This image released by Paramount Pictures shows director Denis Villeneuve, left, and actor Jeremy Renner on the set of the film, "Arrival." Villeneuve was nominated for an Oscar for best directing on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, for his work on the film. The 89th Academy Awards will take place on Feb. 26. (Jan Thijs/Paramount Pictures via AP)
Republished January 24, 2017 - 10:44 AM
Original Publication Date January 24, 2017 - 5:25 AM
Canadian Oscar nominees Denis Villeneuve and Ryan Gosling pulled away from their jam-packed schedules Tuesday morning to marvel over their Academy Award kudos.
They chatted by phone soon after Villeneuve learned he'd snagged his first directing nomination for the aliens-have-landed thriller "Arrival," and Gosling picked up a best acting nod, one of a leading 14 nominations for "La La Land."
"We are both proud of each other and happy for each other. It's quite a nice ride for both of us and I'm very, very happy for what he did," Villeneuve said from Los Angeles.
"Ryan is a kind of comical genius. He has that sense. He's a very, very strong actor and I'm very proud of what he did in 'La La Land.'"
"Arrival" is also up for best picture and six other awards, with several Canadian nominees in categories including production design and sound.
Canadians are also well-represented in the best animated short category. Three of the five titles nominated have Canadian ties, including Theodore Ushev's "Blind Vaysha" from the National Film Board of Canada. Also nominated are "Pear Cider and Cigarettes," directed by Robert Valley of Vancouver, and "Piper," helmed by Alan Barillaro of Niagara Falls, Ont.
And Winnipeg-born producer Howard Barish is named in the documentary feature category for his work on "13th," directed by Ava DuVernay.
Villeneuve's honour comes as he cements his place among Hollywood's elite with a series of increasingly high-profile films, including the upcoming sci-fi noir "Blade Runner 2049," starring Gosling.
This isn't the first time Villeneuve has been recognized by the Academy Awards. His dark family drama "Incendies" was nominated in the best foreign-language film category in 2011.
The 14 nominations for Gosling's "La La Land" match the Oscars record originally set by "All About Eve" and tied by "Titanic."
Gosling plays a jazz musician in the fantastical musical ode to Old Hollywood. He's already won a best actor Golden Globe Award for the film.
He also earned a best actor nomination in 2007 for "Half Nelson."
Canada was on the short list in the foreign-language film category but did not receive a nomination. Montreal's Xavier Dolan was in the running for "It's Only the End of the World," a French-language film that is up for a leading nine Canadian Screen Awards.
The Academy Awards take place Feb. 26.
— With files from The Associated Press
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017