After months of multimillion-dollar funding appeals from cities across the country, the nonprofit film festival board announced Thursday that the famed event will move from its longtime home in Park City, Utah, to Colorado beginning in 2027.

Boulder beat out a combined bid from Park City and Salt Lake City, as well as one from Cincinnati, which revealed earlier Thursday that it was no longer in the running.

Boulder won due to its attractive mix of culture, including its mountain setting, technology sector, arts community, college population and community values, officials said at a celebratory press conference outside the Boulder Theater on Thursday afternoon.

The city is set to host the event from 2027 through 2036, with a potential 86,000 attendees and $132 million in economic activity, as Park City reported in 2024.

“Boulder will help write the future of the film industry,” Gov. Jared Polis said to raucous applause outside the Boulder Theater, echoing Sundance officials who praised the city’s amenities.

Dozens of people hugged and pumped their fists at the giddy Thursday event, where music played loudly and more than 100 people showed up to listen to the politicians, city boosters, and Sundance officials. Oscar-winning, Boulder-based filmmakers Daniel Junge and Paula DuPré Pesmen were also in attendance, with Pesmen praising the festival’s potential impact on local filmmakers from the stage.

The news means that Hollywood will now turn its focus toward the Front Range, which should benefit financially in January and February, when the trend-setting festival is held, an otherwise sluggish time of year for hotels and restaurants here. Add to that the promise of hundreds of Hollywood elite in limousines, dozens of red carpets and worldwide media coverage.

In response to a question from The Denver Post, Gov. Polis said the festival will become an “anchor tenant” in the state’s film culture, as it works with students and up-and-coming filmmakers and expands access to resources. He declined to say whether it would help encourage more legislative investment into the state’s film incentive programs, which have lagged far behind neighboring states in encouraging films to shoot here.

“This is an important part of showing how Colorado is here in the entertainment industry and the film industry, and of course, in and of itself, it’s an iconic event that we here in Colorado are going to help write a successful next chapter for.”

Colorado film commissioner Donald Zuckerman started the entire process about two years ago, having reached out to old friend and former producer Gigi Pritzker, who’s now vice chair of the Sundance board, Pritzker said.

Sundance sees the heart of the festival as centered in downtown Boulder, with a variety of existing theaters and venues, and adapted spaces around the pedestrian-only Pearl Street Mall. Various University of Colorado venues are also in play, said Todd Saliman, president of the University of Colorado, in an interview.

“Macky (Auditorium) is really the lynchpin,” added Lori Call, of CU Boulder’s communications department. “They’ve looked at Muenzinger Auditorium, they’ve looked at Glenn Miller Ballroom and they’ve looked at a host of venues affiliated with the (Folsom Field) stadium.”

As with Sundance officials, Gov. Polis has touted Boulder’s mountain backdrop, hotel capacity and Denver International Airport — not to mention festival founder Robert Redford’s ties to the University of Colorado, having attended college there.

Polis and state legislators have been working since last year to shore up incentives for the event, with a potential $34 million state tax credit for Sundance. The incentives would be doled out over the next decade, or about $3 to $5 million per year. A revised legislative bill — which would also leverage $500,000 annually to support “small or existing local film festival entities,” as sponsors put it — passed a final vote on the State Senate floor Friday morning, and is next headed to Polis’ desk.

While most legislators have supported the drive, State Rep. Bob Marshall of House District 43, called it a “taxpayer bribe” in a letter to The Denver Post.”

Now that it’s decided, officials from Sundance, the state, Boulder, and private donors and businesses will spend the next two years shoring up theaters, meeting and party spaces, and lodging options in a collaborative effort. It will include not only the state incentives but work from Boulder’s business boosters to meet Sundance’s high expectations for hosting, and surrounding cities that will absorb out-of-state travelers and related events.

Choosing Boulder cements Colorado’s reputation as a global film destination, joining prestigious events such as the Telluride Film Festival, Aspen Shortsfest, Boulder International Film Festival and Denver Film Festival, Sundance festival director Eugene Hernandez told The Denver Post on Thursday.

