Amazon, Netflix grab a share of Oscar glory / OSCAR 2017

Amazon, Netflix grab a share of Oscar glory / OSCAR 2017



NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ



Silicon Valley crashed Hollywood's biggest awards show on Sunday as Amazon and Netflix collected the first Academy Awards for streaming services.

After upending television with acclaimed online series, Amazon and Netflix joined the ranks of the film industry's elites with four gold statuettes between them.

Amazon Studios, a unit of e-commerce giant Amazon.com, scored a best actor trophy for Casey Affleck's portrayal of a grieving man in Manchester by the Sea. The movie also won best original screenplay.



Amazon's other accolade came for best foreign language film for Iranian drama The Salesman, which Amazon distributed in the United States and Canada.

Netflix triumphed in the documentary short-subject category for 40-minute film The White Helmets, a look at rescue workers in war-torn Syria.

There was also a big victory for a small, independent studio A24, which was only founded in 2012 but won the most prestigious Best Picture award for Moonlight.

The movie, about a gay black youth coming to terms with his sexuality in an impoverished Miami neighborhood, was produced for $1.5 million (£1.2million), a tiny budget by Hollywood standards.



The filmmakers thanked A24 for taking a chance on the coming-of-age tale.

'It was outside the model of what a movie should be, in terms of return on investment,' producer Jeremy Kleiner told reporters backstage. The Oscar victory 'hopefully creates some incentives to make movies like this,' he said.

Moonlight had brought in $22.3million (£18million) in domestic ticket sales when it got the award on Sunday, the smallest take among the best picture nominees, according to comScore data.

Oscar recognition can boost theater, DVD and digital sales for the winning films. Last year's best picture winner Spotlight took in $5.9million (£4.75million) at U.S. and Canadian theaters after the award, comScore said.



For Amazon and Netflix, the accolades provide bragging rights they can use in marketing to help win customers to their subscription video services.

'It will make them a must-subscribe destination for film fans,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore.

Amazon paid $10million (£8.1million) for Manchester by the Sea at the Sundance film festival. The movie has earned $46.8million (£37.7) at domestic theaters, and will appear later this year on Amazon's Prime Video service.

Among all studios, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp took home the most trophies including six wins for musical romance 'La La Land' and two for 'Hacksaw Ridge.'

Walt Disney Co won four including best animated feature for 'Zootopia' and best documentary for ESPN's O.J.: Made in America.