‘The Daniels’ win Best Director and Best Original Screenplay

By Akemi Tamanaha, Associate Editor

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars for Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The pair thanked the cast and crew for their work on the film. Kwan paid tribute to his immigrant parents and thanked his son Gio, joking that he did not expect him to grow up to be an Oscar winner.

“We are all products of our context. We are all descendants of something and someone. And I want to acknowledge my context,” Kwan added. “My immigrant parents, my father who fell in love with movies because he needed to escape the world and thus passed that love of movies onto me. My mother, who was a creative soul, who wanted to be a dancer, an actor and singer, but could not afford the luxury of that life path, and then gave it to me. My incredible brothers and sisters, who helped me survive the chaos of childhood.”

Scheinert also paid tribute to his parents, thanking them for not suppressing his creativity.

“This one is dedicated to the mommies of the world. To our moms, specifically my mom and dad, thank you for not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror films or really perverted comedy films or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody,” Scheinert said.

Kwan also included an inspirational message for viewers watching the Oscars.

“There is greatness in every single person,” Kwan said. “It doesn’t matter who we are. You have a genius that is waiting to erupt. You just need to find the right people to unlock that. Thank you so much to everyone who has unlocked my genius. This means so much to us.”