He has attended those events, and Sundance wants to play nice with all of them — including Denver’s SeriesFest, often called the “Sundance of television.” Hernandez, a former journalist who founded the respected film site IndieWire, has worked on SeriesFest’s staff in the past.

Like the 2025 Sundance event, which ran from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 in the resort town of Park City, Boulder’s will be programmed during the early months of the year. The festival was running out of space and goodwill in Park City, especially during the height of its lucrative ski season, Variety reported.

Sundance and business leaders vowed to make an impact outside of Boulder by continuing to support local filmmakers as part of its development programs, and to stay ahead of the festival’s needs, such as more venues and capacity for attendees at one of the world’s premiere independent film festivals.

“It all starts today,” festival director Hernandez said.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.

Campbell, a University of Colorado grad who lives in Ridgway, faced other kinds of potentially fatal risks beyond his control — cluster bombs, missiles, artillery fire — on multiple trips to Ukraine since 2022 as a conflict journalist. He survived to produce a 40-minute documentary film, “Ukraine Under Fire: A film about War & Resilience,” which had its premiere in Washington last month to mark the three-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

His main character did not survive, however. Peter Fouché, a South African drawn to Ukraine to serve as a combat medic, was killed in action near the front lines last June, three weeks before film production was finished. Campbell calls him the hero of the film.

“He was this rough and tumble guy, originally a police officer from South Africa, then a cab driver in London, who gave up everything to serve in Ukraine,” Campbell said. “Peter was killed by the Russians by multiple drones. He’s been written up in the BBC. He looked like Jean-Claude Van Damme. Just an exceptional, heroic figure.”

Campbell’s post-mountaineering second career as a filmmaker has taken him to Nepal, Kosovo, Lebanon, Cameroon, South Sudan, Libya and Iraq. In the early days of the Ukraine war he reached out to a Ukrainian friend, Iryna Karagan, an elite Himalayan mountaineer whom he’d met through climbing circles.

“I said, ‘I’m really concerned, you‘ve got to get out of the country,'” said Campbell, 57. “She said, ‘No, we’re going to stay here and we’re going to fight. I’m building Molotov cocktails in my basement.’ I booked a ticket within 24 hours. That’s where the film about ‘war and resilience’ started in my head.”

In Ukraine, Campbell embedded with emergency medical teams and took his cameras into military hospitals. He toured abandoned, bombed-out cities and rode in ambulances through the streets of Kostyantynivka, where he experienced the impact of cluster bombs on civilian areas. Fouché took him to positions near the frontline in the Eastern Donbas region, where Fouché describes Ukraine’s invaders as “Russian genocidal maniacs.”

Another central figure in the film is Olga Butko, a Ukrainian television news anchor who partners with Campbell to tell the story of her homeland under siege, describing the tragedy in heartbreaking detail. In one scene she takes him to her childhood home, which her parents fled when Russian artillery drew close.

“I’m trying not to hate, so basically it’s anger,” Butko says of her emotional struggle. “This war is just because one country, for more than 100 years, they just don’t want us to exist. You can call it genocide. … Raping, torturing, massive graves. What is this?”

In a particularly dramatic scene, Fouché and Campbell hear the sound of cluster-bomb explosions nearby. Soon after, they encounter the body of a farmer who was killed in that attack.

“I don’t know which is more prevalent in this war — soldiers being killed or war crimes being committed,” Fouché says with a tremor in his voice. “Schools have been bombed, hospitals have been bombed. There are jets flying over you daily, dropping cluster munitions on residential areas. …  People are dying in the thousands, soldiers coming home without faces and limbs and hands. Children being brutally gang-raped and then beaten to death in front of their parents.

“The West will be remembered for what they have done, and not done, in this war.”

Campbell’s film, edited by Michael Herbener of Westminster, had its premiere at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium in Washington on Feb. 24. The Ukrainian ambassador, Oksana Markarova, spoke at the event, as did Mark Dillen, executive director of Ukrainians of Colorado. Butko flew in from Ukraine.

