NYU Snags Eight Oscar Nominations

      Alumni of the Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA), the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and the Gallatin School of Individualized Study are among the nominees of the 81st Academy Awards.
      The TSOA alumni are from the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television and the Department of Drama. The nominees are: Philip Seymour Hoffman ’89, for Actor in a Supporting Role in Doubt; Victor J. Zolfo ’85, for Achievement in Art Direction for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Elliot Graham ’99, for Achievement in Film Editing for Milk; Dan Jinks ’85, for Best Motion Picture for Milk; and Lora Hirschberg ’85, for Achievement in Sound Mixing for The Dark Knight. In addition, Brian Grazer, a TSOA Dean’s Council member, is a nominee for Best Motion Picture for Frost/Nixon.
      Steinhardt School alumnus John Patrick Shanley ’77 is a nominee for Adapted Screenplay for the film Doubt. He is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play on which the movie is based.
      Gallatin alum Ellen Kuras ’88, ’90 is nominated for Best Documentary for “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon).” She followed a refugee family from Laos for 23 years to make the film.
      —Richard Pierce