Soliciting votes

"Hi, Mr. Robert, I'm Lyman Lattes. Would you be honored to join a private party? It's tonight."

When Jerry Robert received Lyman's call, he didn't appear surprised. He was an Oscar judge with the power to select the Best Picture. He held the voting ticket, and it was as simple as that.

"Meeting with judges privately is a big taboo. I don't think you should be calling me at a time like this. If it were any other time, I'd probably be happy to."

Lyman was well-prepared since he received relevant information from Kevin Huvane. "Please don't misunderstand. I'm calling just to get to know Mr. Robert. Building friendships between strangers always requires someone to take the first step, doesn't it?"

Robert chuckled softly, "Of course, I agree with your idea."

"Well then, see you tonight?"

"See you tonight..."

Although the Oscars' selection rules explicitly stated that competing films and crew members were not allowed to contact judges in any form privately, and any attempts to promote their own works, even through phone calls or emails, were prohibited. If caught, they would be disqualified from Oscar contention.

However, where there's a policy, there are countermeasures.

Judges are also ordinary people, and they have their own social lives. You can't forbid that, can you?

Is there any rule stating that Oscar judges cannot have private lives?

It was my friend's birthday, and we had a party where I happened to meet some members of a popular film crew, and we chatted with each other. Did this violate the rules?

Obviously not. Such loopholes in the rules were essential tactics used by every PR team, and they were well-versed in exploiting them.

And inviting judges like Robert to private parties was done under the guise of being each other's friends.

...

"Kevin, great to see you again. Is Bryan not coming?"

"Jerry Robert. Oh, the last time we met was last year. I've been doing well recently and can still move around a bit."

"Hi, Director Lyman, how are you?"

"Friend, long time no see."

"Just call me Lyman."

"Hello, Lyman."

"I really like your work; it has some excellent ideas."

"Thank you..."

Using Kevin's luxurious mansion in Beverly Hills, they began their first campaign activity on an early February evening.

Before the real communication started, they thoughtfully prepared exquisite food and some delicious wine.

Lyman, George, Kevin Hoween, Johnson, René, Thomas... The team members fluttered like butterflies, mingling with the various judges, greeting each attending guest with gentle smiles and sincere greetings.

The parties and invitations continued throughout the following week, leaving a good impression and even cultivating "true friendships" to lay the foundation for the upcoming selection process.

And such party invitations wouldn't cease in the coming weeks.

"A little gift for each of you, the latest Sony home video player, and a set of deluxe videotapes of "3 Idiots"..."

By the end of the party, the judges received the gifts prepared by CAA and left with contentment.

"Phew, I'm exhausted." Lyman sat on a chair. "I don't know if it's just my imagination or if I've been overworked lately. I only had a little drink tonight, but I feel really uncomfortable."

He took two deep breaths, suppressing the upheaval in his stomach.

"If you're not feeling well, let us handle it. You take a few days to rest." René saw Lyman's discomfort and earnestly suggested.

...

As Lyman lay drowsily in the backseat of the car, Thomas drove back to the hotel. Meanwhile, the judges began their respective discussions.

"To be honest, you're not the first old friend who called me, Bowen." Robert, who had just returned home after receiving the gift, was about to take a shower and rest when another PR call came in.

He smiled bitterly as he turned on the TV but lowered the volume thoughtfully. "This year's Oscars are indeed exciting. I'm curious to know which film you're canvassing for. By the way, aren't all your relatives in the US? Do you have acquaintances elsewhere?"

"Oh, buddy." Bowen's voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat humorous. "Maybe I just called to say hello?"

"Impossible, I won't believe that." Robert shook his head immediately. "Just admit it, which film is it for?"

Bowen fell silent for a moment but still chuckled as he gave the answer. "Well, I guess I can't hide anything from you. William's agent is an acquaintance of my wife, and she asked me to check the situation for that Spanish film, "Talk to Her"."

"But I've already promised Kevin Huvane, and besides, the director of "3 Idiots" is a nice person."

This was a more tactful way of saying it. He had already accepted the gift, so how could he easily betray that if he did, he would have a hard time as a judge in the future without a suitable explanation.

