CityLine: A diverse Oscars lineup reflects current social issues
How the film industry could be influenced by the Trump administration.
Updated: 12:30 PM EST Mar 2, 2025
I’M JESSICA BROWN, SITTING IN FOR KAREN HOLMES WARD. AND TONIGHT, THE GLITZ AND GLAMOR OF THE 97TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS WILL SHINE A LIGHT NOT ONLY ON THE STARS OF THE PAST YEAR’S FILMS, BUT ALSO ON THE SOCIAL ISSUES ADDRESSED WITHIN THE ART. THE NOMINEES THIS YEAR REFLECT THE WRITERS AND ACTORS STRIKES OF 2023, WITH FEWER MAJOR BLOCKBUSTERS IN THE FIELD, THE MAJORITY OF THE BEST PICTURE FILMS DON’T TAKE PLACE IN PRESENT DAY. THEY ARE HISTORICAL, AND THEY’RE FUTURISTIC, BUT THEY TOUCH ON CURRENT ISSUES. JOINING ME NOW IS LISA SIMMONS, ARTISTIC AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ROXBURY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. IT IS NEW ENGLAND’S LARGEST FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATING FILMS MADE BY AND ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU, LISA. SO GREAT TO BE HERE. I KNOW I’M EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF GREAT FILMS OUT THERE, AND THERE’S A LOT OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT THEM TOO. THIS IS VERY TRUE. LET’S GET INTO IT. LET’S START WITH SOME OF THE ACTRESSES, SHALL WE? SHOW THE FILM? AMELIA PEREZ, KARLA, SOFIA GASCON, THE SPANISH BORN STAR NOMINATED FOR BEST ACTRESS, RIGHT, MAKING HER THE FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER PERFORMER TO BE HONORED. I’M STILL HERE STAR FERNANDO TORRES BECOMING ONLY THE SECOND BRAZILIAN TO BE NOMINATED IN THE BEST ACTRESS CATEGORY, AND WICKED STAR CYNTHIA ERIVO, NOMINATED FOR BEST ACTRESS. IF SHE TAKES THE CATEGORY, SHE WILL BE THE SECOND BLACK ACTRESS TO CLAIM THE HONOR. SO THIS IS QUITE A RANGE OF ACTRESSES HERE, RIGHT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIST, IT’S SOMEWHAT INTERNATIONAL, SOMEWHAT MORE DIVERSE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? ABOUT THAT? RIGHT. GREAT NEWS. YEAH. IT’S GREAT NEWS THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THESE DIVERSE, DIVERSE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE RUNNING FOR FOR THIS BEST ACTRESS CATEGORY. AND RIGHT, THE FIRST BLACK ACTRESS TO WIN WAS HALLE BERRY. AND AND I JUST HEARD A QUOTE, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS, THAT I HEARD A QUOTE THAT SHE SAID, IT’S IT’S LONELY UP HERE. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I NEED SOME I NEED SOME OF MY FOLKS UP HERE WITH ME. SO WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS IS THE THIS IS A VERY EXCITING ACADEMY AWARD YEAR, WHICH IS NICE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE’S GOING TO BE SURPRISES AND SOME OF THE CATEGORIES THERE AREN’T GOING TO BE SURPRISES. THE BEST ACTRESS CATEGORY, I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO BE ANY SURPRISE. I DO THINK IT’S GOING TO BE DEMI MOORE. I THINK HER TIME HAS COME. ACADEMY LOVES THAT THEY THEY LOVE TO SUPPORT THAT. SHE HAS BEEN GETTING NOTHING BUT LOVE WITH THIS FILM SUBSTANCE. AND SO I DO THINK THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I THINK THAT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR CYNTHIA. BUT BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE OF HER TO COME AND THINGS THAT SHE’S GOING TO BE IN, AND NOT TO MENTION JUST A NUMBER OF OTHER ACTORS THAT ARE COMING UP LIKE YOU MENTIONED, FERNANDO AND OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE HOPEFULLY THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE. I MEAN, DEMI MOORE HAS BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME, RIGHT? SHE’S BEEN SHE’S BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE AND IN ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILMS. I MEAN, I MEAN REALLY. SO I THINK THAT I THINK THAT THIS IS HER YEAR. THAT’S MY PREDICTION. I DON’T KNOW, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE. NOW, CYNTHIA ERIVO FANS I MEAN, HERE’S THE DEAL. YOU’RE RIGHT. SHE’S JUST GETTING STARTED. SHE HAS A LOT MORE TO COME. AND IF THIS IS WHERE SHE IS NOW, I IMAGINE, RIGHT AND RIGHT. I MEAN, BECAUSE SHE REALLY CAME FROM THEATER, RIGHT? AND SO HERE SHE IS ENTERING TO THIS FILM WORLD, AND NOW WE’RE JUST SEEING THAT WE’RE JUST GETTING, YOU KNOW, TO TO KNOW HER AND, AND WHAT SHE CAN DO. AND SHE DID HARRIET. AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS CONTROVERSY AROUND THAT BECAUSE SHE’S A BRITISH, BRITISH ACTRESS. AND SO I’M EXCITED TO WATCH HER CAREER, I REALLY