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Netflix's Roma, The Favourite tie for most Oscar nominations

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Film-maker Alfonso Cuaron thrilled with Netflix's backing of movie

LOS ANGELES: Netflix scored its first nomination for the prestigious best picture Oscar yesterday for Roma, a milestone that will test whether Hollywood's film establishment is ready to award its top prize to a streaming service.

Roma received 10 Academy Award nominations in total, tying The Favourite as the year's most-nominated film.

The Favourite scored a bit of a surprise with its stellar haul.

While nominations for its trio of stars - Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz - were a near-lock, its flight to the top of the list was not.

A Star is Born had eight nominations.

A Spanish-language movie, Roma chronicles the life of a housekeeper and the family she works for in 1970s Mexico.

The movie was filmed in black and white, and was named after the neighbourhood in Mexico City where film-maker Alfonso Cuaron grew up.

Awards experts consider Roma a front-runner to win best picture at the Oscars ceremony on Feb 24, though they say it has hurdles to overcome.

After disrupting television, Netflix has stirred unease in the traditional movie industry by encouraging people to skip the theatre and watch films at home. Major theatre chains refuse to show Netflix films, and some top directors have balked at making films that will be seen primarily on the small screen.

A portion of Oscar voters may be reluctant to honour Netflix, said Hollywood Reporter awards columnist Scott Feinberg, but he believes that group is shrinking.

Many actors, writers, producers and others have now worked on Netflix TV shows or movies, and they are happy that the Silicon Valley company has deep pockets and a willingness to fund arthouse fare, he said.

"At this point they are accepting that they are here and are not going away, and they are not the big, bad wolf they were made out to be," Mr Feinberg said.

Roma also faces an uphill climb because no foreign-language film has ever won the best picture prize.

Netflix has lobbied heavily to win over Academy members.

The company hired a top awards strategist who worked previously for The Weinstein Company, which was known for its masterful Oscar campaigns.

Actress Angelina Jolie and other A-list fans of Roma have attended screenings, part of an effort to lure voters to see the film on a big screen.

Netflix also showcased the movie on the home screen of its streaming service, something its rivals from traditional studios could not do.

"There has never been a foreign-language Oscar hopeful that has had the support that this one has," Mr Feinberg said.

"They have left no stone unturned."

Mr Cuaron said he was thrilled with Netflix's backing of an unusual movie with no recognisable stars.

"They are giving a huge, huge, huge international push for this film, really in both streaming but also theatrical," he said in a recent interview.

"Not any company does that."

The nomination alone should help Netflix achieve its ultimate goal of adding to its global membership of 139 million streaming customers, particularly overseas where the company is looking for growth, Mr Feinberg said.

"I would imagine in Spanish-speaking countries around the world, it's been a big point of curiosity to see what this is about," Mr Feinberg said. "That will only increase."

Many of the films nominated this year for the top prize - best picture - proved big box office hits, including Marvel's superhero movie Black Panther, which got seven nods yesterday and became the first superhero movie to win a best picture nomination. - REUTERS


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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

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