As the carpet is rolled out at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the precious names are checked and checked again, there will be one film that is notably missing from this year’s Oscars.
The Iron Claw had all the makings of an Oscar favourite. Tragic biopic, indie darling, and a former child actor giving a knock-out performance. But Sean Durkin’s oily ode to the Von Erich brothers didn’t make it on Academy voter’s ballots for one reason: politics.
To nab an Oscar nomination, it is less about the quality of the film than it is the quality of the campaign. It has been estimated by Vox that Oscar campaigns can cost anywhere between $3 million and $15 million. You need money, influence, and a compelling selling point to even be a contender.
But A24 have all of this. The production house behind The Iron Claw has been a favourite on the circuit for the last decade due to its originality and arthouse fanbase. Last year it even brought home seven Oscars for Everything Everywhere All At Once. To add insult to injury they are an independent company whose worth stands at an oxymoronic sum of $2.5 billion.
So, what is the problem? They have the money, and they still have that underdog persona despite all their success. But why didn’t it work for The Iron Claw?
Simply put, there are too many good films and not enough time.
Oscar politics can lead to films being side-lined
A key component of a winning Oscar campaign is making sure you are on the radar of Academy voters. This means billboards, ‘For your Consideration’ booklets, screenings, and festival runs.
But for all of this to happen voters, and crucially executive producers, must believe you have a chance.
The Iron Claw premiered in early November in Dallas, Texas. It didn’t have the festival run that usually launches an award season sweep, neither did it give voters much time to add it to their watch lists.
A late release date may not impact your chances- Poor Things released in early December yet are sitting comfortably with their 11 nominations- but Poor Things wasn’t in competition for resources within their own production house.
This year A24 had Priscilla, Past Lives, Zone of Interest, and The Iron Claw circulating on Oscar prediction lists everywhere. While they all deserve buzz in their own right, A24 had a difficult decision of where to put the money.
Besides both being incredible pieces of work – Past Lives had film Twitter and time on its side, while Zone of Interest had its immediacy and connection to current events. It’s a no-brainer.
This has happened to plenty of other more talented and more diverse films before and it will happen again.
It’s just a reminder that while awards are nice, and we should continue to open them up to those who have been historically shut out, they aren’t everything.
This is especially true for The Iron Claw. A film that fulfils everything an Oscar winner traditionally should be. So maybe it doesn’t have to be this year.
Featured Image credit: A24
Film and Tv Editor at Brig Newspaper. Currently studying Journalism and English at the University of Stirling
