A Toronto producer who worked on “The Shape of Water” says the film’s leading 13 Oscar nominations are a big win for Canada.
J. Miles Dale shares in the best picture nomination along with director Guillermo del Toro, who shot the merman romance in Toronto and Hamilton.
Dale says other than del Toro, the cinematographer and some of the actors, every person who worked on the film was Canadian.
He says he thinks it’s an “unprecedented” amount of recognition for this country by the Oscars academy.
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“The Shape of Water” came just shy of tying the record of 14 Oscar nominations shared by “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land.”
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Other Canadians nominated for the film include production designer Paul Austerberry, costume designer Luis M. Sequeira, and film editor Sidney Wolinsky.
Meanwhile, Christopher Plummer got an Oscar nod for his supporting role in “All The Money In The World.”
It’s the third Oscar nomination for the Toronto native, who won the golden statuette in 2012 for “Beginners.”
“The Breadwinner,” based on the novel by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, is nominated for best animated film.
The Canadian co-production has a superstar executive producer in Angelina Jolie and features Toronto actress Saara Chaudry as the voice of the lead character. The movie, written by Canadian filmmaker Anita Doron, also got a Golden Globe nomination for best animated film.
While Denis Villeneuve missed out on a best director nomination for “Blade Runner 2049,” the film did pick up a number of nods in other categories. Canadian Dennis Gassner is nominated for best production design.
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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