Mindset that knows no borders: Interview with Otto Banovits
Online cultural magazine Transatlantic Panorama (TAP) has just published an interview with film director Otto Banovits, whose short film Donkey Xote won Best Short Film Award at SEEfest 2017. He talks about his migratory life that took him from Sweden to Hungary to England and Los Angeles, and how this journey informed his work – and his mindset that knows no borders. Interviewed by Bettina Botos, publisher of TAP, Banovits touches upon many themes including, among others, form vs. content, quotes Hungarian writer István Eörsi, and references the 2016 Oscar-winning film Son of Saul by László Nemes when talking about the fate of refugees. You can read the entire interview here.
The Science of Counting the Ballots for Best Picture
Unlike other Oscar categories, where the winners are those with most votes, Best Picture is chosen from this year’s 9 (sometimes more) nominees through a complex process of counting the ballots using the preferential system. Accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, are in charge of the count. You can find out about the ‘8 steps’ and the ‘magic number’ in this detailed account of the process from The Wrap’s Steve Pond. He explains what it takes to get to the biggest prize of the year, Best Picture Oscar. Incidentally it is given to the producer(s), not the director – though director is oftentimes one of the producers as well. Wonder about the Oscar betting odds? La la Land leads, followed by Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Have fun!
More about Oscar Ballots:
The Wrap’s article by Steve Pond
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