WORLD Del Toro dominant at inclusive Oscars
FIRST it was the English Premier League that came to be dominated by top talent from abroad.
Now Crufts is following in football’s footsteps – by allowing foreign entrants to compete for its coveted Best In Show crown.
This year’s event – which begins at Birmingham’s NEC on Thursday – will see nearly 100 dogs from 15 overseas breeds parading around the ring after organisers relaxed rules regarding breeds not yet established in England.
Almost 21,000 dogs will compete at Crufts for the big prizes this week. THE 90th Academy Awards crowned Guillermo del Toro’s monster fable The Shape of Water best picture at an Oscars that confronted the postHarvey Weinstein era and sought to pivot to a vision of a more inclusive movie business.
A sense of change was palpable at the ceremony Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where winners made impassioned arguments for gender equality and diversity.
Del Toro’s monster fable The Shape of Water, which came in with a leading 13 nods, took a leading four awards, including best production design, best score and best director for del Toro.
He became the third Mexican- born filmmaker to win the award, joining his friends and countrymen Alejandro Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron – who once were dubbed “the Three Amigos.”
“The greatest thing that art does, and that our industry does, is erase the lines in the sand,” said del Toro, alluding to his international career.
Jordan Peele won for his script to his horror sensation Get Out, becoming the first African- American to win for best original screenplay.
Australia’s Lee Smith won the Oscar for editing the World War II epic Dunkirk.
It was third time lucky for the Sydney 57- year- old after being nominated for The Dark Knight in 2009 and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in 2004 but leav- ing both ceremonies emptyhanded.
“This is the most awesome thing that can happen to a guy like me,” Smith told the A- List crowd. Dunkirk landed two other awards for sound editing and sound design.
Things went expected in the acting categories, where Frances McDormand won her second Oscar for her performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
McDormand asked all the attending female nominees to stand up in the theatre. “Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects that need financing,” she declared.
Subbing for last year’s bestactor winner, Casey Affleck, in presenting the best- actress award were Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence.
“It’s a new day in Hollywood,” said Lawrence.
Three widely admired veteran actors won their first Oscars. Gary Oldman won for his Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, Allison Janney ( I, Tonya) took best supporting for her role opposite Australia’s Margot Robbie.
Sam Rockwell ( Three Billboards) won best supporting actor. Oldman thanked his “99- years young” mother. “Put the kettle on,” he told her. “I’m bringing Oscar home.”
Australian duo Josh Lawson and Derin Seale missed out on the live action short Oscar for their comedy The Eleven O’Clock.
BIG WINNERS
Best Picture: The Shape of Water. Actor: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour. Actress: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, I, Tonya. Directing: The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro. Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman, Chile. Sound Mixing: Dunkirk. Sound Editing: Dunkirk. Editing: Dunkirk.