British-Pakistani actor and musician, Riz Ahmed, has won his first Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live-action short film The Long Goodbye. Ahmed starred in the film and has also co-written and produced it.
Riz Ahmed opened up on his fears that the decision to not broadcast certain awards would overshadow the celebration of the 94th Academy Awards. During his conversation at backstage after bagging the award, Ahmed said that he hopes that the controversy wouldn’t ‘become the story’.
The 2022 ceremony of the prestigious ceremony decided to not air Best Production Design, Best Editing and Best Sound awards, causing massive backlash from film industry. Meanwhile, Ahmed’s Short Film win was announced in advance of the event.
In his acceptance speech, Ahmed said: “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.”
“This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace,” he added.
Acceptance speech for THE LONG GOODBYE. Thank you @kylebuchanan #Oscars #RizAhmed #FilmTwitter pic.twitter.com/2X8XqzBZiX
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) March 27, 2022
The Long Goodbye is based on Riz Ahmed’s album of the same, which was released last year. It focuses on a South Asian family in London who are accosted at their home by members of an an all-white militia.
This isn’t Ahmed’s first nomination. Last year, he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a hearing-impaired drummer in Sound of Metal.
Here is the complete list of winners from the 94th Academy Awards:
Best Picture
CODA
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Actor
Will Smith – King Richard
Best Director
The Power of the Dog – Jane Campion
Best Original Song
No Time To Die – No Time to Die; Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Best Documentary Feature
Summer of Soul
Best Adapted Screenplay
CODA – Screenplay by Siân Heder
Best Original Screenplay
Belfast – Written by Kenneth Branagh
Best Costume Design
Jenny Beavan – Cruella
Best International Feature
Drive My Car (Japan)
Best Supporting Actor
Troy Kotsur – CODA
Best Animated Feature
Encanto
Best Original Score
Hans Zimmer – Dune
Best Cinematography
Greig Fraser – Dune
Best Visual Effects
Dune – Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
Best Film Editing
Joe Walker – Dune
Best Sound
Dune – Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
Best Production Design
Dune – Production design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
Best Live Action Short
The Long Goodbye
Best Animated Short
The Windshield Piper
Best Documentary Short
The Queen of Basketball
