The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was held on the evening of March 15, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It was a historic night where auteur cinema and global animation took center stage. The evening was full of surprises, and the gala left a lasting impression. For us, the highlight was seeing Latin American and Canadian talent shine.
The big winners of the night:
The film "One Battle After Another," directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, emerged as the biggest winner, taking home six statuettes, including Best Picture and Best Director. Meanwhile, the vampire thriller "Sinners" was not far behind, winning four awards and earning Michael B. Jordan his first Oscar for Best Actor.
One of the most celebrated milestones was the victory of "K-pop Demon Hunters" for Best Animated Feature. The Canadian touch was vital to this success. Maggie Kang: The Korean-Canadian director made history with her feature film debut, helming this story about a K-pop group that hunts demons. The film also featured other Canadian talents, such as actor Ahn Hyo-seop, who voiced the character of Jinu; and young Canadian actress Rumi Oak (the director's daughter), who voiced the younger version of the protagonist, Rumi.
Furthermore, the Canadian spirit extended to other categories with wins for Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau (Production Design) and the Montreal duo Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, who won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for "The Girl Who Cried Pearls."
The Latino Presence in the Nominations:
Although the competition was fierce, the Latino community had a prominent presence in several high-profile categories:
Guillermo del Toro (Mexico): The Mexican master competed strongly with "Frankenstein" in the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay categories, and although he didn't win this time, the film did take home three statuettes.
Wagner Moura (Brazil): He was a critics' favorite for his role in the Brazilian film "The Secret Agent," nominated for Best Actor and Best International Feature Film.
Benicio del Toro (Puerto Rico): He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his solid performance in the night's winner, "Battle After Battle."
Adolpho Veloso (Brazil): He stood out with his nomination for Best Cinematography for the film "Train Dreams."
Felipe Pacheco (Costa Rica): He represented Central American talent with his nomination in the Best Sound category for "Sinners."
The 2026 gala reaffirmed that the film industry is becoming increasingly diverse, allowing new directors to pursue projects that reflect their backgrounds and origins without being limited by the assumption that the world isn't interested. Ultimately, every day is an opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and embrace diversity.
