Austin’s Filmmakers Make It to the Oscars

The countdown to the 98th Academy Awards began in earnest today with the announcement of this year’s nominees. While the headlines are dominated by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners picking up a record-breaking 16 nominations, there’s good news for Austin as filmmakers with close links to the city get their invite to the big ceremony.

Almost astoundingly, the announcement includes the first ever nomination for Austin native Ethan Hawke, who finally makes the Best Actor list for his performance as tragicomic musical genius Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon. The biopic also picked up a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, going to Robert Kaplow who also wrote the book upon which Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles was based.

Speaking of scripts, it’s a second nomination for Greg Kwedar. The Fort Worth native and Austin transplant already got a nomination for 2023’s Sing Sing for Best Adapted Screenplay along with his writing partner, fellow Texan Clint Bentley, and now they’re back in contention in the same category for the Bentley-directed Train Dreams, their adaptation of Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella. However, the duo can’t duck out early during the ceremony, as Train Dreams was also nominated for Best Picture, as well as Best Cinematography for Adolpho Veloso, and Best Song for “Train Dreams” going to Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner.

And that’s not the only Best Picture nomination on this year’s list from a filmmaker that’s held an Austin mailing address. In fact, former Austinite (and official Honorary Texan) Guillermo del Toro picks up two nominations for Frankenstein: a solo credit for Best Adapted Screenplay, while he splits that Best Picture selection with fellow producers J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber, 

And rounding out the list on the feature side, while newly minted Austin resident James Cameron didn’t get nominated himself, his visual effects and costume design teams made the list for their work on Avatar: Fire and Ash.

However, the plaudits aren’t restricted to the features. Locally-based documentarian Craig Renaud was also nominated for “Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud” in the Best Documentary Short category. The film, which also won the best documentary short award at last year’s South by Southwest, focuses on his late brother and fellow combat zone reporter, Brent, who was the first U.S. journalist killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 98th Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 15, and will be broadcast on ABC.

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