{"id":189334,"date":"2026-03-12T22:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/189334\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T22:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:45:12","slug":"and-the-oscar-goes-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/189334\/","title":{"rendered":"And the Oscar goes to"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Sunday at the 98th Academy Awards, the academy will grant its most prestigious award\u2014best picture\u2014to one of 10 nominated films<\/a>. Since the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, when \u201cWings\u201d<\/a> received the honor as the \u201coutstanding picture,\u201d 650 films have earned nomination in this category.<\/p>\n

Membership to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science is by invitation only and based on distinctive achievement within the industry. A diverse range of film professionals\u2014actors, writers, directors, producers, publicists, and artist representatives\u2014comprise the academy. \u00a0While some awards categories are determined by some of the academy\u2019s 19 branches, nearly all of its 10,000 voting members nominate and vote for best picture.<\/p>\n

Award winners receive a much revered Oscar. This gold-plated statuette was reportedly named by iconic actress Betty Davis, who claimed that the backside of the statuette resembled that of her husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, or by academy librarian Margaret Herrick, who suggested the statuette looked like her \u201cUncle Oscar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Below, faculty and graduates of the University of Miami\u00a0School of Communication Department of Cinematic Arts<\/a> cast their votes for best picture:<\/p>\n

Margaret Cardillo<\/a>, assistant professor of professional practice, teaches screenwriting and survey of motion pictures. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s \u201cOne Battle After Another\u2019s\u201d (OBAA) moment and their award to lose. A win on Oscars night wouldn’t be a shocker for Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest (and I love an awards shocker just as much as the next person) because it’s already won a lot this awards season. \u201cSinners\u201d rightly puts up a fight, but OBAA prevails.<\/p>\n

The film was excellent: I was captivated the entire time and loved the performances, the writing, and nuanced tone. There’s a scene at the end where the cinematography is transcendent. Please do not watch OBAA on your phone or computer\u2014you must at least experience it on a large television screen.<\/p>\n

I also loved \u201cIf I Had Legs I\u2019d Kick You,\u201d but am not surprised it wasn\u2019t nominated. It’s a weird movie about a mother on the brink, which is exactly what made it great and probably kept it out of the bigger conversation. I\u2019m a bit bummed that \u201cMaterialists\u201d didn’t get more love, but I’m probably alone in that.<\/p>\n

Richard Galli<\/a>, B.S. \u201905, in film and creative writing. Filmmaker, colorist, director, and writer. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d Certainly not a movie that checked all the boxes, but a film that checked a very rare one: showing me something I\u2019ve never seen before. I\u2019ve had countless conversations with artists and filmmakers about how the up-and-down chase scene is something that broke the mold. That ride will stay with me for years to come and was instantly a sequence I wanted to rewatch and study. This year\u2019s nominees were filled with incredible moments\u2014especially in the realm of cinematography\u2014but this film, which pushes the envelope and ignites my own creativity, will stand above the rest.<\/p>\n

Ali Habashi<\/a>, associate professor of professional practice, award-winning filmmaker and educator who has filmed stories in more than 50 countries.<\/p>\n

My favorite films this year are \u201cSentimental Value,\u201d \u201cHamnet,\u201d and \u201cTrain Dreams,\u201d though I doubt any one of them will win the award. Somehow, grief, fractured families, trauma, and the weight of absence unite all three narratives. All three also examine how time and memory shape identity.<\/p>\n

Pete Johnson<\/a>, visiting assistant professor in creative communication whose research is in critical media industry practices and history of U.S. television. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBugonia.\u201d It is weird and subversive, like other Lanthimos pictures, but, unlike his others (films), it felt more extra-textually relevant to today\u2014in its own oblique way. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons offer stellar performances. I also read the movie as deeply humanist, delivering a bit of compassion and empathy amid the nihilism.<\/p>\n

Also, I am partial to horror, so in addition to \u201cSinners,\u201d I would have loved to have seen \u201cWeapons\u201d in one of the top spots.<\/p>\n

