Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever have both been excellent showcases for African cinema. They have not only boosted the representation of black actors and crew members in Hollywood, but they have also inspired other African filmmakers to tell their own stories about various cultures from the continent.
Both entries to the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been lauded by critics and have also received deserved recognition at major award ceremonies. The latest instalment just picked up the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Beats Off Competition
The 95th Academy Awards ceremony recently wrapped. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was nominated for a couple of categories, including Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It lost out to The Whale for the latter award but swept the competition aside to pick up the former.
There were countless amazing movies on display at the highly prestigious award show, and film lovers have plenty of options to sink their teeth into. With so many titles in different genres to watch, it can be difficult to choose one. There’s tons of diversity this year, with Everything Everywhere All at Once featuring a predominantly Asian cast, for instance. It can be helpful to use a flowchart like this one to decide which movie might suit you best. By answering questions and deciphering what mood you’re in, you can choose the ideal Oscar nominee to check out.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wasn’t nominated for the Best Picture award, but there were a few other blockbusters that made the category. These included Avatar 2: The Way of the Water and Top Gun: Maverick.
The other contenders for the Best Costume Design accolade included Everything Everywhere All at Once, Babylon, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Elvis. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever featured a vast number of incredible outfits, and it was well deserving of the award among these other great films.
Ruth Carter Designed the Attire for the Picture
Ruth Carter was the designer responsible for the incredible costumes on display in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The 62-year-old has been at the forefront of the movie industry since the late 1980s when she began working on numerous Spike Lee pictures.
Carter provided the costume design for School Daze in 1988, Do the Right Thing and Mo’ Better Blues in 1989 and 1990 respectively, and Jungle Fever in 1991. She got worldwide recognition in 1992 for her work on Lee’s Malcolm X. This was also the first time she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
Since then, Carter has been nominated for the accolade three more times. In 1997, she was among the nominees for her work on Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. However, she lost out to Deborah Lynn Scott for her work on Titanic.
Carter was nominated for Best Costume Design for Black Panther in 2018 and picked up the accolade that year. She then repeated that feat this year for her continued excellent work on the sequel.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a hugely popular film in Nigeria and other African nations. It’s great to see it getting the recognition it deserves at the Academy Awards.