The next day, Campbell said, Markarova sent a message to the Ukrainian foreign ministry recommending that the film be used by Ukrainian diplomatic missions worldwide.

Now Campbell is seeking financial backing to fund distribution of the film to a mass audience. He got a boost this week when the Ouray International Film Festival announced that he will be honored at this year’s festival, receiving its “Film in Action” award. He will present the film there on June 19.

Campbell acknowledges there are similarities in calculating risk avoidance in mountaineering, versus filming near the front lines of a war, but there’s one fundamental difference. Mountaineers climb primarily for their own sense of fulfillment. Helping the world see suffering and evil up close comes from a humanitarian impulse.

“Going back to my first Himalayan trip in 1992, I saw a lot of underserved people who were on the edge of life,” Campbell said. “In 2002, when I went to Tibet, I saw tons of people who lacked access to health care, a humanitarian crisis. I also saw the political occupation of the Chinese over the Tibetans. Risk tolerance is part of it, but because of those expeditions, you see the world from a lens of, ‘Wow, there’s so much need.’

“And, when you see something turn into an injustice like Ukraine, it really gets under your ribcage.”

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Adventurist, to get outdoors news sent straight to your inbox.

Friday-Sept. 7. The fascinating — some might say terrifying — creatures of the ancient oceans are coming to Denver Museum of Nature & Science starting this weekend. “Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep” dives into the fantastic aquatic animals that once roamed Earth’s largest habitat, from the “mighty Jurassic plesiosaur to the colossal megalodon that lived millions of years later,” curators wrote. Think fossil specimens, fully articulated 3D models and life-size casts, hands-on kids activities, and more that tell the story of how they evolved and hunted in their natural habitats.

The temporary exhibition opens Friday, March 21, and runs through Sept. 7. A special ticket ($7-$9) is required on top of regular museum admission — $26 for adults and $21 for youth ages 3-18. It’s open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver. Call 303-370-6000 or visit dmns.org for more.

R.I.P. David Lynch, cinematic genius

Through April 4. The late David Lynch’s reputation as one of cinema’s greatest voices is baked into surreal masterpieces such as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” which deserve to be seen in their full, big-screen glory. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s March retrospective, “In Dreams: Films of David Lynch,” gives you a chance with Lynch screenings through early April, including “Lost Highway” (beginning March 21), “Mulholland Drive” (March 29), “The Elephant Man” (April 2) and Lynch’s seminal, 1984 version of “Dune” (April 4).

Films are Rated R and playing at Drafthouse locations in Littleton, Sloans Lake and Westminster. Directions and tickets, $13-$14, at drafthouse.com/denver.

“How Did This Get Made,” anyway?

Thursday. As one of the podcasting world’s greatest and earliest successes — they’re currently on their 365th episode with “The Wraith” — “How Did This Get Made” is still going strong with its hilarious take on terrible movies that, well, shouldn’t have been green-lit in the first place. Hosts Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas are bringing a live taping of the show to the Paramount Theatre on Thursday, March 27.

Well, two of them anyway — guest Jessica St. Claire will fill in for co-host Raphael in Denver, promoters said. 7 p.m. at 1621 Glenarm Place in Denver. Tickets: $66.25-$88.60 via ticketmaster.com. Visit hdtgm.com for more.

Comix at The Core

Through March 23. If you haven’t yet seen the Comix at the Core collaboration in Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District, you’ve still got a couple of days. The program mixes Core Art Space’s current comics-focused exhibition with graphic-novel purveyor Danny the Comic Shop for a pop-up at The Core, and Core artists Chuck McCoy and Wayland Chu showing their work at the comics shop.

It’s a modest but playful match-up — and a great excuse to dive into the world of acclaimed comics, visual art and the district’s gallery offerings. Through Sunday, March 23, at 6501 W. Colfax Ave. (Core) and 1580 Teller St. (Danny the Comic Shop) in Lakewood. A free comic available at the Core exhibit includes a coupon people can use at the comic shop. Visit coreartspace.com or dannythecomicshop.com for more.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.

