Sony Pictures Classics is the first studio to send out Academy screeners this season. “Frozen River,” which garnered considerable praise for lead actress Melissa Leo when it was released in August, landed on doorsteps over the weekend, giving the studio a head start on the race.
With plenty of indie film performances in the mix for Best Actress in 2008, this move could go a long way to ensuring that voters consider Leo’s work. Additionally, Leo won the Best Actress award this weekend at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Co-stars Tsilla Chelton and Oscar Martinez also took acting honors.
Last year Fox Searchlight was the first studio to unleash screeners, albeit during the first week of September. The studio sent out copies of “The Namesake,” “Once” and “Waitress,” though only “Once” found its way to an Oscar nod (for Best Original Song). Sony Classics is taking this opportunity to distinguish Leo in the minds of voters, with Kristin Scott Thomas’s work in “I’ve Loved You So Long” still to come from the studio.
Read up on the latest “Frozen River” news here.