Netflix enters Oscar race with move into original documentaries

[brooklynite]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Can "The Square" put Netflix in Oscar circles?

That's one of several questions raised by the company's decision to move into original documentaries with "The Square," filmmaker Jehane Noujaim's nonfiction feature about the Egyptian revolution.

On Monday, Netflix announced it had acquired rights to the political film, which centers on real-life protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

The movie is considered a frontrunner in the upcoming Academy Award race for best documentary, having won a coveted audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in January and another audience prize at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It has earned glowing reviews since opening in theaters 10 days ago for the run required to qualify for an Academy Award.



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-netflix-square-20131105,0,7435459.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+(L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories)#axzz2jmo7riuO

[geardaddy]

1. Oh.

On edit.

Muriel has posted why not. I agree...

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. It's not an 'original documentary' if they bought the rights after it's been shown elsewhere

That documentary was made by someone else - both investors and actual makers. They have to commission documentaries themselves for it to be 'original' - you know, it has to originate from Netflix.

[geardaddy]

3. Thanks for pointing that out.

I know that Netflix has been producing some of their own stuff. I didn't realize that this wasn't theirs originally.