Dune director Villeneuve, Anora producer Quan among Canadians up for Oscars

CBC

02-03-2025

Canadian filmmakers behind two of the year's most buzzed-about films will go head-to-head for the best picture trophy at tonight's Oscars.
Quebec director Denis Villeneuve and producer Tanya Lapointe are nominated for their sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two.
Meanwhile, Vancouver producer Samantha Quan and U.S. director Sean Baker earned a nod for their tragicomic dramedy Anora.
They're up against eight other films including the papal thriller Conclave and box-office smash Wicked.
Competing for best documentary is Sugarcane, a Canada/U.S. examination of the deaths, abuse and missing children at a former residential school in British Columbia, from Secwepemc filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat and Toronto journalist Emily Kassie.
The 97th Academy Awards show, hosted by Conan O'Brien, is set to air at 7 p.m. EST on CTV.
Anora producer Quan said being in the Oscars race feels "like a dream."
"We made this movie for $6 million. We make things because we feel passionate about making things, and we make them in a very particular style. We're super-committed to be indie filmmakers," she said in a recent interview.
She likened making the short list for a best picture trophy to an underdog team competing in the NCAA's March Madness tournament.
"I would liken it to a teeny tiny college getting into the Final Four. You're just like, 'Is this really happening? Is this real life?"' she said.
Anora received six nominations, including for best original screenplay, directing, and actress in a leading role for Mikey Madison.
"The fact that we're in this situation with so many amazing, gigantic movies is kind of surreal."
Dune: Part Two has five nominations, including best production design, highlighting Montreal's Patrice Vermette and Dartmouth, N.S., set decorator Shane Vieau.
They'll square off against the Nosferatu production design crew, which includes Toronto-born Craig Lathrop, as well as The Brutalist, featuring another Torontonian: set decorator Patricia Cuccia.
Nosferatu, Robert Eggers' reimagining of F.W. Murnau's 1922 gothic horror film, is also up for best costume design, which was done by Toronto's Linda Muir.
She's one of several Canadians who've earned Oscar nods for the vampire film, including Newmarket, Ont., native Traci Loader, competing for best makeup and hairstyling.
Meanwhile, David Giammarco of Welland, Ont., is nominated for best sound on A Complete Unknown, working alongside a team that includes Paul Massey, who was born in the U.K. and moved in his late teens to Toronto where he spent 13 years before relocating to Hollywood.