Oscars 2018: First-Time Nominee Spotlight11 of 18
Dee Rees, Mudbound
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
After making shorts since 2005, Nashville-born Rees made her feature debut with Pariah in 2011, which picked up a prize at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win further accolades. Mudbound, the story of two men who return home from World War II where they struggle to deal with racism, is only Rees’ second theatrical feature (she made TV movie "Bessie" in 2015) but has secured four Oscar nominations. Rees is now the first black woman to direct a film for which an actor or actress (Mary J. Blige) was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
After making shorts since 2005, Nashville-born Rees made her feature debut with Pariah in 2011, which picked up a prize at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win further accolades. Mudbound, the story of two men who return home from World War II where they struggle to deal with racism, is only Rees’ second theatrical feature (she made TV movie "Bessie" in 2015) but has secured four Oscar nominations. Rees is now the first black woman to direct a film for which an actor or actress (Mary J. Blige) was also nominated for an Academy Award.