x0_FATIMAGIC
The Artist. That movie is phenomenal. Then again, is it me, or are all of the films nomited at the Oscars from late last year? Why is half the year being ignored?
This is commonly the case. Movie studios regularly release "prestige" pictures, or films they hope will get awards attention, later in the year. From about October through December, studios release a number of movies they want to be up for "awards consideration." But this doesn't necessarily mean those movies were
originally released at that time.
The Artist, for example, premiered at the Cannes film festival, which takes place in May. So if you want to get technical,
The Artist is a May release, though not in the United States, and definitely not a wide release. It should be noted that
The Tree of Life, which not only premiered at Cannes, but subsequently got a limited release in the US nationwide, came out in May. It also must be mentioned that movies that win or are nominated for Best Picture don't necessarily always have late releases.
Silence of the Lambs won Best Picture but had a February release date in 1991. Just a couple years ago,
The Hurt Locker won Best Picture, and it had a June release date, I believe. VERY limited, but June nonetheless.
Other films nominated for Oscars that were not released in that October - December period:
A Better Life - June
The Tree of Life - May
Moeyball - September
The Help - August
Warrior - September
Bridesmaids - May
If you want to, I could go into a more in-depth explanation of studio release dates and the history of movie distribution (which has changed drastically since around the 1970s), but the overall point is that studios target certain movies for certain parts of the year.
