Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 216 Boiling Point, What a F***ing Showman!

North America.

The moment the last Oscar nominee was announced, the final battle for the Oscars was completely ignited.

[Hollywood: The 2007 Oscars are in full swing!] — Variety front-page headline

[Golden Globes are no guarantee; Get Out faces fierce competition from all sides] — The Hollywood Reporter

[Dreamgirls loses Best Picture, Get Out receives seven nominations, the biggest Oscar surprise is born!] —The New York Times film column

[Director Showdown: Wu Chen vs. Martin, a Clash of Eras and Systems] – In-depth Interview by the Los Angeles Times

[With fervent support from Black audiences, has "Get Out" become a representative film of North American social resonance?] — Slate Culture Channel Headline

The morning light in Los Angeles is chilly, but the news feed is as hot as a boiling pot.

Almost simultaneously, media outlets changed their cover headlines, and television commentators sped up their speeches in the live broadcast studio, their excitement barely concealed.

"This is an unprecedented situation!"

"No single film has an overwhelming advantage!"

"From political correctness to social undercurrents, every film has the potential to become the most dangerous variable of the year!"

"."

This year's Oscars turned into a chaotic battle.

Even the most scathing critics and prophets in North American film circles failed to accurately predict the direction of this event.

Originally seen as one of the "representatives of political correctness," "Dreamgirls," a musical film about a black girl from Chicago pursuing her dreams in New York and featuring two top-tier musicals, Black singer Knowles and American Idol Hudson, unexpectedly lost out on the Best Picture nomination.

This blockbuster, which combines Broadway classics, Black themes, and a diverse cast of women, should have been a darling of the Oscars.

It had previously swept the Golden Globe Awards for comedy and music, and won many preliminary awards, but unexpectedly failed to even get a "ticket" to the Oscars.

Conversely, Martin Scorsese's bloody and violent film "The Departed," which glorifies gangsters, successfully broke through the competition.

Meanwhile, Get Out rose to prominence with seven nominations, becoming the most disruptive "wild horse" of this year's competition.

"Wu, the nomination is a series of good news, but bad news is coming soon."

Jason Blum got up early to wait for the results, and the first thing he did after they came out was to call Wu Chen.

"Huh? Bad news, what news?" Wu Chen was taken aback upon hearing this.

"I don't know yet, but you'll probably find out when you wake up."

Jason Blum smiled, and Wu Chen immediately understood.

With the nominations settled, all that's left is the awards.

There are generally two ways to win: one is to make yourself far ahead, so strong that no one wants to challenge you; the other is to drag others down and create chaos.

Since no one has a crushing win rate this year and the odds are evenly matched, then there is only the second way to play.

In China, editors at major entertainment media outlets are working hard every night.

"That's amazing! Seven Oscar nominations, three of which are major awards."

"The domestic film industry is really about to be reshuffled, and it feels like a new generation of young directors is about to rise to prominence."

"Come on, it's just Wu Chen. Did you think there would be multiple Wu Chens? I've finished dealing with the Oscar nominations, so I'm handing over the Berlin news from this morning to you guys."

Several editors yawned several times, put on their coats, and prepared to leave their posts, while those who remained were still muttering:
"Damn, I want to go back to sleep too. The news from Berlin is so unfriendly. What's with this decision to release it at this hour?"

The domestic media reports went viral online shortly after they were published.

[Wu Chen's "Get Out" Receives Seven Oscar Nominations, Setting a New Record for Mainland Chinese Directors] — Front Page Headline of the Beijing News

[Best Director, Best Film, Best Actor: "Get Out" Nominated in All Three Major Categories] — Sina Entertainment

[Oscar Nominations Announced: Is This Another Breakthrough Moment for Chinese-Language Directors?] — CBN Weekly

From the Golden Globes to the Oscars: The Next Era for Chinese Directors? — Southern Metropolis Weekly Column

【.】

Meanwhile, Wu Chen's phone kept ringing late into the night. "Don't hang up, or my phone won't stop ringing," Wu Chen said with a light laugh.

