Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 326 Nominations Announced
Haidian District, Sina Entertainment Editorial Office.

"It's here! It's here! It's here!" an editor shouted, staring at the webpage.

On the screen, Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, wearing a dark gray suit, stands side by side with actress Kathy Bates at the podium, reading out the nominations for the 80th Academy Awards into the microphone.

"Why does this old man speak so slowly? Can't he just read the summary table directly?" an intern editor muttered.

"Stop talking nonsense. This is the best foreign language film. You guys need to pay attention to this part. If you miss the others, just check the official website for the announcement. If you miss this, you won't get the latest information."

Unexpectedly, at that moment, the group suddenly heard the name "Black Peony" while they were chatting.

"What nomination?"

"I didn't realize the Best Foreign Language Film award was announced so quickly."

"Hmm, it seems to be Best Makeup. Make a note of it, a nomination is better than none!"

"."

A little while later, the best foreign language film was announced.

When the scene changed, the entire audience fell silent.

The keyboard clicks stopped abruptly.

Kathy Bates pronounced each country's name clearly and slowly:

"Beaufort, Israel".

"12 Angry Men (Russian Version), Russia."

"The Mongol King, Kazakhstan".

"The Counterfeiters," Austria.

"Ugh, we haven't gotten in yet, have we? Why haven't we arrived?" one of them muttered.

"Shut up, listen carefully, is the news alert ready yet?"

"It was edited a long time ago."

"."

After a brief pause, Kathy Bates clearly announced the final nomination:
"Black Peony, China".

For a full second, the room was so quiet it was as if even the spinning of the hard drive had been paused.

immediately--

"It's in! It's in the top five foreign language films!!! Breaking news!"

"Get the title on!!"

"Holy crap, it actually went in!!!"

"."

The editorial office erupted into chaos. Several pre-prepared long articles and character profiles were quickly uploaded online, and instructions to adjust the front page were constantly being given, along with a barrage of phone calls.

"It's not over yet, there are still a few nominations that are in the works. I feel that I can get a nomination for Best Director, after all, directors who win the Golden Globe have a high probability of being nominated."

"Yes, yes, everyone else, keep watching!"

"."

At this moment, Liu Yifei jumped into Wu Chen's arms, "Yay, I told you my prayers worked!"

"You're worshipping the air, even the gods would be impressed," Wu Chen replied with a smile.

Liu Yifei pouted and snuggled into Wu Chen's arms: "So, do you think I've made it into the shortlist?"

"Yes, yes, let's continue watching."

"."

Meanwhile, in the soundstage on the east side of the Beijing Film Studio, the night crew of "Mei Lanfang" was still busy under the lights.

The camera stood silently at the end of the track, just as the hem of the robe on the stage was lifted.

Chen Kaige saw the news flash online.

[Black Peony nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars!]

Chen Kaige raised his head, looked at the rooftop in the night, and gently exhaled. His voice was very soft, but it sounded like he had unloaded a piece of old, heavy stone.

"Hey, back then, it was just a hair's breadth away."

Chen Hong walked over, still holding the storyboard for the next scene in her hand. Her eyes caught sight of the news on Chen Kai's phone, and she couldn't help but whisper, "You should congratulate Director Wu."

Chen Kaige remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, swiped his finger across the screen, and sent a concise text message.

He looked up at the props and lighting crew working nearby, and for some reason, a long-lost warmth suddenly welled up in his heart.

"Mei Lanfang" will be the clarion call for his return to the stage.

Next year, he will bring this work to prove himself again, and he will shine on the world stage and at the Oscars, sweeping all the major awards.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yimou's congratulatory call arrived as expected.

There was static on the other end of the phone, and the faint sounds of footsteps and echoes from inside the Olympic building could be heard.

"Congratulations! This is a great opportunity. You should seize it and win the big prize," Zhang Yi said with a smile, a hint of emotion in his voice.

The same was true when "Hero" was nominated for an Oscar. It was the focus of the entire nation, and when it went to the Oscar ceremony, several major official media outlets broadcast the entire event live. Unfortunately, it just missed out by a little bit and lacked a bit of luck.

"Thank you, senior brother."

While Wu Chen and Zhang Yi were still on the phone, Liu Yifei suddenly exclaimed "Wow!", covered her mouth with her hand, and looked at Wu Chen with her eyes widening.

"Me me me me me"

On the screen, Sid Ganis is reading out the list of Best Actress nominees, speaking at his usual slow and deliberate pace.

Although the words have been written, the image remains on the full list of nominees—Liu Yifei's name is prominently displayed.

Wu Chen was also taken aback for a moment.

Meanwhile, in many entertainment media editorial offices, some people were gripping their mice tightly, some were holding their breath, and some almost crushed the paper cups in their hands.

The next second, a shout shattered the heavens: "Holy crap, a Best Actress nomination!!!" "She really got a nomination? I really didn't expect that!"

"First Chinese-language actress nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress!!!"

"Push notifications!! Push notifications!! News overload!!"

"."

"You really succeeded in your prayers!" Wu Chen couldn't help but hug Liu Yifei and spin her around twice. No matter what, it was a great thing.

"Hahaha, put me down."

Liu Yifei stood there, hands on her hips, unable to suppress a wide grin: "See if you still dare to laugh at me. Beg me, beg me to keep wishing you a Best Director nomination."

Just as Liu Yifei was gloating, the phone on the table suddenly rang. Wu Chen picked it up and saw that it was a call from Paramount Rebecca Sarkin.

"Wu, congratulations, the public relations efforts were very successful."

The call came just in time, and it even had a hint of boasting.

