Netflix just lost its first Academy Award for The Square, its documentary covering the explosive 2012–2013 Egyptian protests in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, but the company hedged its bets successfully. As The Hollywood Reporter reported last Monday, Netflix acquired the rights to documentary short The Lady in Number 6, which just picked up an Oscar win tonight. The short documentary, directed by Malcom Clarke, is about the life of Alice Herz-Sommer, who was the world’s oldest known Holocaust survivor until she passed away a week ago on Sunday, February 23rd. According to THR, Netflix will premiere The Lady in Number 6 on April 1st.
Netflix lost its first Oscar nomination, but it bought the short documentary that won
is executive editor who has obsessed over headlines and internet speeds since 2011. He previously worked as an advocate for the National Park System.
Netflix’s first Oscar nominated documentary, The Square, was directed by Jehane Noujaim and produced by Karim Amer. While it didn’t win an Oscar nod tonight, it received accolades at Sundance and the Toronto Film Festival before Netflix acquired it.
Netflix’s push into original content has netted several awards already, including three Emmys and a Golden Globe for its political thriller House of Cards. The company has made bold moves by eschewing traditional release formats, offering full seasons of its original shows all at once and aiming to release movies on the same day they open in theatres. Netflix appeared to be on everyone’s mind tonight, with Kevin Spacey in the preshow’s final interview; Spacey said that House of Cards’ success was due to its fans, and opened a presentation on stage tonight with a Frank Underwood impression.
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