"Is that so? I'm sorry..."

Bowen understood too and didn't want to put his old buddy in a difficult position. He quickly ended the conversation, exchanged polite greetings, chatted for a bit, and then hung up.

It's becoming more and more intense.

As Mr. Robert thought this, he opened the envelope beside him and reconfirmed his voting ballot.

With a heavy heart, he absentmindedly changed channels, but he wasn't really invested in the programs playing on TV.

...

Compared to Jerry Robert, who had never seen the nominated films and only thought about gains and losses, the older Denny Cerroria's mentality was much steadier.

As a retired film columnist who had worked for major film festivals in his early career, he had recently received numerous calls from PR companies, long-time friends, directors, and even talent agencies trying to persuade him.

However, he casually brushed off the persuasions and readily promised every lobbyist that he would vote for them. After all, the voting is anonymous, and in the end, it's up to his own mood to decide who to vote for. He would vote for whoever he finds pleasing, without getting involved in any exchanges of interests. This is how carefree he was.

Of course, this attitude came from his lack of desire. Although he worked in the entertainment industry, he didn't want his family to enter show business. In other words, he didn't need to maintain the so-called connections within the industry or put on a good face for anyone. Moreover, at his age, he saw many things in a broad perspective and was not interested in getting involved in messy relationships.

Even though he knew well about the dirty tricks behind the Oscars, he still valued the power of his vote. He had lived for so many years; if he didn't have the freedom to vote according to his own will, it would be too pitiful, wouldn't it?

"3 Idiots", "Talk to Her", "Nowhere in Africa"... In his private screening room, Denny muttered to himself, "Let me watch them again carefully and then make a decision."

He picked up a videotape and, without hesitation, inserted it into the VCR.

"Although the film has some flaws in its transitions, the intentions are good, and it avoids excessive preachiness. It has a sense of faithful observation, and the director has a good grasp of the colors, with several scenes showing either brightness or coldness, which are very interesting... Lyman, isn't it?"

He changed to another videotape, and the scenes slowly unfolded...

"The film's scope is somewhat limited, but the director controls the pace well. However, this supporting actress can't act at all, compared to the other main actors, it's just a huge disappointment. Such a big flaw, what a pity."

Denny shook his head and pressed the VCR's stop button, looking at the translated title of the cover, "The Crime of Father Amaro", and threw it aside.

...

"Should I vote for Lyman Lattes's "3 Idiots" or Caroline Link's "Nowhere in Africa"?" Denny was a bit worried. After carefully watching all five nominated films, he still couldn't make a decisive elimination.

"Forget it, although "Nowhere in Africa" has a good theme, the director is a bit too pretentious, constantly revealing her own beliefs, which isn't good." Denny shook his head. "Let's put "3 Idiots" in the first place and "Nowhere in Africa" in second."

As for the other three selected films, they clearly didn't impress him.

...

In fact, the number of judges with voting power in the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Film category is much smaller compared to other mainstream awards. After all, the Oscars are an award founded in the United States and still focus primarily on English-language works, even though Hollywood's influence has grown internationally, and the award's recognition of films has increased.

Therefore, the public relations efforts of Lyman and others weren't too challenging. They spent just a week, inviting most of the judges on the list, and most of them were willing to be courteous to CAA or show goodwill. For the campaign of "3 Idiots", this was undoubtedly good news.

However, the Best Foreign Language Film category is highly competitive, and the competitors won't sit idle. Until the last moment, no one can be sure who will win the award.

Moreover, in terms of the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Film, there are very few doubts about the prestige of the award.

To put it simply, while the Best Picture category may have significant controversies like "Shakespeare in Love", the Best Foreign Language Film category has never been questioned.

After sifting through hundreds of films from various regions, selecting five and then determining the final winner, it truly is a selection of the very best.

In the eyes of veteran film enthusiasts, the film that wins this award is undoubtedly exceptional. This is also why CAA is willing to compete for it: one, they can reap benefits, and two, it's highly beneficial for their client Lyman's career and can build international acclaim.

Now, everything was ready, and they only had to await the final outcome...