Erivo will participate in a discussion with Stefanie K. Johnson, the director of CU Boulder’s Center for Leadership, during the conference set for April 7-11.

Registration to see Erivo speak opens the week of March 17.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday.

Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference.

“Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease,” Jarrell said. “He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death.”

Authorities didn’t suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative.

Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday.

Hackman’s pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm on Feb. 18., the day he likely died, Jarrell said.

Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said.

“It’s quite possible he was not aware she was deceased,” Jarrell said.

Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer’s disease and unable to deal with his wife’s death in the last week of his life.

“You are talking about very severe Alzheimer’s disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care of him until she passed away,” Baden said.

Their bodies were found a little over a week later. Hackman was found in the home’s entryway. His death was tied to heart disease with Alzheimer’s disease contributing.

Arakawa was found in a bathroom. Authorities linked her death to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings. Thyroid medication pills prescribed to Arakawa were found nearby and weren’t listed as contributing to her death, Jarrell said.

Hantavirus typically is reported in spring and summer, often due to exposures that occur when people are near mouse droppings in homes, sheds or poorly ventilated areas. This is the first confirmed case of hantavirus in New Mexico this year.

While hantavirus is found throughout the world, most cases in the U.S. have been found in western states. The virus can cause a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection. Symptoms can include coughing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.

Jarrell said it was not known how quickly Arakawa died.

Investigators earlier retrieved personal items from the couple’s home, including a monthly planner and two cellphones.

One of the couple’s three dogs also was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs survived. Authorities initially misidentified the breed.

Dogs do not get sick from hantavirus, said Erin Phipps, a veterinarian with the New Mexico Health Department. A necropsy will be done on the dog. The sheriff considers this an open investigation until they finish checking into cellphone data and receive results of the dog’s necropsy.

When Hackman and Arakawa were found, the bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe’s especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).

Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers” and “Superman” from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.

The couple’s stucco, Pueblo-revival style home sits on a hill in a gated community at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Santa Fe is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.

Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywood’s social circuit. He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and his wife were investors in local businesses.

Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington. Associated Press reporters Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix and John Seewer contributed from Toledo, Ohio.

“We’ve got a lot of titles that will restore your faith in humanity this year,” said Robin, who along with sister Kathy founded the Boulder International Film Festival, returning March 13-16. She pointed to movies that dig thoughtfully into climate change, politics, psychedelic research for PTSD, education and war, among dozens of topics.

“We like being part of that dialogue, and we have panels afterward so people can learn ways to act on certain issues,” she said, noting this is the 15th year of their Call to Action program.

Boulder International Film Festival — or BIFF, as most people call it — is also celebrating its 21 years overall with a lineup that’s still growing: on Wednesday, Emmy-winning actor Jane Lynch (“Best in Show,” “Only Murders in the Building”) joined a guest list that’s heavier on cultural import than celebrity appeal. That includes gold-medal Olympian Edwin Moses, world-renowned designer Kenneth Cole, Devo founder Mark Mothersbaugh, triathlete Siri Lindley, astronaut Eileen Collins, and other documentary subjects who will answer questions about their films just after the screenings.

Past years at the competitive event have featured Oscar winners and Hollywood icons such as Javier Bardem, Shirley MacLaine, Alan Arkin, Martin Sheen, Jesse Eisenberg, Peter Fonda, Chevy Chase and Bruce Dern.

But even as it tees up for its biggest event yet, with screenings in Boulder and Longmont, a question hangs over BIFF and the city, as it has for months: will Sundance Film Festival relocate to Boulder starting in 2027? As of last year, the 45-year-old, industry-heavy juggernaut has been scoping out a new home, and Boulder is among three finalists, along with Park City, Utah (its longtime home) and Cincinnati.

