Academy Award for Best Film Editing facts for kids

Thelma Schoonmaker (left) and Columba Powell (right) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Schoonmaker is among the deans of film editing; Powell is the son of Michael Powell, a prominent film director to whom Schoonmaker was married until his death in 1990.

Conrad A. Nervig was the inaugural winner, winning for Eskimo (1933). He also won for King Solomon's Mines (1950), alongside Ralph E. Winters.

The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is a special prize given each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). This award celebrates the amazing work of film editors who piece together all the scenes of a movie. Think of film editing as telling a story by carefully choosing which parts of the film to show, and in what order. It's like putting together a giant puzzle to make the movie exciting and easy to understand.

This award is very important because films that win for Best Editing often also win the top prize, Academy Award for Best Picture. For many years, almost every Best Picture winner was also nominated for Best Film Editing. This shows how crucial editing is to making a great movie! Only the main editor or editors listed in the film's credits receive this award.

How Winners Are Chosen

The nominations for this award are decided by a vote from the editing experts in the Academy. These experts can vote for up to five films they think have the best editing. The five films with the most votes become the nominees. Then, all active members of the Academy vote to pick the final winner from these nominated films.

The Art of Film Editing

The Academy Award for Best Film Editing started a long time ago, for movies released in 1934. The name of the award has changed a little over the years, sometimes called the Academy Award for Achievement in Film Editing.

Legendary Editors: Multiple Wins

Some film editors have been so good that they have won this award many times. Here are a few who have won three times:

• Ralph Dawson won for A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Anthony Adverse (1936), and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
• Daniel Mandell won for The Pride of the Yankees (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and The Apartment (1960).
• Michael Kahn won for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Schindler's List (1993), and Saving Private Ryan (1998).
• Thelma Schoonmaker won for Raging Bull (1980), The Aviator (2004), and The Departed (2006).

Directors Who Also Edit

Sometimes, a film director is also a talented editor! A few directors have even won this award for editing their own films. These include James Cameron for Titanic, Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity, and Sean Baker for Anora. This shows how deeply involved some directors are in every step of making their movies.

Fun Facts and Records

Here are some interesting facts about the Academy Award for Best Film Editing:

These interesting facts come from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Award Winners Through the Years

Here's a look at some of the amazing films and editors who have won or been nominated for this award over the years. The winners are highlighted in yellow.      indicates the winner

Winners from the Early Days (1930s-1940s)

Recent Winners (2000s-2020s)

Who Has Won the Most?

Many talented editors have been nominated for this award. Here are some of the top editors who have received multiple awards or nominations:

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Óscar al mejor montaje para niños

• BAFTA Award for Best Editing
• Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Editing
• List of Academy Award–nominated films