Faith Talamantez / The Daily Nexus
“Deltopia” was recently added as a Best Picture nominee at the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, following public pressure to recognize what The Hollywouldn’t Reporter deemed as “the best film [about Deltopia] ever made.”
“Deltopia” tells the story of four high schoolers who travel to UC Santa Barbara to partake in the annual Deltopia festival and fight for their right to partayyyy. With a team of actors who didn’t get cast in “Euphoria,” the film made waves in the independent circuit, drawing attention for its biblically accurate depiction of my first Deltopia.
While the film came out in 2023, it was not Academy Award-eligible until the 2025 ceremony, when UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang wrote an open letter to the Academy board, requesting it to be considered. In his letter, Yang spoke to the cultural importance of the film on campus.
“To put it simply, ‘Deltopia’ is a hit,” Yang wrote. “As I run out of time in my role as chancellor, my last wish is that this film receives the critical attention it deserves. I refuse to let it skate by unnoticed. Shit is fire.”
“Deltopia’s” Academy Award candidacy was also supported by controversy surrounding former Best Picture nominee “Emilia Pérez.” While lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón has been under fire for her offensive tweets, a recent Academy investigation has uncovered “a far graver” concern: “lowkey bad singing.”
An anonymous whistleblower was selected as a key witness in the Academy’s official trial.
During their statement, the whistleblower condemned the tweets, but asserted the “real crime” was Gascón’s imperfect pitch.
“You didn’t hear it from me, but [Gascón] lowkey can’t sing,” they said. “Like, we did karaoke on-set and girl … lemme tell you: those pipes are rusty.”
The whistleblower’s revelation led to the film being eliminated from awards consideration. In the Academy’s final verdict, they said, “We’re willing to tolerate racism, but we draw the line at bad singing.”
When asked to comment on the decision during a press release, Academy President Oscar Stateaux said, “girl bye.”
The Academy unanimously voted for “Deltopia” to fill the empty spot in the Best Picture nominations list, an unprecedented move in the Academy Awards’ history. This was met with excitement from many in the film industry and the UCSB student community.
Rocky Horror, a fifth-year feminist studies major at UCSB (6-foot-5-inches), voiced his excitement: “I’m so excited.”
When asked to describe the movie, Horror said, “Beautiful and respect. I didn’t look at any of the women in the movie though, in solidarity.”
Famed director Martin Scorsese praised the film for its accurate depiction of Deltopia.
“Watching ‘Deltopia’ took me back to last year, when I was standing on the raised platform at Jesus Burgers, sipping my borg and DFMO-ing with a pledge,” Scorsese said. “I hope they contact me for the sequel. My inbox is open if they wanna slide.”
However, not all wanted to see the movie succeed.
“I’ve been trying to put this movie in the past, but the spirit of ‘Deltopia’ will always haunt me,” lead actress Ella Vista said in an exclusive interview with Nexustentialism.
“Guys, this movie is soooo bad. Our CapCut Pro subscription expired in the middle of filming, and you can tell,” Vista said. “I’m just confused.”
The 97th Academy Awards are on March 2, 2025.
