Pre-Oscar Event of Villa Aurora at Wende Museum
by VATMH Berlin
The Norwegian drama SENTIMENTAL VALUE, co-produced by the Berlin-based production company Komplizen Film, led by co-founder and Villa Aurora alumna Maren Ade, won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards. There was also success in the documentary category with German involvement: MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN, co-produced by ZDF/arte, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film.
On the Saturday before the Academy Awards ceremony, filmmakers from Germany and the United States gathered at the traditional pre-Oscar reception hosted by Villa Aurora at the Wende Museum in Los Angeles. In cooperation with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Films, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Los Angeles, and numerous partners and sponsors, the event celebrated the success of German filmmakers and international co-productions. This year, the focus was on particularly successful co-productions. A total of seven international productions with German support were nominated for an Oscar.
Winners of Academy Awards
The Norwegian drama SENTIMENTAL VALUE, co-produced by Komplizen Film in collaboration with Maren Ade, Janine Jackowski, and Jonas Dornbach, received a total of nine Oscar nominations and won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film (for Norway).
Jakob Scherer, Managing Director of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House:
“We warmly congratulate Komplizen Film on this tremendous success. It is particularly gratifying for us to see how artistic careers unfold: Maren Ade was a Villa Aurora Fellow in 2012 and has since received numerous awards. We are delighted that yet another co-production by Komplizen Film, of which she is a co-founder, has been honored with an Oscar.”
There was also a significant success in the documentary film category: MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN, a film by David Borenstein and co-produced by ZDF/arte, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film.
Other nominated Feature Films with German involvement
German filmmakers were once again represented in the special effects category this year: Michael Ralla and Guido Wolter were nominated for their work on SINNERS, the film with the most nominations at this year’s Oscars, with a total of 16. In addition, the Berlin-based studio Rise FX contributed to the visual effects for the film THE LOST BUS.
THE SECRET AGENT, co-produced by One Two Films, was nominated in four categories.
The film CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS, co-produced by inselfilm, was nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film.
German-British composer Max Richter was in the running for the Oscar for Best Original Score with HAMNET.
Pre-Oscar Reception of Villa Aurora
Villa Aurora, which has served as an artists’ residence for more than 30 years, a monument to German-American exile history, and a symbol of artistic and free speech, is currently being renovated in preparation for its reopening following the devastating fires. Thanks to the support of our long-standing partners and The Wende Museum, this year’s traditional reception honoring the German Oscar nominees was able to take place on the museum’s grounds.
Quote from Justinian Jampol, founder and executive director of The Wende Museum:
“After Villa Aurora had to close due to the fires, it was a given for us to host this outstanding event. Villa Aurora is a significant part of Los Angeles’ cultural life, and this day demonstrates that art, film, and community unleash their greatest power when they come together.”
The seven nominations and two Oscars are impressive proof of the worldwide recognition German cinema has earned—a success story that will be celebrated again next year at Villa Aurora.
You can download photos from the event here: https://www.picdrop.com
The photos may only be used for reporting on the event. Photo credit: Aaron Perez/Villa Aurora
Partner
In cooperation with the Wende Museum in Los Angeles, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Films, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Los Angeles, and numerous partners and sponsors.