"Hmm?" Liu Yifei, who was rolling around in bed wrapped in a blanket, smiled brightly. "You're using me as a shield?"

"You could say that. What? You don't want to?"

"Hmph, your reason won't work. You have to come up with another one."

Liu Yifei's coquettish voice came through the phone's microphone to Wu Chen's ears, and his lips moved slightly:
"Then I'd like to hear your voice more often, is that alright?"

"whee.
"The reason is barely acceptable, okay then. Let's chat for another half hour and then go to sleep, otherwise it might affect our performance on set tomorrow."

At this moment, a faint blush spread across Liu Yifei's fair cheeks. As she bit her lip and smiled softly, even the warm yellow light from the bedside lamp seemed to be permeated by her smile, casting a soft, misty haze over her porcelain-white skin.

It was clearly a winter night, yet it reminded me of the pink and white crabapple blossoms that trembled and opened on the branches in April.

However, at this moment, Fan Binbin was biting her lower lip, staring at the overwhelming news headlines.

News outlets are now dominated by Wu Chen's Oscar nomination for "Get Out".

However, the Berlin Film Festival announces the films selected for the main competition in the early hours of the morning. If she is nominated, it will be a very important moment for her first attempt to win the Best Actress award at an international film festival.

"Don't let these messages overwhelm you."

Fan Binbin remained deeply worried.

She sacrificed a lot for "Apple" and has now decided to leave Huayi Brothers to go solo. This Berlin Film Festival is of great importance to her.

In the early hours of the morning in China, the list of nominees for the main competition of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival was finally announced.

Two Chinese films were successfully shortlisted: "Tuya's Marriage" directed by Wang Quan'an and "Apple" directed by Li Yu and starring Fan Binbin.

Inside a newsroom, several editors were yawning as they wrapped up their work:

"Finally out, that was tough. Let's finish writing and call it a day."

"Two domestic films are participating in the 'Bear Hunt' battle, but with the news about Wu Chen, the Berlin Film Festival's popularity is likely to be greatly reduced."

"Of course! When Andrew Lee won the Oscar last year, the hype was obvious. Even my dad bought the DVD of 'Brokeback Mountain' to watch!"

"They're all just following the trend. What meaning can you possibly glean from that film? I don't think so!"

"."

The next morning, news from Berlin took up a small spot on the front page amidst a siege of Oscar nomination news.

And just then, news suddenly spread from who-knows-where:
The Berlin Film Festival president, Paul Scheider, praised "Apple" as the best Chinese film he had ever seen, and said that the person he most wanted to meet was Fan Binbin, who played the female lead in the film.

Later, Fan Binbin attended a fashion event at the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, looking radiant and elegant as she was surrounded by reporters.

"I'm very pleased, Chairman Paul is too kind, but I still lack confidence in Berlin winning the title."

"I don't mind which of the two films wins, as long as there are Chinese films and Chinese filmmakers involved. I also hope that director Wu Chen can win a major award at the Oscars in February."

"."

"Heh, what a damn good actor, and he even knows how to piggyback on others' success."

Hua Yi, Li Binbin looked at the report that came back with great disdain.

However, Fan Binbin's actions somehow managed to generate some buzz around the Berlin Film Festival, which was not initially very prominent.

Of course, the one who's really getting all the attention is Fan Binbin himself.

Anyone in the industry knows that Paul Scheer would never say such a thing, not only calling the film the best, but also specifically praising the female lead.

It's not like Chinese films haven't been nominated for and won awards in Berlin's history!

"Sister, there's no need to pay attention to her. She's already decided to leave Huayi. On the contrary, Zhou Xun's threat is getting bigger and bigger."

However, Mr. Wang said that as long as we renew the contract, Huayi Brothers will do its best to help you get a role in "The Forbidden Kingdom".

It's a pity that the female lead was inexplicably targeted by a newcomer; I wonder what price she paid for it.

(End of this chapter)