Oscar statues stand outside Hollywood Boulevard in preparation for Sunday's 92nd Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
NEW YORK (AP) --
ABC's telecast of the Academy Awards hit an all-time low in the ratings, with 23.6 million people tuning in to see "Parasite" named best picture.
The Nielsen company says that's down from the 29.6 million people who watched the show last year. The previous low for the Oscars came in 2018, when 26.5 million people watched.
The Oscars moved up its telecast a couple of weeks earlier than it has usually been, but that clearly didn't entice viewers.
Up until the last few years, Academy Awards viewership has generally stood between 35 and 45 million people, according to Nielsen.
Sarah Friedland (from l-r), winner of the Someone to Watch Award, Sarah Winshall, winner of the Producers Award , Rachel Elizabeth Seed, winner of the Truer Than Fiction Award, and Film Independent Board chair Brenda Robinson attend the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees Brunch at Hotel Casa del Mar. (Photo courtesy of Film Independent)
Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization celebrating its 40th anniversary, announced the winners of its three Emerging Filmmaker Awards at its annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch on Saturday (1/4) held at Hotel Casa del Mar. Karen Pittman (The Morning Show, The Americans) served as host for the event and handed out the honors. Winners for the remaining categories will be revealed at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 22.
“As we enter our organization’s fifth decade, the Emerging Filmmaker Awards have become an invaluable tool in Film Independent’s mission to support independent artists and allow them to develop new work on their own terms and vision,” said Brenda Robinson, chair of the Board of Film Independent. “This mission was central to the work our president Josh Welsh dedicated his life to and it couldn’t be more fitting to honor him as we celebrate these talented artists and the work they have and will continue to produce.”
The Someone to Watch Award was given to Sarah Friedland, director of Familiar Touch. The award recognizes a talented first-time narrative filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award, which is in its 31st year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. The finalists for the award included Nicholas Colia for Griffin in Summer and Pham Thien An for Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell.
The Truer Than Fiction Award was presented to Rachel Elizabeth Seed, director of A Photographic Memory. The award is presented to a first-time director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its 30th year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. Julian Brave NoiseCat and... Read More
