Movie awards remain elusive to Netflix. The recent British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) produced only two Netflix wins out of 23 BAFTA nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Laura Dern in the “Marriage Story” and Best Animated Film for “Klaus”
The streaming giant’s main contender “The Irishman” was practically rebuffed despite the powerhouse cast who worked with famed director Martin Scorsese. “The Irishman” lead stars, Rober De Niro and Al Pacino, who flew in just for the occasion kept their dignity intact despite the disappointing results.
Still, the prospect of “The Irishman” winning in the forthcoming Academy Awards Night (Oscars) on February 09, 2020 has become dimmer, after the BAFTA 2020 results nearly mimicked the results of the Golden Globe Awards in January, 2020.
The Reason Why Award-Giving Bodies Ignore Netflix Movies
The reason is political since many are wary that Netflix’s digital prowess will only aggravate the problems faced by theaters. The streaming giant wants to reap awards for its original movies, but do not want to conform with the traditional 90-day window for screening in theaters.
Instead, Netflix wants to stream its movies as soon as possible, for the viewing pleasure of its millions of satisfied subscribers worldwide. If winning multiple awards makes a Netflix movie more attractive, theaters are likely to suffer greatly from an already declining attendance.
Eventually, only the diehard movie aficionados will continue to seek theater-viewing experience. The rest will instead opt for Netflix’s more economical, and more convenient offer of delivering the latest award-winning films to their homes by way of streaming services.
Yet Netflix remains persistent in its bid to qualify, at least for awards nominations. The streaming company tried to broker a deal with the three cinema giants, AMC, Cinemark and Regal for a 30-day theatrical release, but was turned down. Still bent on working out ways to qualify for the awards, Netflix instead looked for independent theater houses to acquire, presumably with the help of a mortgage broker. since the streaming company has plans of buying more than one.
Many in the movie and theater industry believe that theaters are institutions that form part of world cultures. Prominent movie industry leaders are fighting for the continued existence of theaters amidst the challenges posed by digital technologies. Even If it means depriving Netflix movies the prestige of winning major awards.
