Oscars 2005: Africa is in the House

The 77th Annual Academy Awards (The Oscars) will be starting out on the West Coast of the United States in about 6 hours or so (I'll be fast asleep over here in Germany. Leider). I don't visit the cinema as nearly as much as I would like to, and I can't remember the last time I have seen an American or British film in the original language version while sitting in a moviehouse. Long haul inflight videos just don't cut it for me if you know what I mean and finding an original English-language release of a film is a real pain over here.

I ran across this article today about the South African film production "Yesterday" . The article also includes some background info and links on the award-winning SA film "U-Carmen eKhayelitsha" and the South Africa/U.K./Italy collab blockbuster film "Hotel Rwanda".

So I'm just beside myself with excitement tonight wondering who is going to win what and if African filmakers and actors/actresses get the recognition this year they so aptly deserve from the Academy and I've watched great TV news interviews with the leading ladies of "Hotel Rwanda" and "U-Carmen eKhayelitsha" and I'm so doggone happy for the African filmmaking industry and.... I think I'll just faint!

If you are lucky enough to have a chance to watch the Oscar's Live tonight, then have great fun. I'll have to check tomorrow at the BBC Oscars 2005 site and maybe go over to the N.Y. Times Oscars 2005 site as well to see what happened. I hear that Halle Berry has not been nominated for anything this year, at least not by the Academy.

Good Luck Tonight, Africa. Yessir! Africa is in the House out in Hollywood!

"What? What about Ray? Ray who??"

Update March 3rd: Oh well. None of my favorites won anything at this year's Oscars. But then again, when was the last time I was at the movies to know what's good and what's not?

Owukori over at Black Looks blog has a real good posting on the Pan African Film & Television Festival (FESPACO) being held in Burkina Faso. Looks as if there are some real winners amongst the more than 90 films being shown. Maybe somebody will get smart and make some of the better films available online to broadband internet customers for a fee.