USC Alumni win big at 91st Academy Awards


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Alumnus Ludwig Göransson (center) began collaborating with “Black Panther” director and alumnus Ryan Coogler at USC and received his first Academy Award for his original score for the film at Sunday’s 91st Academy Awards. (Photo from IMDb)

The 91st Academy Awards kicked off Sunday night, highlighting the best artistic and technical direction of last year’s most acclaimed films. However, Hollywood’s finest weren’t the only big winners. Plenty of USC alumni took home awards Sunday, a testament to the University’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts.  

The night kicked off with a big win for the University. Regina King, who won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” briefly attended USC for two years as a communication major before dropping out to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.

“It’s appropriate for me to be standing here,” King said as she accepted her award. “‘Cause I’m an example of what it looks like when support and love is poured into someone.”

Another major winner at the Oscars was “Black Panther.” Though he was not nominated for his directorial work on “Black Panther,” SCA alumnus Ryan Coogler played an essential role in creating a film that seemed to break down cultural barriers in Hollywood. Winning three awards out of seven nominations, it marked the first Oscar win for a blockbuster Marvel film, and it was the first time that a superhero film was nominated for Best Picture.

“Black Panther” won for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design (the winner, Ruth E. Carter, is the first black woman to ever win for the category) and Best Original Score -— the composer, Ludwig Göransson, is also a USC alumnus. Göransson, who studied at the Thornton School of Music, met Coogler during their time at USC.

“Ryan, I remember 12 years ago we were sitting in our dorm at USC writing the score for your first short film,” Göransson said in his acceptance speech. “And now we’re here 12 years later celebrating one of the most important cinematic moments in history.”

Veteran film editor John Ottoman, who graduated from SCA in 1988, won Best Film Editing for his work on “Bohemian Rhapsody.” As an undergraduate, Ottoman was known for how masterfully he edited the work of his peers. Notably, he helped edit a piece that eventually went on to win a student Academy Award. It was also there that Ottman met director Bryan Singer — the two have been collaborators ever since, with “Bohemian Rhapsody” as their most recent collaboration.

Singer transferred from the School of Visual Arts in New York to SCA, where he majored in critical studies. Until recently, Singer was the namesake of the Division of Cinema & Media Studies, but his name was promptly removed after allegations of sexual assault and sexual abuse against him were uncovered.

A pleasant surprise from the night was USC alumna and Iranian-American film director Rayka Zehtabchi’s win for Best Documentary Short for her critically acclaimed piece, “Period. End of Sentence.”

“I’m not crying because I’m on my period, or anything,” Zehtabchi said during her acceptance speech. “I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar.”

Throughout all the stories heard on the stage last night, the impact that the School of Cinematic Arts has had on Hollywood is undeniable. It’s safe to say that Hollywood’s biggest night wouldn’t be the same without USC.