This year’s Sundance hosted 72,840 people in Park City, in late January and early February, according to Film Comment, which noted that travel to the resort-focused town is more expensive and difficult than ever. A decision from Sundance leaders is expected in late March, which means the timing won’t steal BIFF’s March 13-16 thunder, whatever the verdict.

The city and state could see tens of millions of dollars in economic activity with Sundance, which justifies the economic incentives they dangled to lure the event, Gov. Jared Polis has said. But BIFF, which drew about 25,000 film enthusiasts last year, will have a strong role in the city regardless of Sundance, the Beecks said.

“We and Sundance both think there’s not only room for both festivals, but for collaboration,” Robin told The Denver Post, noting that she and Kathy met with Sundance officials last summer during Sundance’s fact-finding trip.

Sundance’s sprawling footprint could easily crush any competition if it wanted to, but that’s unlikely, given how that would contradict its ethos of boosting independent filmmakers and producers. Sundance would actually bolster BIFF, if it chose the city, the Beecks said, spurring upgrades at existing venues and adding new ones that both events could use for screenings.

The University of Colorado has also promised a “big commitment” to supporting Sundance’s logistics and housing issues, said Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

The Boulder Theater, long the red-carpet venue for BIFF that hosts its opening and closing nights, would likely hold screenings from both BIFF and Sundance, befitting the town’s collaborative spirit, Kathy Beeck added.

This year’s BIFF program has 68 films from 18 countries and programming silos such as CineCHEF (movie-inspired, chef-created food), the Adventure Film program, a Singer-Songwriter Showcase, and more. Sixty attending filmmakers — 20 from Colorado — join three world premieres and six U.S. premieres. (Some of this year’s films can also be seen the “BIFF at Home!” virtual platform beginning March 17 at biff1.com/virtual-cinema.)

“We feel like we’re part of what’s happening right now in the world, in Colorado and in Boulder,” Robin said. “And that’s not going to change.”

If you go

The 21st Boulder International Film Festival. Narrative features, documentaries, shorts, Q&A panels, parties and more. March 13-16 in Boulder, at various venues in Boulder and Longmont. Tickets are $19 per screening or $35 for two, with more ticket packs and upgrades available per event. A full-festival pass is $475. biff1.com.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.

This Oscars season was always going to be less celebratory than usual, coming on the heels of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles for much of January. But a few nominees’ past actions have cast a pall over otherwise historic triumphs.

Here’s a rundown of the publicity crises that have marred what should be a celebratory cap on awards season, ahead of the 97th Academy Awards airing Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. on ABC and streaming live on Hulu.

Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced bigoted tweets

For all the controversy surrounding “Emilia Pérez” itself, the Best Actress nomination of star Karla Sofía Gascón was a watershed moment, making the Spanish actress the first openly transgender performer nominated for an Academy Award.

But then her tweets, from as recently as 2020, began to make the rounds. In one, Gascón suggested a ban against Islam and “religions that go against European values and violate human rights.” In another, Gascón referred to George Floyd as “a drug addict and a hustler.” She doubled down on the hatred in another tweet that invoked Hitler.

In her lengthy statement to The Hollywood Reporter halfheartedly apologizing, Gascón said she was sorry “if anyone has ever felt offended” by her words, some of which she attributed to “ignorance or pure mistake.”

Suffice to say, the Best Picture chances for “Emilia Pérez” — which had already proved polarizing for its portrayal of trans people and Mexican culture — swiftly tanked.

Her costars, Best Supporting Actress nominee Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, as well as Best Director contender Jacques Audiard, have all distanced themselves from the film’s star, who will nevertheless attend Sunday’s Oscars, with distributor Netflix footing the bill.

Fernanda Torres’ resurfaced blackface sketch

The Best Actress nomination of the 59-year-old “I’m Still Here” star was a notable one as Torres is only the second Brazilian ever nominated in the category, taking after her mother Fernanda Montenegro’s historic 1998 nomination for “Central Station,” also directed by Walter Salles.

But the thrill soon took a turn when the newly minted Golden Globe winner made headlines last month for a resurfaced 2008 sketch in Brazilian comedy show, “Fantastico,” in which Torres performed in blackface.

