BY PAT BYINGTON
bhamnow.com
At the 95th Academy Awards Watch Party at Sidewalk Cinema in downtown Birmingham, the capacity crowd in the theater thunderously applauded when Daniel Scheinert, a graduate of the International Baccalaureate School at Shades Valley and a Sidewalk Film alum won Best Director and Original Screenplay with Daniel Kwan, the other half of the screenwriting and directing dynamic duo called “The Daniels.”
Their film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, with Birmingham ties won seven Oscars, including Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards.
Sidewalk’s Executive Director Chloe Cook was beaming with pride.
“What a cool thing for our city and for our state. For Sidewalk it’s especially thrilling because Daniel was involved with our organization when he was a high school student at Shades Valley, a Jefferson County school. Sidewalk created a space for him as well as lots of other local kids and adults interested in filmmaking.”
The Daniels are the third directing duo to win an Oscar. Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise won for the original “West Side Story” in 1962, and brothers Joel and Ethan Coen won for “No Country for Old Men” in 2008.
Fellow Birmingham native and Homewood High School grad Paul Rogers also took home an Oscar for his work on Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Rogers, who once worked with Alabama Public Television, met Scheinert at a birthday/skating party in Los Angeles a decade ago, according to Melissa Springer, Rogers’ mother.
Both had two things in common—Birmingham and a love for filmmaking, she told Bham Now.
Scheinert continues to maintain his connection with Sidewalk, according to Rachel Morgan, Sidewalk’s Creative Director.
“He taught in the summer program with Sidewalk and has also been a filmmaker that’s had films at Sidewalk including his short films. We’re really proud of Daniel.”
What’s next for The Daniels and Rogers? Maybe we’ll see them in The Magic City soon.
In April, Sidewalk Film is scheduling a showcase of Scheinert’s early works when he participated in Sidewalk’s programs.
“We’ve got some of those films in the archives here. So later in April, we’re going to be showcasing some of his work from way back in the day as well as some of his newer things as well.”
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