If there is something that unites “Anora” and “The Brutalist,” in terms both of onscreen story and behind-the-scenes process, it’s a masterful dedication to the art of the hustle. Baker and Corbet are well versed in it, having learned to temper their outsized visions with pluck, thrift, and resourcefulness. - The New Yorker
In the run-up to the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, worries about the size of the TV audience have rumbled through the movie capital. Concerns center on the nominated films: For the most part, Oscar voters singled out little-seen movies, potentially limiting viewer interest. - The New York Times
Including red carpet coverage, and, eventually, awards as well. If you would prefer something slightly different, here are the Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter (winners only), and host ABC’s updates as well. - The New York Times
Its director thinks Black Box Diaries is having a hard time “because it shines a light on a topic normally kept in the shadows: how the legal system and society, more broadly, look unfavorably on women who come forward to say they were sexually assaulted.” - The New York Times
Suddenly, voting members learned, they “will no longer be paid salaries as does away with a controversial element of how its voting body is organized.” The voting members are being offered a severance package. - The Hollywood Reporter
“In a collective act of civil disobedience and inspired by the 2022 women-led uprising in Iran and many women’s continued defiance of restrictive social laws, Iranian filmmakers say they have decided to finally make art that imitates real life in their country.” - The New York Times
This year’s 10 feel, largely, like a lawless batch of movies made by filmmakers who, I imagine, might be surprised to find themselves in the thick of what everybody casually calls awards season now, artists who’ve likely had many a studio door closed on their ideas. - The New York Times
Few non-English-Language films had ever been nominated for the top Oscar, and almost nobody had seriously expected one to win. Here’s an oral history of how the team behind the offbeat South Korean film realized it had a chance, and how they went on to lead it to victory. - The Hollywood Reporter
The nonprofit Art House Convergence, a group of cinephiles in Highland Park, Illinois, released a report last summer that revealed attendance at local independent theaters is nearly back to 2019 numbers. Their audiences are now younger, more diverse, and hungry for independent rather than big studio content. - Christian Science Monitor
Following a 12% staff reduction last September, the umbrella for NPR news/talk WNYC, classical WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio is now laying off 7% of its employees, including Chief Content Officers for both WNYC and WQXR. The popular new-music show New Sounds will be cancelled after 43 years. - Radio Ink
The Federal Communications Commission is looking into whether iHeartMedia is compelling artists perform at its upcoming country music festival for free or reduced pay in exchange for more favorable airplay. - The Hollywood Reporter
