A New Era Of Cinema Emerges As Apple's CODA + Wins An Oscar, Thanks To A Pandemic

The Oscar-winning CODA crew. (photo: twitter @tim_cook)

JAKARTA – Apple TV+ from Apple Inc., made history on Sunday, March 27, as the first streaming service to win an Oscar in the best picture category for the film "CODA." This film is a heartwarming drama about the daughter of a deaf parent who pursues her passion for playing music.

The streaming service bought "CODA" for a record fee of $25 million after the film's 2021 debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Since then the film has garnered momentum throughout the awards season, as it won top honors from the Producers Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Writers Guild awards.

"CODA" faces stiff competition from the critically acclaimed Netflix western film, "The Power of the Dog," which garnered a dozen nominations. The film's director, Jane Campion, received an Academy Award.

Team CODA created a profoundly beautiful movie, a story of hope and heart that celebrates our differences. Congratulations to the producers, @SianHeder, @TroyKotsur, @MarleeMatlin, @EmiliaJonesy, @DanielNDurant, @EugenioDerbez, and all involved in these historic wins! #CODAfilm pic.twitter.com/s9ebnPaYl1

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 28, 2022

The Oscars' best picture shows how far the industry has come since 2017, when the Cannes film festival banned films that weren't released on the big screen from competing for the most prestigious prize, the Palme d'Or. It's considered a deliberate affront to streaming services like Netflix.

Reported by Reuters, When the global pandemic forced cinemas to close in 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences modified its Oscar acceptance rules. They have temporarily changed the existing requirements that feature films that run for seven days in theaters are considered eligible.

This makes films that do not appear in theaters have a chance to participate in the assessment. It represented a pivotal moment for the film to debut via a home streaming service.

The Best Picture Oscar also marks a milestone for Apple TV+, which launched in November 2019 with several original series and was not in the film and TV show library.

Apple TV+ had its breakthrough in September 2021, when its fish-out-of-water comedy, "Ted Lasso," about an American soccer coach working for an English soccer club, received an Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series.

“If Apple wins the coveted best picture award with CODA, it will catalyze more A+ talent coming to Apple first (or in the top bracket) and increase subscriptions,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives, who wrote on the subject before the award was announced.