"Thank you!" Wu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. Since Paramount had called, it meant...
Sure enough, in the penultimate nomination, the scene cut to "Best Director," and Sid Ganis finally announced the fifth name in his lukewarm tone:
"Wu Chen, Black Peony".

"."

Rebecca Sarkin also had some feelings to share.

In fact, at the beginning of the public relations campaign, Paramount did not have high hopes for Liu Yifei's Best Actress nomination, and they did not want to spend a lot of effort on public relations.

But in the end, Paramount still took the gamble.

On the one hand, there are two competitors in this year's films that are not particularly strong.

On the other hand, Liu Yifei had the endorsement of a Cannes Best Actress winner, and "Black Peony" had entered the top nine foreign language films. In addition, the performance combination of "Wu Chen + male/female actress" began to gain recognition, so they took the opportunity to exert their efforts in public relations.

More importantly, if this duo is successfully shortlisted, it will greatly boost the future prospects of "Black Swan".

On the other side of Los Angeles, Keira Knightley sat in front of the television, watching the nominations be announced.

"Atonement" was nominated for Best Picture, but she herself was not nominated for Best Actress. Her gaze lingered on the screen for a few seconds, her emotions barely fluctuating, because this year's nominations were not entirely bad news for her.

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei received their respective nominations.

The nomination for "Black Peony" is definitely a great thing for her, which means that her public relations efforts for "Black Swan" will be much smoother in the future.

It's important to understand that Hollywood and the Oscar jury don't look at a single film in isolation; rather, they tend to look at the director's growth and development within the "history of their works."

"Black Peony" has garnered significant attention, especially the "double nomination" for both the director and actress. This may lead the judges to form preconceived notions when watching "Black Swan".

On the other hand, it benefits from the "inertia" of being nominated, and will further reinforce Hollywood's impression that "Wu Chen can direct powerful female performances," creating a "resonance expectation" for her performance in "Black Swan."

A director who can consistently produce acting nominations is already a highly prestigious and valuable asset within the Oscar system.

However, the two works should not be displayed too close together, so as to avoid mental fatigue among the judges.

But she didn't need to worry about that, because Paramount would consider things even more thoroughly than she did. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but make a call to Wu Chen:

"Wu, congratulations!"

"Thanks."

"Is Crystal with you? I think I can hear her voice. Can I give her the phone?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen smiled and handed it to Liu Yifei, who was still in a state of excitement: "Kayla's."

That evening, the entertainment sections of major portal websites were updated simultaneously on their homepages:

[Breaking News! "Black Peony" nominated for four awards at the 80th Academy Awards; Wu Chen nominated for Best Director again, Liu Yifei nominated for Best Actress!]

[A historic moment! "Black Peony" becomes the record holder for most Oscar nominations for a Chinese-language film!]

[Director and Actress Nominated for "Black Peony"! A Night of Glory for Chinese-Language Cinema!]

【.】

There were many expectations for Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Makeup was a minor award, but the nominations for Best Director and Best Actress were a real surprise.

If Wu Chen was once nominated for Best Director, that's one thing, but Liu Yifei really broke the defenses and silenced the actresses in the industry.

"Yifei, stop talking, I'm jealous of you now." Zhou Xun said in a congratulatory phone call, pretending to cry and drawing out her words.

Wu Chen, sitting to the side, naturally heard this drama queen's remarks and then spoke up:

"Alright, alright, that's about it for the performance. I've seen 'Painted Skin,' and you did a great job in it. It'll be a good movie."

Zhou Xun's tone changed immediately on the other end of the phone, "Really? Director Wu, has the release date been set? What's the box office forecast?"

Do you think I'm a fortune teller?

Wu Chen found it both amusing and infuriating. Before the other party could say anything more, he took the phone from Liu Yifei's hand and pressed the hang-up button with one finger, his movements swift and decisive.

"So stingy! They've already estimated 200 million for 'CJ7,' but they haven't even made an estimate for their own box office," Zhou Xun muttered, putting down her phone and chuckling to herself.

Since Wu Chen said it was good, it's probably true. What could be more exciting than starring in another great movie?

As for the Oscars, that's too far off.

The night was deep, but the internet was far from silent.

The lights in the student dormitories of the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama didn't go out so quickly either.

"Mimi, I didn't expect Senior Sister Liu Yifei to actually get a Best Actress nomination. Director Wu Chen is amazing!" Zhang Xiaofei couldn't help but exclaim in the dormitory.

Yang Mi turned off the computer and got into bed: "Let's go to sleep, it's none of our business!"

Lying on the bed, Yang Mi sighed, thinking back to when the two of them filmed "The Return of the Condor Heroes" together a few years ago, but now they were worlds apart.

The other woman already holds the Cannes Best Actress award, and whether she gets an Oscar nomination or not makes no difference to her—it's an insurmountable peak.
At this moment, the comment sections of major film and entertainment forums were flooded with enthusiastic viewers.

On Tianya Forum, the "Film and Television Review" section was also featured on the homepage with a post: "[Hot Topic] Wu Chen nominated for Best Director! Liu Yifei nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars! 'Black Peony' nominated for four awards, amazing!"

"Wow, that's amazing! I really didn't expect Liu Yifei to be nominated for Best Actress. I initially thought she'd only get around two nominations. Although I knew the chances of her being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film were pretty good, I didn't expect her to get four nominations."

"You're alright. I thought it was just a nomination, but Wu Chen slapped me hard across the face, and I actually took it willingly."

"Suddenly, I'm filled with immense anticipation for the awards ceremony at the end of next month."

(End of this chapter)