Latinos in the 2009 Award Season

The only quasi Latino thing to celebrate on the Oscar nomination list is Penelope Cruz's performance as best supporting actress in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, as you can read about in my previous blog, "Will Penelope Be Wearing Gold?" But even though Cruz is the only Hispanic name on the list, we come to consider if the Academy is being a bit racist in not nominating any more Latino talent in the recent year's Latin cinema. Is it because there is no other Latin talent out there? Nope, because talent there sure is! The Sundance Awards were recently announced, giving six Awards to Latino filmmakers and Latino films! How come none of these were recognized by the Academy?

As for the Sundance Film Festival, I must say it was a good year, with awards going to new talents from all over Latin America and the U.S. And there was even a Latino on one of the juries for the Alfred P. Sloan Prize: the filmmaker Alex Rivera. Rivera’s Sundance award-winning film from last year, Sleep Dealer, opens in theaters nationwide this February.

SUNDANCE 2009’s LATINO WINNERS

* Directing Award: U.S. Documentary - Natalia Almada, El General

U.S./Mexico: Natalia Almada director, El General

* Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic – Cary Joji Fukunaga, Sin Nombre

* The World Cinematic Jury Prize – Sebastian Silva, The Maid (La Nana)

Chile: Sebastian Silva director, The Maid

* World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Acting – Catalina Saavedra, The Maid (La Nana)

* Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic – Adriano Goldman, Sin Nombre, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

* Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers: Diego Lerman, Ciencias Morales (Moral Sciences), from Argentina

Now back to the Oscars.... So why doesn't the Academy recognize these films? As always in America, the Latinos are running the show, but behind the curtain and as usual they don't get the deserved recognition. Well, to be honest... let's be blunt, if it weren't for Latinos, there would be no Oscars this year! Literally! And let me explain myself:

One of the biggest stars at the Academy Awards was born in the northwest of Chicago, and was brought into the world by Martin Vega and will get ready for the big night with the help of Eladio Gonzalez.

Technically, he's called “3454”, but he is better known as Oscar.

In a few weeks, 3454 will be shining on the stage of the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, perhaps in the hands of a speechless Kate Winslet

or an even more weeping Mickey Rourke.

They will grab him by the waist, and lift him up in the air and thank everyone who helped them shape their success. All but Vega and Gonzalez.

The story begins with the 3454 Oscar empty – a transformation of a piece of metal into a man of 13.5 inches. This all takes place at the R.S. Owens, a nondescript building on North Avenue Lynch, in Chicago, where the statuettes have been manufactured since 1983. The nominations for the Academy Awards have just been announced in Beverly Hills. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tops the list with 13 nominations, so who knows? Maybe Oscar 3454 will end up with Brad Pitt (or his makeup artist, Greg Cannom).

But right now, Vega, 40, focuses on his own art. He melt bars of an alliance of high quality pewter tank in a cast, and then puts the liquid into a bucket at 780 degrees and slowly pours it into a mold of steel, one of only two ever made and the only one still operating. The mold is usually stored in a safe and is only released at this time of year for about two days to manufacture 50 Oscars that will be sent to Hollywood.

Vega fills the mold evenly, a process that takes only 13 seconds, and waits about one minute before opening the top of the mold, hammers a little bit until it is clear, and proudly reveals the back of an Oscar, which is almost 8.5 pounds. Vega takes the statuette still hot and assembles the Oscars all face up on a table nearby.

Henceforth the statues go to Gonzalez, 40, at the polishing machine. First he uses a little piece of sandpaper, then a larger piece. Forty-five minutes later, the Oscar shines!

Oscar 3454 should now be “cured” – that is, it should sit long enough to ensure that no air bubbles or cracks appear. A few days later Oscar reaches the bathroom, and Nunzio Giganti places it on a grid before bringing in soapy water to clean it up a little. Then it is given a bath of copper, nickel and silver.

Finally comes the dream of every trophy: a swim in 24-carat gold, in a container used for Oscar and only Oscar.

Giganti then brings it to the assembly area, where he bolts Bertha Fuentes-based coated bronze. He covers the head of Oscar with a plastic bag and places it in a box of foam rubber, which goes to another cardboard for shipping.

From their creation, form, painting and delivery, many Latino workers are in charge of creating the coveted statuettes. In early February, Oscar 3454 will make his way to Hollywood to make some movie history! I bet even the delivery truck drivers are Latinos!

So who said there were no Latinos in this year’s Academy Awards? If it wasn't for Latinos, there would be NO OSCARS!!!!

So is Oscar a racist? If he has Latinos everywhere surrounding the Academy Awards, except on the nominee list, he shouldn’t be a racist, right??? Hmmmm…

Maybe next year we can get some recognition for the filmmaking talent in the nominees list, that way we shine in front of the curtain as well as behind the curtain!! Or at least make the statue's name is Oscar Gonzalez or Oscar Vega… not just Oscar Smith!