SURPRISE: Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War” (Best Director)
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 11: Pawel Pawlikowski attends the photocall for “Grans” during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 11, 2018 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
This is the first year in Oscar’s 91 year-history that not one, but three of the Best Director nominees are foreign filmmakers: Mexican Alfonso Cuaron, Greek Yorgos Lanthimos, and Polish Pawell Pawlikowski.
Moreover, two of the directors are nominated for foreign language films: Cuaron’s Roma (Spanish) and Pawlikowski’s Cold War (Polish).
The U.S. nominees are Spike Lee, finally, as this is his first Best Director nomination, for BlackKklansman, and Adam McKay, for Vice, who has been nominated before, for The Big Short.
