At just 5ft 7in tall, Steven Spielberg has a colossal Hollywood appeal. That became clear a few weeks ago at the Oscars nominees’ dinner. Actors, actresses, producers and technicians turned to the legendary director to greet him, ask him a question or take a picture. Not everyone working with the three-figure winner, who is aiming for his fourth prize on Sunday night, has the same luck. Rachel Zegler, the Maria from Spielberg’s version of the musical West Side Story, found out who wasn’t invited to the gala. After a controversy on social networks, the young actress and singer was included in the ceremony as a moderator. The unnominated Zegler’s character was overshadowed by her partner Ariana DeBose, a Golden Globe- and Bafta-winning actress and a big favorite in the supporting actress category. It is customary for filmmakers who are not nominated to have a reserved spot under the Dolby Theater seats if their participation is relevant to the Best Picture Oscar nominee. In 2019, for example, actress Marina de Tavira, the protagonist of Roma, marched together with nominee Yalitza Aparicio. Inside the theater there were also actors who had short roles, like Sighs in the Netflix-distributed Alfonso Cuarón drama.
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Zegler has found the awards show to be among the most exclusive events in Los Angeles, even for rising celebrities like her. On Sunday, a follower of the interpreter, who is of Polish and Colombian descent, asked her on Instagram which dress she would wear to the ceremony. “I’m not invited, so sweatpants and flannel [camiseta] from my boyfriend,” said Zegler, who is in London working on a Disney remake of Snow White. The logistical supervision with the protagonist of a film nominated for seven Oscars went viral in a short time. “Thank you for the surprise and outrage,” said Zegler after the storm. “I’m disappointed too, but it’s okay. I’m proud of the film,” she added in a later message.
A publicist familiar with the work of the Oscar campaigns, who prefers not to give his name to speak freely, believes the actress’ “tantrum” may have gotten out of focus and the same result through an internal petition at Disney would have reached media giant that owns 20th Century Fox, the studio that produced the remake of the musical.
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Every year, the academy invites the nominees, who can attend the gala with an accompanying person. This year there are 230 applicants in 23 categories. Even filmmakers with multiple nominations, such as director Jane Campion (script, director, best picture), are entitled to two entries per category (so the New Zealander would have six). The organizers also distribute them to members of the productions and studio managers. Depending on the number of nominations, the big favorites can win between 40 and 60 tickets to the big night in Hollywood. Disney is entitled to dozens of tickets for its nominees, thanks to many subsidiaries it controls, such as Searchlight and Pixar: West Side Story, Nightmare Alley: The Alley of Lost Souls, Luca, Enchantment, The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The company has been silent about the actress’ controversy.
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However, this year’s ceremony is marked by a bigger problem. At the urging of the ABC network that airs the awards, the Academy changed the structure of the event to make the direct more agile. Eight prizes will be distributed one hour before the start of the broadcast, which has led to disapproval from many professionals who believe the change creates a split between first and second category prizes. A producer who is among the contenders for best animated short says he received 12 tickets to this year’s awards ceremony. The nominees in this category have received an average of eight in recent years. The gesture of generosity can be interpreted as a feeling of guilt for an event that aroused the desire to protest. Jessica Chastain, one of the favorites for the Best Actress Oscar, has said she won’t be walking the red carpet because she’ll be in the theater supporting the hair and makeup nominees for her film The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Limited Capacity and Vaccines
The Dolby Theater has a capacity of 3,300 people. This Sunday, the ceremony returns to the place where the awards have been presented since 2001. Last year, the Oscars took place at Union Station on a pandemic-limited night. The venue will not be 100% full for this gala. Only between 2,500 and 2,600 seats will be allocated to maintain social distancing. The academy is following the health rules passed by the industry and actors’ union, which require attendees to have three vaccines against Covid (including the booster) and two negative PCR tests, one of them on the same day as the gala.
Around 800 tickets were available for nominees and presenters in previous editions. The remainder was divided among guests from the ABC network, sponsors, Academy staff, fifty positions in the organization (which has the functions of a board of directors) and a few outside guests, including politicians and donors to the new film museum. In addition, between 500 and 800 tickets were raffled among members of the academy, which has grown from 3,000 to almost 10,000 members in three years. This distribution was not carried out this year in order not to saturate the theater. Getting a ticket has become a dream for many artists. Latina actress Rosie Perez admitted her frustration to Variety last year: She hasn’t attended a ceremony since 1994, when she was nominated for Fearless.
A lot has happened since the first ceremony, which was attended by 250 people in the Blossom Ballroom of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel across the street from the Dolby on Hollywood Boulevard. Admission back then, in May 1929, was $10. The Academy sells a handful of tickets to the event each year. The most expensive, in the orchestra area, exceed 700 dollars (636 euros), while the cheapest can be bought for 150 dollars to sit on the upper floors together with journalists, publicists, agents and other members of the audience . that they it could see from the comfort of their own home.