Quvenzhane Wallis as “Hushpuppy” enjoys the lights of sparklers in “BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.” ©20th Century Fox. CR: Ben Richardson.
By ANGELA DAWSON
Front Row Features
HOLLYWOOD—If you haven’t yet seen the Academy Award nominated “Beasts of the Southern Wild” on the big screen, now’s your chance.
Fox Searchlight Pictures has re-released Benh Zeitlin’s amazing drama in select cities for a special return engagement.
Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress (newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis), Best Adapted Screenplay (Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar, writer of the one-act play “Juicy and Delicious” on which it is based) and Best Director, the film’s return to theaters marks the one-year anniversary of its triumphant debut in Park City, Utah at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Excellence in Cinematography Award.
“We are thrilled to bring this special film back to theaters a year after it debuted to standing ovations in Park City,” said Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley in a statement. “With the Academy Award nominations, we hope Benh’s sublime vision can continue to win over audiences as it has around the globe for the last year.”
The drama, about a father (Dwight Henry) and young daughter living in a tightly knit and cut off from the rest of the world Louisiana bayou community, can be seen in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Miami and Washington, D.C., in addition to New York City and Los Angeles.
In addition to its four Academy Award nominations, “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” continues to collect accolades across the globe, garnering over 120 awards from film festivals and critics groups, as well as mentions on over 125 Ten-Best lists. Nine-year-old Wallis’ nomination for Best Actress makes her the youngest nominee for the category in the Academy’s 85 years.
If you don’t happen to live in or near one of the cities where the film is showing in theaters, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is available on DVD and Blu-ray. Extras on the Blu-ray include a making of featurette, Wallis’ audition (at age 5!), deleted scenes with commentary by the director and more.
