Ryan Coogler continues to make history.
Coogler won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay for “Sinners,” making him the first black winner in the category’s history and adding another monument to an already tumultuous awards season.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Coogler said as he took the stage to thunderous applause. “This is nerve-wracking.”
“I come from a community that loved me. They made me believe that I could do this, that I could be a writer. And it was amazing to be accepted into the movie acting community, the Los Angeles community… To all the writers out there, this blank page… When you look at the page, think of the people you love, the people you empathize with when you see them suffer, and hope that they feel better and that love motivates you. For this I will be forever grateful, thank you for everything. ”
He beat out a formidable lineup that included “I Swear” (Kirk Jones), “Marty Supreme” (Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie), “The Secret Agent” (Kleber Mendonça Filho), and “Sentimental Value” (Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier).
The win bodes well for Coogler’s Oscar nomination, as he will once again be up against two BAFTA contenders, “Marty Supreme” and “Sentimental Value,” as well as “Blue Moon” (Robert Kaprow) and “It Was Just an Accident” (Mehdi Mahmoudian, Jafar Panahi, Shadmail Rustin, Nader Saivar). Coincidentally, Jordan Peele, for the horror film Get Out (2017), is the only black screenwriter to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Coogler’s historical horror film Sinners was the second most nominated film of the year at the BAFTAs, with 13 nominations, the most ever for a film directed by a black filmmaker, and smashing the previous record of 16 Oscar nominations.
Final Oscar voting will take place from February 26th to March 5th. The 98th Oscar Awards will be held on March 15th and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien and broadcast on ABC.
