At the Oscars, two men with the same name were called up to the stage several times — the Daniels. They are Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the directing duo whose film “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
According to Boston.com, the pair met as Emerson College students and connected as assistants at the New York Film Academy summer camp in 2009.
“That’s kind of why Daniels exists now; we were both summer camp counselors and we were both so hyper and enthusiastic about making really weird movies with the kids that we kind of realized we were kindred spirits, so we decided to keep making our own summer movies after hours,” Scheinert explained to the publication.
They rose to prominence as the creative minds behind several music videos, including Lil Jon’s “Turn Down For What,” as well as numerous short films. They’ve also directed commercials for Apple, Nike, Converse, and a number of other artists.
“Music videos and commercials are an incredible place for filmmakers to find their voice,” Kwan said in an interview with CBS News’ Jamie Wax ahead of the Academy Awards.
“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” was only their second feature film, following 2016’s “Swiss Army Man,” which starred another Daniel: Radcliffe.
The couple waited years to be able to record “Everything Everywhere All at Once” the way they wanted. A24 produced the film, which has a predominantly Asian cast, which the duo said they fought for.
Their vision paid off: the film received 11 Oscar nominations, the most of any film this year. And on Sunday, dressed in matching maroon suits, the Daniels took the stage several times, winning Oscars for best director, best original screenplay, and best picture.
The film’s stars also made history. Michelle Yeoh became the first Southeast Asian-descent actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Ke Huy Quan, who rose to prominence as a child actor in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies,” was named best supporting actor.
Their co-star Jamie Lee Curtis received the award for best supporting actress, and the film received the award for best editing.
Kwan admitted during their acceptance speech for the best screenplay that he has low self-esteem and that his impostor syndrome was “at an all-time high” after winning the award. He thanked his mother, wife, and Scheinert for their faith in him.
When the pair accepted the award for best directing, Scheinert thanked “all the mommies,” as well as his parents for not squashing his creativity.