Shane Kinsler<\/a>, lecturer and double alumnus. Writer, director, cinematographer, editor, and producer. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d An important and timely film that points out the real villains of our country. Impeccable filmmaking, acting, and storytelling that feels unconventional compared to other films, making it a truly unique experience.\u00a0 It also has a beautiful message about resisting fascist oppression and holding hope for the future.<\/p>\n

Konstantia Kontaxis<\/a>, professor and associate dean for research and creative activity.<\/p>\n

This is a tough one. I am rooting for several of these films namely, \u201cBugonia,\u201d \u201cOne Battle After Another,\u201d and \u201cSinners,\u201d but if I have to pick one, I\u2019d go with \u201cHamnet.\u201d LoveChlo\u00e9 Zhao\u2019s work, her production values, the story, and the performances. Also, I know it did not get nominated for editing, but I think Affonso Gon\u00e7alves and Chlo\u00e9 Zhao did an amazing editing job.<\/p>\n

Alfred Martin<\/a>, associate professor and department chair of Cinematic Arts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSinners\u201d is my choice for \u201cBest Picture\u201d because of its ambition and its scope. It plays with genre hybridity, while feeling accessible on first watch. But subsequent watches reveal the complexity of its storytelling and the ways cinematography helps tell that story. It is also sonically rich in how it merges Black musical traditions and forms into a \u201cgumbo\u201d of Black sound.<\/p>\n

Matthew Rembold, B.S.C. \u201921, in motion pictures, and M.A. \u201923, in public relations, is a digital marketing specialist with University Communications.<\/p>\n

\u201cSinners\u201d is my top choice, but the reality is that this is one of the better batches of nominees in a long time. Most of the nominees are very original, timely, and well-crafted experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cSinners\u201d combines the elements I love most in movies. For starters, it\u2019s a visually stunning film. Shooting between ultra-wide Panavision and 70mm 1.43 IMAX makes for an incredible experience, and certain scenes are timed perfectly with the aspect ratio changes, shifting from tight, intimate compositions to massive spectacle in a way that heightens the film\u2019s biggest moments.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also thematically rich. On the surface it\u2019s a vampire movie, but underneath is a story about culture, music, assimilation, race, and more. These ideas were relevant during the period the film is set in, and the fact that they remain just as relevant today is a frightening realization that adds to the appeal.<\/p>\n

The characters are all clearly defined, with distinct personalities, wants, and motivations, and the cast brings them to life beautifully. Beyond all that, the movie is simply a ton of fun. Even if someone isn\u2019t especially interested in the themes or cinematography, it\u2019s still an incredibly engaging experience with enough heart and excitement to keep you hooked.<\/p>\n

In an era dominated by sequels, reboots, and franchises, it honestly feels like a miracle that an original horror film was made on this scale and received the attention it deserved. The fact that it now has the most nominations of any movie in Oscar history makes that even more impressive, especially considering how often the Academy overlooks horror.<\/p>\n

Rafal Sokolowski, associate professor and program director of Master of Fine Arts in motion pictures.<\/p>\n

\u201cHamnet.\u201d This year presents a slate of great, diverse films, but none of those I saw affected me quite as \u201cHamnet\u201d did. Chlo\u00e9 Zhao’s direction, the quality of the script, (\u0141ukasz) \u017bal’s cinematography, and the incredible performances, from old to the young\u2014all sets the highest standard for cinematic stories. There is an underlying emotional truth in this work, and a clear theme emerges\u2014it\u2019s tangible. Zhao is not afraid to confront us with the pain, something that others might want to avoid and \u201cpackage\u201d in allegories or hide behind conceptual metaphors. As a lover of Eastern European cinema, I really appreciated that risk.<\/p>\n

Ed Talavera<\/a>, professor and award-winning cinematographer.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrain Dreams.\u201d As a cinematographer, I was particularly drawn to the filming process. The film is one of the most visually stunning movies I\u2019ve ever seen. It was all shot using natural light.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This Sunday at the 98th Academy Awards, the academy will grant its most prestigious award\u2014best picture\u2014to one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189335,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-189334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189334\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}