Will Ferrell jokingly tells Oscar documentary voters to “suck it” for snubbing his film “Will & Harper,” raising concerns about the lack of recognition for popular non-fiction titles at the Academy Awards. Despite Netflix acquiring “Will & Harper” for a significant amount and its success, the film was not nominated, echoing the trend of critically acclaimed documentaries not receiving Oscar recognition.
The documentary branch has seen a shift towards more urgent international stories in recent years, with streamer-backed films being nominated. However, there is frustration among branch members over the lack of recognition for commercially successful films with celebrity involvement. Some fear that the focus on big-budget, commercially driven projects could be detrimental to the indie documentary market.
There are concerns about the future of American documentaries under the current political administration, with funding cuts to arts programs and changes to funding rules raising alarm among the documentary community. The rise of streaming platforms has disrupted the traditional independent film market, with some questioning the long-term impact on the industry.
While streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and Disney have invested heavily in documentaries, the lack of recognition for certain films at the Oscars has raised questions about the voting process and the future of documentary filmmaking. Branch members are divided on whether opening voting up to the entire Academy could be a solution to ensure a more diverse range of films are recognized at the Oscars.
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