The most famous award in the film industry and for cinephiles took place Sunday, March 27, recognizing the work of photography, script, performance, sound and other categories. 

The future of film is in the fight between Netflix and Hollywood, streaming has changed the global entertainment industry. Netflix’s international investments in television and film has caught the attention of massive audiences around the world.

The streaming service has not won the Best Picture Oscar yet, but it had a strong opponent with Jane Campion’s drama “The Power of the Dog.” The film led with 12 nominations and it was the favorite to win.

The story set in 1925 Montana, displays a man’s identity dealing with his masculinity during the arrival of a new family leading the story to an unexpected end. By the end of awards night, the film won only one Oscar for Best Director. 

Kenneth Branagh’s drama, “Belfast,” was a strong opponent following the story of an Irish Protestant family from the perspective of their nine-year-old son during the Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a period of violence caused by the conflict between Catholic nationalists and Protestant loyalists. Branagh took the award for Best Original Screenplay.

Biographical drama film “King Richard” had an opportunity thanks to its dynamic cast and is based on the true story of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, American professional tennis players. It only took one award for Best Actor for Will Smith.  

Recently international films have had a strong presence, in 2020 “Parasite” from South Korea was the only foreign film to win Best Picture. The Japanese drama “Drive My Car,” held four nominations, one for Best Picture, with a score of 98% from Rotten Tomatoes. The film became the second Japanese production to win an International Feature Oscar. 

Directing is a competitive category, Steven Spielberg for “West Side Story” made history as the first person nominated for directing in six different decades. His fellow nominees, Kenneth Branagh for “Belfast” and Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog” were also in a position to win. “The Power of the God” won and Campion became the third woman to win in the category.

Performances, a crucial element of a movie, are in the public eye. In his third nomination for “King Richard,” Will Smith was the favorite to win in the category of Actor in Leading Role. Yet, Smith did not catch public attention as his fellows and main competitors, Ben Cumberbatch for “The Power of the Dog” and Andrew Garfield for “Tick, Tick, … Boom!” Smith took home the statuette, after controversy caused by his blow to Chris Rock after a joke he made about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 

 Controversy also ran in the Leading Actress category. The favorite from the public, Kristen Stewart for “Spencer,” was on the tightrope with no nominations from Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) or British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), influential factors to win. The rankings placed Jessica Chastain for “The Eye of Tammy Faye” at the top, and was the one who took the award home.

Sian Heder’s independent film “CODA” made history not only for being the unexpected winner for Best Picture but with Troy Kotsur as the first deaf actor to win an Oscar. The title is an abbreviation for “Child of Deaf Adults,” it is the story of Ruby, the only hearing person in her deaf family, it is her journey between pursuing her passion and the fear of abandoning her parents. A cast with three deaf actors in the three main characters and a Mexican won the public’s heart with a beautiful end to the ceremony in which the public stood wiggling their hands to represent deaf clapping.