Deadline on Monday launched its streaming site for Contenders Film: Los Angeles, its annual movie showcase that took place Saturday, November 15 at the DGA Theater with the stars and creators of 13 films in the awards-season spotlight.
Panelists for the event, which caters to awards voters, included a who’s who of the buzzy talk this year, including Ryan Coogler, Sydney Sweeney, Joseph Kosinski, Park Chan-wook, Ethan Hawke, Elle Fanning, June Squibb, Joachim Trier, Rami Malek, Scott Cooper, Nia DaCosta and Tessa Thompson. Coogler and Sweeney were even kind enough to break news during their onstage conversations.
In addition, Guillermo del Toro was on hand to receive Deadline’s inaugural Contenders Hall of Fame Award, and we put the focus on two upcoming newbie Oscar categories in separate panels with stunt coordinators and casting directors discussing their respective crafts.
The A-list group onstage Saturday repped films ranging from global blockbusters and international hits to indie darlings, with a lineup that featured fare from 20th Century Studios (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Amazon MGM Studios (After the Hunt, Hedda), Apple Original Films (F1), Black Bear (Christy), Dharma Productions (Homebound), HS Pictures Studios (Dragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This World), Neon (No Other Choice, Sentimental Value), Sony Pictures Classics (Blue Moon, Eleanor the Great, Nuremberg) and Warner Bros Pictures (Sinners).
The Contenders series continues next month with the return of our annual virtual two-fer: Contenders Film: International and Contenders Film: Documentary, back to back December 6-7.
Contenders Film: Los Angeles is produced with the support of United for Business, Eyepetizer, AV8 Group, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Eichholtz and Naurelle.