“I am very sorry for this. I’m making this statement as it is important for me to address this swiftly to avoid further pain and confusion,” she said in a statement to Deadline.

Torres said that the “racist history and symbolism of blackface hadn’t yet entered the mainstream public consciousness in Brazil” at the time of the incident but “it’s very clear now … that blackface is never acceptable.”

“The Brutalist” goes electric — or, well, artificial

For all the artistry central to the aesthetic of “The Brutalist,” and the development of its central character — fictional architect László Tóth — people were shocked to learn last month that the post-WWII epic used AI technology.

Academy Award-nominated editor Dávid Jancsó explained to RedShark News that the film sparingly used Ukrainian technology Respeecher to perfect the Hungarian accents of Brody and Best Actress nominee Felicity Jones’, in part due to time and budgetary constraints.

“I am a native Hungarian speaker and I know that it is one of the most difficult languages to learn to pronounce,” said Jancsó. “We coached [Brody and Jones] and they did a fabulous job but we also wanted to perfect it so that not even locals will spot any difference.”

The film also utilized GenAI to show some of Tóth’s work during a career retrospective in the film’s epilogue.

“There’s nothing in the film using AI that hasn’t been done before,” said Jancsó. “It just makes the process a lot faster.”

The Guardian reported that “Emilia Pérez” also used AI to enhance Gascón’s singing voice.

And the winner is… a fraud?

As The Ringer noted late last year, studios have long taken part in the tried and true practice of attempting to “game the system by campaigning a lead performance as a supporting one, or vice versa,” to increase their chances of winning.

This go-round, fingers are pointing at Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain,” Zoe Saldaña for “Emilia Pérez” and Ariana Grande for “Wicked.” As BBC News pointed out earlier this month, all three actors have near-equal amounts to do as their supposed lead counterparts, yet they were all nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress.

Some might view it as trying to spread the wealth whereas — it’s unlikely both “Emilia Pérez” or “Wicked” leads would have snagged two of the five Best Actress slots each — while others view it as edging out other worthy contenders.

The 97th Academy Awards, set for March 2, could see significantly historic wins with several nominees poised to break ground or set new records in their respective categories.

Check out these moments to watch out for at Hollywood’s biggest night.

Trans representation

Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the title role in “Emilia Perez,” could make history as the first trans actor to win an Academy Award. In the thriller musical, the 52-year-old actress plays a Mexican drug cartel leader who fakes her death and undergoes gender-affirming surgery.

However, the likelihood of her winning Best Actress was dampened when Gascón came under fire for racist tweets that resurfaced on social media. The backlash from the offensive posts, which included Islamophobic, anti-Black and other controversial remarks on a wide range of topics, led the Spanish actress to apologize.

“Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard condemned the tweets saying, telling Deadline “what Karla Sofía said is inexcusable.”

A new EGOT?

Cynthia Erivo’s Best Actress Oscar nomination for playing Elphaba in “Wicked,” gives her a shot at becoming the youngest EGOT.

Erivo’s Tony, Grammy and Emmy all came from her brilliant performance as Celie in “The Color Purple” on Broadway, winning those awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

This is Erivo’s third chance at EGOTing  with two Oscar nominations for “Harriet” in 2020 in the Best Actress and Best Original Song categories.

First Afro- Latino to win Best Actor

Colman Domingo has another chance this year at becoming the first Afro-Latino to win the Oscar for best actor. Last year, Domingo, whose roots stem from Belize and Guatemala, was nominated for his role as Bayard Rustin in “Rustin.”

He now has another shot to make history with his Best Actor nomination for his work in “Sing Sing.”

Female director

Coralie Fargeat, who directed for Golden Globe-winning “The Substance,” is just the tenth woman in the Academy’s history to be nominated for Best Director.

If Fargeat takes home the award in the category, she would be the fourth woman to do so in Oscar history.

