"'Room,' a Canadian-majority coproduction with Ireland, written by Irish-Canadian novelist Emma Donoghue, is nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Lenny Abrahamson, who helmed the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award-winning film, is in the running for Best Director, and Brie Larson, winner of a Golden Globe for her role, is up for Best Actress.
"'Brooklyn,' a Canadian-minority coproduction with Ireland and the UK, is also nominated in the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. Saoirse Ronan is vying for Best Actress. It's a great pleasure to have two films that reflect Canada's collaborative efforts with other countries recognized by an institution as important as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Also, it's rare to see two Canadian coproductions in contention for Best Picture. In 1982, the only coproduction nominated in this category was Louis Malle's Atlantic City, produced by Denis Héroux.
"Rachel McAdams is in the running for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 'Spotlight' and singer-songwriter Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (The Weeknd) is nominated for Best Original Song for "Earned It," from the movie 'Fifty Shades of Grey.'
"Denis Villeneuve's 'Sicario,' part of the Official Competition at Cannes last spring, is up for Best Original Score, Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing.
"'Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah' (Canada, US, UK co-venture), directed by Adam Benzine, and 'A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,' by Pakistani-Canadian director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, are both nominated for Best Documentary Short. 'Prologue,' co‑directed by Canadian/British animator Richard William, is up for Best Animated Short Film.
"Paul Massey is vying for Best Sound Mixing for 'The Martian.' Four other Canadians are up for an Oscar for their work on 'The Revenant:' Chris Duesterdiek (Best Sound Mixing), Robert Pandini (Best Makeup and Hair Styling), Hamish Purdy (Best Production Design), Cameron Waldbauer (Best Visual Effects).
"David McIntosh, Steve Marshall Smith, Mike Branham and Mike Kirilenko of Aircover Inflatables, in North Vancouver, will receive a Technical Achievement Award for the engineering and development of the Air Wall.
"Looking at these nominations, it's clear that Canada continues to be a shooting location of choice: 'Brooklyn' was partly shot in Montréal, 'Spotlight' and 'Room' were filmed in Toronto and 'The Revenant,' topping the list with 12 nominations, is set in part in Alberta and British Colombia.
"To highlight all this success, we will pay tribute to the Canadian nominees at a An Evening with Canada Stars event in Los Angeles on February 25. The celebration will be co-hosted with the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, in partnership and with the support of key industry partners and companies.
"On behalf of Telefilm Canada, I congratulate the many Canadian talented individuals in contention for an Oscar in 2016. We wish them the best of luck."
