By Olivia Wray
Staff Writer
The Academy Awards are fast approaching and in the past year, the Bay Area has received a lot of attention in the film industry.
The city of Oakland was featured in a few 2018 films, but those movies did not receive Oscar nominations.
For Bay Area natives, it can be exciting to see a familiar town on the big screen.
Ryan Coogler, a successful Oakland native co-wrote and directed “Black Panther” which received seven academy award nominations including Best Picture.
It is unfortunate that movies such as “Blindspotting” and “Sorry to Bother You” are not part of this year’s nominations because they share stories that are relevant today.
“Blindspotting,” the edgy comedy starring and co-written by another Oakland native, Daveed Diggs, has garnered acclaim from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and IMDb.
The film addresses friendship and the intersection of race and class, involving a very timely issue: police violence and shootings. With a story so deeply rooted in what Oakland is well-known for, it highly resonates with the Bay Area.
“Despite its low-key image, the area brims with a distinctive depth of originality and creativity,” said Marcus Crowder of Diablo Magazine in reference to Bay Area directors this past year.
With Bay Area talent getting more attention, local residents are able to see their stories told on the big screen.
The feature film debut by Oakland musician, activist and filmmaker Boots Riley, “Sorry to Bother You” takes place in the city as well.
The film acts on issues of race and power, illustrating to the public that this is an important topic in today’s political climate.
“Around the world, people are asking for art that addresses issues they are facing, and it’s all meeting up in the right time and place here,” Riley told Diablo Magazine.
“Sorry to Bother You” received even higher ratings than “Blindspotting” at 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 percent on Metacritic, but couldn’t make it to the nation’s biggest event for films.
Oakland is known for violence, gang activity and police brutality making it a city that outsiders don’t want to visit.
Also, with the Golden State Warriors moving from Oakland’s Oracle Arena to San Francisco’s Chase Center the city of Oakland is losing popularity and positive attention.
Creative and talented artists from the Bay Area will continue to fight for their voices to be heard.
Bringing positive attention to cities in Northern California that have a bad reputation could change the negativity and violence that currently resides there.
The Academy Awards has highlighted some of the best films this year, however, they should strive in the future to highlight the films that convey real stories and emotions like those coming from the Bay Area.
