Nick Davis: The Director's Influence on 4 Oscar Films

With his film lecture series at the Alliance Francaise, professor Nick Davis has continuously provided a thoroughly informative and fun look at movie topics ranging from Romanian films to the value of set design to underseen 2025 gems to Asian American romances to the films of auteurs from Steve McQueen to Lynne Ramsay to Bong Joon-ho. In this session he aims his focus squarely upon the director's influence of four movies getting Oscar attention: "Hamnet", "Sinners", "Sentimental Value", and "One Battle After Another". How does the direction enhance or illuminate the themes of each film, or adds to the energy and feelings the film wants to present? Nick will guide the group through key scenes in each film and shows the directorial choices that helped make them the most remarkable films of 2025!

After the 90 minute lecture we'll head to the nearby Centennial on 733 N. LaSalle to talk about Nick's impressions and our own impressions of the great directing movies and moments of 2025, as well as how the four Nick discussed match others in the work of those directors. Admission to the lecture is FREE, but it's recommended to register for the event so they can better keep track of attendance, which you can do by following this link: https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/event/diggingdeeper-oscars2026/