The full list of nominations has been revealed for the 95th Annual Academy Awards, and despite what many had been predicting, the hit film Till was not up for a single Oscar. Since its release in October, Till has garnered widespread praise from critics, standing out as one of the strongest films of 2022. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is nearly perfect with a 98% approval rating and lead star Danielle Deadwyler in particular had been expected by experts to get a Best Actress nod at the Oscars.
Ultimately, Till was snubbed by the Academy Awards, and director Chinonye Chukwu has put out a public response on Instagram. Posting an image of herself alongside Myrlie Evers-Williams, whho is depicted in the film, Chukwu expresses her belief that the film was ignored by the Academy due to its commitment of “upholding whiteness” and an “unabashed misogyny towards Black women.” But Chukwu is also looking at the bright side of the situation, noting that she will continue to find her own joy in life regardless of these kinds of disappointments.
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“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” she says in the Instagram post.
Chuku continues, “And alas. I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life - regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance.”
“Amen amen,” Jurnee Smollett responded in the comments section, while Till star Sean Patrick Thomas posted a pair of raised fist emoji.
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A post shared by Chinonye Chukwu (@chinonyechukwu)
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Till Was a Critical Hit Despite Its Lack of Oscar Nominations
United Artists
The film has garnered accolades outside of the Oscars. For her part, Deadwyler previously won acting awards at the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the National Board of Review, whiel she was also nominated at the Critics’ Choice Awards alongside co-star Jalyn Hall. Deadwyler also has pending nominations for other upcoming awards shows including the Satellite Awards, the British Academy Film Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Hollywood Critics Association Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards. An Oscar would have been nice to add to the list, but the film has clearly become an acclaimed hit even without a nomination.
Till is based on the heartbreaking true story of the murder of Emmett Till, a teenage boy horrifically killed in a racist attack in 1955. Deadwyler plays his mother, Mamie Till-Bradley, who spent decades serving as an activist since losing her son. The film also stars Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg. You can watch a trailer below.
