Five controversies and talking points ahead of the 95th Academy Awards ceremony

The Oscars are one of the most anticipated events in the film industry, and it's always accompanied by controversies and talking points. This year is no exception, from Hollywood's preferences to actors' comebacks, here are the 5 controversies and talking points ahead of the 95th Academy Awards

The Academy Awards is one of the most anticipated events in the film industry, and it's always accompanied by controversies and talking points. This year is no exception, from Hollywood's preferences to actors' comebacks, here are the five controversies and talking points ahead of the 95th Academy Awards ceremony:

Hollywood's prestige projects dismissed as also-rans: Oscars in love with indie flicks?

The Academy Awards is one of the most anticipated events in the film industry, and it's always accompanied by controversies and talking points.

In previous years, Hollywood's biggest films dominated the awards season, but this year, the Academy has shown a preference for quirky indie films. Despite Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and The Fabelmans being nominated for Best Picture, none of them is tipped to win it. Tár, a critical exploration of power dynamics in the realm of classical music, The Banshees of Inisherin, a sombre allegory depicting individuals bickering and brooding in a countryside pub, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, an eccentric yet poignant adventure of traversing different universes through martial arts, are the top picks.

The aftermath of the slap: A crisis management team at Oscars

Hollywood loves comeback stories, and two of them are being told at this year's Oscars. After facing personal struggles and slipping off the A-list over a decade ago, Brendan Fraser is currently experiencing a "Brenaissance" according to his fans. He recently received a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of a morbidly obese recluse in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. Ke Huy Quan, who starred in iconic films such as The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a child, left the acting industry in the 1990s due to the scarcity of roles available for Asian Americans. However, he has made a remarkable return to the big screen with his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars.

Where are the women and black directors? Oscars' Best Director category under fire

This year's Best Director nominees are all male, with Daniel Kwan being the only Asian-American in the category. The absence of women or black directors in the nominations was glaringly obvious, prompting Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of Woman King, to speak out on behalf of all the snubbed counterparts in her column for The Hollywood Reporter. Prince-Bythewood and Sarah Polley, whose Women Talking has been nominated for Best Picture, also did noteworthy work, alongside Steven Spielberg, Todd Field, Martin McDonagh, and Ruben Östlund.

All Quiet... makes noise: German film breaks barriers with dual Best Picture and International Feature Film nominations

In the past, films in the Best International Feature Film category rarely turned up in the Best Picture category, too. Netflix's growing influence worldwide in the past years has changed this. This year, Germany's All Quiet on The Western Front has been nominated in both categories, joining the ranks of Roma, Parasite, and Drive My Car. What that suggests is that All Quiet... will be one of the favourites to win Best Picture.