTE NARROWS TO 7 IN OSCAR® MAKEUP RACE
Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films remain in competition in the Makeup category for the 82nd Academy Awards®.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order:
“District 9”
“Il Divo”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”
“The Road”
“Star Trek”
“The Young Victoria”
On Saturday, January 23, all members of the Academy’s Makeup Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.
The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