Musicals re-enter Best Picture race

Two musicals, “Emilia Pérez,” and “Wicked,” have entered the top prize this year for Best Picture. This is the first time two musicals have vied for the award since the 1969 Oscars. That year “Oliver!” and “Funny Girl” we’re up for the coveted title.

If either “Emilia Pérez,” or “Wicked” takes the category, it would be the first musical to win since 2003, when “Chicago” won the gold man.

Youngest Best Actor in a Leading Role

Timothee Chalamet, who has already made history this award season as the youngest actor to win Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, could also do the same at the Oscars.

Chalamet, who just turned 29 in December, secured the Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in the film “A Complete Unknown.”

If Chalamet were to win in the category, he would become the youngest winner for Best Actor in Oscars history, taking over Adrien Brody for his role in “The Pianist” in 2003. Ironically, Brody is also up for Best Actor this year and considered Chalamet’s biggest competition.

Find out who comes out on top March, 2 at 7 p.m. EST on ABC.

Like the Grammys and other awards shows this year, the ceremony will be transformed by the fires and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has pledged to help its members and the broader film community recover.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s show:

When are the Oscars?

The Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The show, to be broadcast live by ABC, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.

Are the Oscars streaming?

In a first, the Oscars will be streamed live on Hulu. You can also watch via Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. With authentication from your provider, you can watch on ABC.com and the ABC app.

Who’s hosting the Oscars?

Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time.

“I never have been invited to the Oscars,” the late night host-turned podcaster and occasional movie star said at a news conference Wednesday. “I only hosted so that I could be invited.”

O’Brien said he would not hesitate to talk about the nation’s fraught political situation.

“I cannot ignore the moment we’re in,” he said. “But I also have to remember it’s threading a needle. I also have to remember what we’re here to celebrate and infuse the show with positivity.”

He said compared to all the other things he’s done, hosting the Oscars is like “for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari.

“I’d like to keep the tuxedo,” he said. “They made me an absolutely beautiful tuxedo. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever put on in my life.”

How have the wildfires altered the show?

The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders have argued the show must go ahead, for their economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience.

The fires will be addressed during the show both directly and in its themes, and viewers will be able to make donations.

“There’s been so many people that have been touched by this devastation,” Raj Kapoor, the show’s executive producer and showrunner, said Wednesday. “There’s been so much outreach, and we really wanted to create some really beautiful moments on stage that celebrate this amazing city that we live in.”

For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. O’Brien’s Pacific Palisades home survived but his family has been unable to go back to it. O’Brien’s assistant and podcast co-host Sona Movsesian lost her home.

“I know so many people who lost their homes and I’m just, was ridiculously lucky,” O’Brien told The Associated Press. “So we want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”

Who’s presenting at the Oscars?

The academy on Wednesday added to its extensive lineup of presenters. Dave Bautista, Harrison Ford, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña and Rachel Zegler will all present.

They join a roster of previously announced presenters including Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Joe Alwyn, Ana de Armas, Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Bowen Yang, Lily-Rose Depp and Sterling K. Brown.

Last year’s acting winners — Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph — will also take part in the ceremony. Though the academy initially said it would bring back the “fab five” style of presenting the acting awards, with five previous winners per category, organizers have reportedly abandoned those plans for Sunday’s ceremony. Nick Offerman will serve as the show’s announcer.

Will there be any performances?

The academy has announced that, unlike previous years, the original song nominees will not be performed this time. That doesn’t mean there won’t be music, though.

Producers said Wednesday that Queen Latifah will be part of a musical tribute to the late Quincy Jones, who was honored in November with one of the academy’s Governor’s Awards just weeks after his death.

Doja Cat, LISA of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and RAYE will also perform, as will “Wicked’s” Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. (The songs from “Wicked” weren’t eligible for best song since, hailing from the Broadway musical, they aren’t original to the movie.) The Los Angeles Master Chorale will also appear.

What’s nominated for best picture?

The 10 nominees for best picture are: “Anora”; “The Brutalist”; “A Complete Unknown”; “Conclave”; “Dune: Part 2”; “Emilia Pérez”; “I’m Still Here”; “Nickel Boys”; “The Substance”; “Wicked.”

