Netflix faces stiff opposition despite 15 Oscar nominations including first for best picture
- The streaming service has joined the powerful Motion Picture Association of America, but some cinemas still won’t screen Oscar contender Roma
- Top directors including Alfonso Cuarón, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers have worked with Netflix
By earning its first-ever Oscar nomination for best picture with Roma, Netflix has propelled itself into Hollywood’s club of elite filmmakers, but the streaming giant’s hybrid business model still hasn’t won over its sharpest critics.
Netflix earned a whopping 10 nominations for Alfonso Cuarón’s cinematic love letter to his childhood in Mexico City, three more for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and two for documentary shorts.
It joined the Motion Picture Association of America, the powerful lobbying group – until now the stamping ground of traditional film studios Disney, Fox, Warner Bros, Universal, Sony and Paramount.
“Joining the Motion Picture Association further exemplifies our commitment to ensuring the vibrancy of these creative industries,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said.
While it has progressively been welcomed at most major film festivals, Netflix still finds that Tinseltown’s red carpet is not fully rolled out – with cinemas up in arms about its position as a distribution king and A-list content provider.