AM. SHE’S AMAZING. I’M NOT EVEN GOING TO TRY AND DO THAT. NOTE SHE DOES AT THE END OF WICKED, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT’S THE PART THAT THAT GETS ME EVERY TIME YOU GET CHILLS WHEN YOU HEAR IT. EXACTLY. LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AMELIA PEREZ. RIGHT. BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN A BIT OF CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THIS FILM AND ALSO THE TIMING OF THIS FILM IS INTERESTING, AS WE KNOW, AS SERIES OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS BY THE PRESIDENT TARGETING TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN SPORTS, PEOPLE, PASSPORTS, MILITARY SERVICE LANDED IN THE MIDST OF AWARD SEASON WHEN THIS FILM WAS BEING ELEVATED. SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS FILM AND THEN WE’LL GET TO THE CONTROVERSY. BUT LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT. I MEAN, FIRST, IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE THE ACADEMY ALSO LOVES THIS TYPE OF FILM, RIGHT? IT’S OUT OF THE BOX. IT’S NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL, YOU KNOW, HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER. IT’S NOT THIS LINEAR FILM THAT FOLLOWS, YOU KNOW, THE STORY OF, YOU KNOW, TRIUMPH AND LOVE. AND IT’S IT’S SORT OF LIKE ALL OVER THE PLACE, RIGHT? YOU’VE GOT A MUSICAL. IT’S ALL IN SPANISH. IT’S, YOU KNOW, YOU’VE GOT ALL THESE GREAT ACTRESSES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IT. SO IT WAS THE FRONTRUNNER. IT WAS SORT OF LIKE, WOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVEN’T SEEN BEFORE. THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITING. THIS IS GOING TO SHAKE UP THIS ACADEMY RACE. AND THEN, WELL, NOT ONLY THE ACADEMY RACE, JUST THE THE AWARDS SEASON, IT’S GOING TO SHAKE IT UP. AND AND GOING INTO THE AWARDS SEASON, I THINK IT REALLY HAD IT. IT WAS IT, IT WAS IT WAS REALLY GOING TO BE THE FILM THAT WAS GOING TO WIN EVERYTHING. AND THEN YOU HIT, THEN YOU. IT GETS HIT WITH CONTROVERSY. IT GETS HIT WITH CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE DIRECTOR BEING FRENCH AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, AND NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING MEXICAN CULTURE AND NOT UNDERSTANDING THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF REALLY WHAT MEXICAN CARTELS ARE DOING TO THE COUNTRY AND OUR COUNTRY AND SORT OF LIKE MAKING LIGHT OF THAT. THEN THERE WAS THE WHOLE CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE STATEMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LEAD ACTRESS MADE AND AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT’S ALL UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THAT PLAYS INTO AWARD SEASON, THAT PLAYS INTO PEOPLE’S EMOTIONS. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE VOTING. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ACADEMY MEMBERS, THERE ARE PGA MEMBERS THERE, DGA MEMBERS. AND SO I THINK THAT I THINK THAT’S REALLY UNFORTUNATE. IT IS INTERESTING, THOUGH, WITH THIS FILM BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT, I REMEMBER JUST THIS RISE FROM THE CRITICS. OH MY GOSH, IT WAS EVERYWHERE. ZOE SALDANA WAS GETTING HER MOMENT AND THEN IT JUST SEEMS JUST LIKE IT CRASH AND BURN. WHAT HAPPENS? RIGHT. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE’S THIS CONVERSATION AND THERE’S THIS LIKE CHATTER IN THE BACK ROOM. AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, WE CAN’T DO THAT BECAUSE WHAT ARE WE SAYING? IF WE PROMOTE THAT? AND I DON’T THINK IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A TRANS WOMAN IN THE LEAD SO MUCH, AND THE WHOLE ISSUES AROUND WHAT DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE. AND I THINK THAT BECAUSE I THINK HOLLYWOOD’S BETTER THAN THAT. I THINK THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT. SO I REALLY THINK IT’S SORT OF LIKE THE FILM ALMOST IMPLODED ITSELF BASED ON THOSE OTHER CONTROVERSIES THAT MEAN A LOT TO ACTORS, DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS IN, IN HOLLYWOOD AND THE ACADEMY WHO’S MAKING THESE DECISIONS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS HERE, BECAUSE WE MENTIONED IT AT THE TOP, BECAUSE IN PAST YEARS THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF CRITICISM, RIGHT, ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THE OSCARS FIELD. RIGHT. THAT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE A DOMINATING ISSUE BEING SPOKEN ABOUT AS MUCH THIS YEAR. I KNOW THERE WAS ALSO TALK ABOUT IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE KIND OF INCLUDING DEI, KIND OF LOOKING INTO IT ALL. YOU MENTIONED HALLE BERRY BEING THE FIRST AND ONLY BLACK WOMAN TO WIN BEST ACTRESS. THAT WAS FOR MONSTER’S BALL LONG TIME AGO. YOU SAID SHE’S FEELING LONELY AT THE TOP. SHE’D LIKE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE THERE. NOW. CYNTHIA ERIVO IS UP FOR THE TOP PRIZE FOR WICKED. BUT EVEN IF SHE WINS. THAT DOESN’T MEAN PROBLEM SOLVED HERE. NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE’S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. I THINK IT’S REALLY, I THINK THIS YEAR’S SLATE OF FILMS IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND REALLY EXCITING. WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THAT ONLY FIVE FILMS WERE NOMINATED FOR BEST, YOU KNOW, FOR PICTURE OF THE YEAR OR FOR BEST MOVIE. NOW IT’S TEN, SO YOU SORT OF HAVE TO FILL THAT TEN, WHICH IS WHICH IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO FOR FILMS LIKE SUBSTANCE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THIS SPACE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DOMINATED BY WICKED AND AND THEN THE BRUTALIST AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU COULD ONLY HAVE FIVE, FIVE, FIVE FILMS IN THERE. SO I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT IT. I DO THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SUPPORT BEHIND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THESE DIVERSE FILMS, THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN FILMS THAT THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN HELP TELL THOSE STORIES THAT OFTENTIMES ARE OVERLOOKED. AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT WE’RE SEEING. THAT’S WHAT TO ME IS EXCITING ABOUT THIS ACADEMY AWARD SEASON, IS THAT YOU’RE SEEING STORIES THAT THAT YOU WOULD NEVER NECESSARILY GET TO THIS POINT AND THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT LIKE A REAL PAIN IN THE HOLOCAUST. YOU KNOW, WE’RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WICKED AND WE’RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE AMELIA PEREZ, LIKE, SO THESE ARE FILMS THAT NOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY, OH MY GOSH, I NEED TO GO SEE THESE THINGS. AND YOU’RE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THIS HISTORY. YOU’RE GOING TO LEARN THE BRUTALITIES ABOUT IMMIGRATION. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT TO ME IS EXCITING THAT THIS SLATE OF TEN IS BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THESE STORIES THAT MIGHT NOT WE MIGHT NOT NORMALLY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT. YEAH. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STATE OF THE ARTS IN AMERICA. WE KNOW THE PRESIDENT INSTALLED HIMSELF AS CHAIRMAN OF THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS, THE PRESIDENT’S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES WAS RECENTLY DISSOLVED. SO WE’RE TALKING RESIGNATIONS, FIRINGS AND PERFORMANCE CANCELLATIONS HAVE RESULTED FROM THOSE ACTIONS. RIGHT. SO HOW WILL FILMMAKING RESPOND TO THESE TIMES? AND WILL FILMMAKING BE IMPACTED BY THESE MOVES BY THE GOVERNMENT? I MEAN, I’M HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT FILMMAKING IS TO BRING THESE STORIES TO LIFE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE TOLD IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. I’M I’M HOPING THAT THE INDUSTRY WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT. AND IT’S NOT UNDER IT’S NOT LIKE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF DEI OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT’S REALLY UNDER THE AUSPICES OF TELLING GOOD STORIES, RIGHT? THAT STORYTELLING IS IMPORTANT AND THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FILMS THAT WE’RE SEEING NOW REALLY DO THAT. AND SO I, THE KENNEDY CENTER THING. RIGHT? I MEAN, HE WANTS TO GO BACK TO THE GOLDEN ERA OF FILM, WHATEVER THAT MEANS. I MEAN, I THINK WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. THE, THE, THE COUNCIL OF THE ARTS COUNCIL, HE DISSOLVED THAT IN HIS FIRST TERM. SO I’M NOT I THINK THAT EVERYONE JUST UNDERSTOOD THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IS LOOKING AT THE STUDIOS AND SEEING WHAT THE STUDIOS ARE GOING TO DO. I MEAN, THERE ARE STUDIOS NOW THAT ARE MAKING CHANGES IN THEIR GUIDELINES ABOUT DEI, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE GOING TO BE. AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THAT AND SEE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IN 2026. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE 2026 RACE AND WHAT ACTUALLY GETS PRODUCED AND GREENLIT OVER THE COURSE OF THIS NEXT YEAR THROUGH THE STUDIOS. BUT ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS I THINK ABOUT THIS ACADEMY AWARD SEASON IS A LOT OF THESE FILMS ARE LIKE INDIE, RIGHT? THEY’RE LIKE FILMS THAT WERE MADE BY BY WELL-KNOWN DIRECTORS. BUT THE STORIES HAVE THIS SORT OF LIKE INDIE TEXTURE TO THEM, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT. SO I THINK WE’RE I THINK WE’RE GOING TO STILL SEE THAT ON THE INDIE FRONT. I THINK WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE STUDIOS ARE GOING TO DO, AND IF THEY’RE GOING TO FALL INTO THIS AMERICAN FIRST, SORT OF LIKE CONVERSATION THAT DONALD TRUMP IS PUSHING. OKAY, WE’LL HAVE TO SEE ABOUT THAT. LET’S TALK ABOUT BEST ACTOR COLMAN DOMINGO. RIGHT. HE’S UP FOR HIS ROLE IN SING SING. HE IS REALLY BLOWING UP, RIGHT? HE’S DOING AMAZING. THE FILM IS BASED ON A FORMERLY INCARCERATED MAN WHO HELPED FOUND THE REHABILITATION THROUGH THE ARTS PROGRAM AT SING SING CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. YOU PRESENTED THIS FILM AT THE FESTIVAL LAST SUMMER. DID WHAT WAS THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE OF THIS FILM? AND WHAT IS COLMAN DOMINGO’S PERFORMANCE? WHAT ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE DO YOU THINK MIGHT GET HIM AN OSCAR? HE THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE UPSETS, WHAT ARE THE UPSETS. THIS WOULD BE AMAZING IF IF HE WALKED AWAY WITH THIS. YOU’RE RIGHT. I MEAN, FROM RUSTIN TO THIS. AND THEN HE WAS IN THE WALKING DEAD, OBVIOUSLY, BUT HE HAS DEFINITELY BLOWN UP. AND HE WILL CONTINUE TO. HE’S AMAZING. HE DID AMAZING WORK IN THIS. I MEAN, ALL OF THEM DID AMAZING WORK IN THIS. I MEAN, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN SING SING, SEE IT, BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF IT AND WHAT’S GOING ON. SO THE REHABILITATION THROUGH THE ARTS PROGRAM AT SING SING PRISON. HELPS FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE STAY OUT OF PRISON. IT REALLY IS A RECIDIVISM, AND ANTI PROGRAM. AND AND IT HAS BEEN AMAZING. I THINK THAT HE RIGHT I MEAN HE WAS THERE WERE ONLY A FEW ACTUAL ACTORS IN THAT FILM. MOST OF THOSE WERE FORMERLY INCARCERATED THAT CAME BACK TO DO THIS FILM FOR THE DIRECTOR. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT’S REALLY EXCITING PART OF IT, TOO. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT. WHAT WAS IT? DENZEL WASHINGTON WAS THE LAST ONE, AND HE WON FOR TRAINING DAY. YOU KNOW, THERE THERE ARE YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THERE ARE HOPES AND THERE ARE DREAMS. WE’LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. LISA SIMMONS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. AS USUAL. YOU ARE AMAZING. WE’LL HAVE TO SEE WHO WINS IT ALL. I KNOW THE OSCARS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WELL, THIS YEAR, THE FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS ON JUNE 19TH AND RUNS THROUGH JULY 2ND. AND OUR COVERAGE OF THE 97TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS BEGINS THIS AFTERNOON AFTER THE CELTICS NUGGETS GAME RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE AT 330. IT’S ON THE RED CARPET AT THE OSCARS, FOLLOWED BY WORLD NEWS TONIGHT AND NEWSCENTER FIVE. THEN AT 630, WE ARE BACK ON THE RED CARPET. THE ACADEMY AWARDS BEGIN AT SEVEN AND KAREN HOLMES WARD IS BEING HONORED TONIGHT AT THE ELLIE FUND’S RED CARPET GALA. SHE, ALONG WITH RADIO PERSONALITY CANDY O’TERRY, ARE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AND DEDICATION TO THEIR CRAFT. THE ELLIE FUND PROVIDES FREE DAY TO DAY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING TREATMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS. TO RELIEVE THE EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL STRESSES OF TREATMENT. WCVB HAS BEEN A PROUD PARTNER FO
CityLine: A diverse Oscars lineup reflects current social issues
How the film industry could be influenced by the Trump administration.
Updated: 12:30 PM EST Mar 2, 2025
Lisa Simmons, Artistic and Executive Director of Roxbury International Film Festival joins Jessica Brown to discuss this year’s slate of Oscars contenders and the how the films tie to sociopolitical issues of today.
Lisa Simmons, Artistic and Executive Director of Roxbury International Film Festival joins Jessica Brown to discuss this year’s slate of Oscars contenders and the how the films tie to sociopolitical issues of today.
