On Sunday, March 12, the 95th Academy Awards were held in none other than Los Angeles, California. Oscar buzz ran heavy this past year, with several blockbusters and indie films vying for fan and critic picks to win. Florida State University (FSU) was so proud to see five nominated films with FSU College of Motion Picture Arts alumni in their crew.
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated film (and an undeniable fan favorite), Puss in Boots: The Last Wish had FSU alum Brendan Murphy as associate production manager. Also nominated under the same category was The Sea Beast, for which FSU alum Marc Ostroff served as a finance executive. In addition to this nominee, Ostroff also worked as a finance executive for the category’s winning film, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio alongside fellow FSU alum Sara Bennett Crowley who served as its production manager.
The shining star of Hollywood’s biggest night was Everything Everywhere All At Once. The A24 film walked away with seven Oscars. Among these were the highly competitive awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. It also took home awards in three of the four acting Oscars. FSU is so proud to boast the success of alum Allison Rose Carter, who served as a co-producer for this historic film!
In a released statement, the 2004 FSU grad spoke fondly of her time at FSU and the path it led her towards, “The FSU film school taught me that I was most interested in the daring challenges of independent film and brought me together with a group of like-minded adventurers,” Carter said, “There are so many people at FSU who helped bring me to where I am, and I will forever be grateful.”
The College of Motion Picture Arts at Florida State hosted a watch party on the award show night. “A Night at the Oscars” featured a silent auction and a live stream of the show where attendees could watch the university alumni on a big screen. The dean of the College, Reb Braddock said of the event: “We learned from the 2016 Best Picture-winner Moonlight that the Oscars are even more fun when we’re rooting for our FSU film family.” All proceeds from the evening went back into the school’s program for aspiring film students.
Moonlight director Barry Jenkins stands out as one of the FSU film school’s most well-known alumni. The film took home three Oscars in the particularly competitive award year of 2017. One of these awards was Best Picture, for which it edged out La La Land, Arrival and Hidden Figures. Jenkins serves as a huge inspiration to students within the tight-knit college who dream of pursuing a career in directing.
The FSU College of Motion Picture Arts is a competitive program to receive admission into, but its alumni network exemplifies the talent of its students. The notoriously long hours the students put in within the walls of the college that sits inside Doak Campbell Stadium have amazing results to show for each year on Hollywood’s biggest night.
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