Movies Shown at Chapel Hill ‘Film Fest 919’ Win 7 Oscars

Movies screened at the inaugural Film Fest 919 at the Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill last October earned Academy Awards in five major categories Sunday night.

“Green Book,” which got little pre-release buzz, won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film tells the story of black New York City classical pianist Donald Shirley, played by Marhershala Ali, as he tours his music across the deep South in 1962 accompanied by white driver — and bodyguard — Tony “The Lip” Vallelonga, played by Viggo Mortensen.

“Green Book” closed Film Fest 919 and was introduced by Nick Vallelonga, son of the real-life Tony Vallelonga, who was co-writer and co-producer for the story of his father and Shirley’s trip together.

Ali won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Shirley while Mortensen was nominated for Best Actor but lost out to Rami Malek — who portrayed Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the story of Mercury and the British rock band Queen.

“Roma,” the story of working-class domestic Cleo as she cares for four children in Mexico City in the ’70s, won Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, and Alfonso Cuaron took home the award for Best Director for his efforts. “Roma” played on opening night at Film Fest 919, kicking off the local film festival that ended up being full of award-winning films.

Olivia Colman — who played Queen Anne in “The Favourite” — won Best Actress for her role in the humorous story of Great Britain at the turn of the 18th Century. Colman beat out favorite Glenn Close in “The Wife” and Yalitza Aparicio, the first-time actress in “Roma.”

In all, Film Fest 919 screened seven Oscars worth of cinema, making their slogan of “catch the films before they catch on!” more accurate than ever.

“We are absolutely thrilled that our films got so much recognition,” said Randi Emerman, the founder and CEO of  Film Fest 919. “This is the quality of films we wanted to bring to Chapel Hill and plan to keep bringing. It was an unbelievable night.”

This year’s Film Fest 919 will be October 9-13 at Silverspot.

Featured image: Carol Marshall, co-founder of Film Fest 919, with Nick Vallelonga after Green Book won the OSCAR for Best Picture

‹

New UMall Cinema Could Create 60 Jobs In 2015

Representatives from Silverspot Cinema announced that the new theater to replace Dillard’s in UMall may create 60 more jobs for locals.

The Crisis Of Modern Journalism (Part I)

Widespread staff reductions, compounded by the increasing power of the PR industry, have made modern-day journalism increasingly shallow.

Becoming University Mall

University Mall officials branded the Silverspot news as "reimagining," but it's just another step in becoming what U-Mall was always meant to be.

Chapel Hill's Film Fest 919 Announces 'Gap Year' for 2023, Citing Ongoing Strikes

A prominent film festival in Chapel Hill is going on hiatus this fall. The organizers of Film Fest 919 announced on Wednesday the event will not take place in 2023, saying in a release that they are taking a “gap year” after five years of the festival. “This is due to a convergence of factors,” […]

University Place Fences Off More Property, Begins Prep for Apartment Construction

Fences have been set up at University Place, near to Willow Drive. An apartment complex is set to be built at the site.

Film Fest 919 Wraps Fifth Year; 'Banshees' and 'Quiet Girl' Split Audience Award

The Chapel Hill-based Film Fest 919 wrapped up its 2022 showcase on Sunday, capping off a full five days of blockbuster, international and indie film screenings. The festival, which returned to a full slate of in-theater films for the first time since 2019, ran from Wednesday through Sunday night at the Silverspot Cinema and The […]

Flying Biscuit Café to Open Mid-January in University Place

The national southern-style breakfast chain, Flying Biscuit Café, is set to open in mid-January at University Mall. The new restaurant hopes to bring southern hospitality and fluffy biscuits to the Chapel Hill community. 

Film Fest 919 To Return to Chapel Hill in October

Film Fest 919, the only major film festival in Chapel Hill, will be returning for its fourth iteration this October, the festival announced in a release Tuesday. The festival will run from Monday, October 18 to Sunday, October 24, and will be co-hosted by two local venues: the Drive-In at Carraway Village and the Silverspot […]

Social Media Reacts to The Lumina Theater Closing

Another Chapel Hill establishment is closing, as officials confirmed that The Lumina Theater in Southern Village will shut its doors in the fall. “There have been changes to the national and local movie market that has caused our attendance numbers to slide,” officials wrote in an email, adding that the outdoor movie series will continue. […]

Movies Shown at Chapel Hill 'Film Fest 919' Win 7 Oscars

Movies screened at the inaugural Film Fest 919 at the Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill last October earned Academy Awards in five major categories Sunday night. “Green Book,” which got little pre-release buzz, won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film tells the story of black New York City classical pianist Donald Shirley, played […]

›