How can I watch the Oscar-nominated films?

Some of the nominees are still in theaters, but many of this year’s Oscar nominees are streaming on various platforms. The AP has this handy guide to help with Oscar cramming.

Who are the favorites?

More than most years, that’s a tricky question, but a front-runner had emerged after “Anora” took the top awards at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Independent Spirit Awards. The best picture race had been seen as unusually wide open, with “Anora,” “Conclave,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown” and “Emilia Pérez” all having legitimate hopes of winning — the hopes of “Conclave” further boosted by its Screen Actors Guild ensemble win.

In the acting categories, Demi Moore (“The Substance”) is favored for best actress, although Mikey Madison’s BAFTA and Independent Spirit wins for “Anora” makes it more of a race. Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) is most likely in best actor — though SAG winner Timothée Chalamet could threaten — while Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) is the supporting actress front-runner and Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) is the favorite for best supporting actor.

What’s the deal with

‘Emilia Pérez’?

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.

But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascón were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Preliminary autopsy results didn’t determine how Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife died at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but did rule out that they were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff leading the investigation said Friday.

The condition of the bodies found Wednesday indicated the deaths occurred at least several days earlier and there was no sign of foul play.

At a news conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the initial examination by the medical examiner showed no sign of carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas produced from kitchen appliances and other fuel-burning items. When it collects in poorly ventilated homes, it can be fatal.

Mendoza also said an examination of the 95-year-old Hackman’s pacemaker showed it stopped working on Feb. 17, which means he may have died nine days earlier.

Hackman’s body was found in an entryway. The body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, was in a bathroom. She was on her side and a space heater was near her head. Investigators said the heater likely was pulled down when she fell. There also was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop.

Whether the pills or other drugs were a factor won’t be known until toxicology tests are completed in the coming weeks.

Dr. Philip Keen, the retired chief medical examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona, said it would be unlikely for a person who tests negative for carbon monoxide initially to later be found to have been poisoned by it.

He also said the moment when a pacemaker stops working could mark the point when a person dies, but not always.

“If your heart required a pacemaker, there would certainly be an interruption at that point — and it might be the hallmark of when the death occurred,” Keen said. “But it’s not necessarily because some people get a pacemaker to augment things, not necessarily replace things.”

Investigators planned to comb through the couple’s phones and monthly planners and reach out to family members, neighbors and workers from the gated community to figure out the last time anyone saw or spoke to Hackman or Arakawa.

The couple was a “very private family,” Mendoza said, making it challenging to piece together a timeline.

Authorities do not believe the home had any surveillance cameras, he said.

Authorities who later searched the home retrieved medication that treats high blood pressure and chest pain, thyroid medication, Tylenol, and records from medical diagnostics testing, court records filed Friday showed.

Detectives wrote in a search warrant affidavit that investigators thought the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

No gas leaks were discovered in or around the home.

A maintenance worker who showed up to do routine work at the house could not get inside and called a security worker who spotted two people on the ground, Mendoza said.

The worker called 911 and told an operator he did not know if they were breathing.

“I have no idea,” the subdivision’s caretaker said on the call. “I am not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I can see she’s laying down on the floor from the window.”

He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks ago.

Hackman was among the most accomplished actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won best actor in a leading role for “The French Connection” in 1972 and best actor in a supporting role for “Unforgiven” two decades later. He also won praise for his role as a coach finding redemption in the sentimental favorite “Hoosiers.”

He met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist, at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They moved to Santa Fe by the end of the decade. Their Pueblo revival home sits on a hill in a gated community with views of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

In his first couple of decades in New Mexico, Hackman was often seen around the state capital and served on the board of trustees for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum from 1997 to 2004.

Aside from appearances at awards shows, Hackman was rarely seen in the Hollywood social circuit in recent years.

Hackman had three children from a previous marriage. He and Arakawa had no children but were known for having German shepherds.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio and Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed.