Cornellians honored with Oscar nods

There are at least two Cornell alumni who were thrilled when the Academy Award nominations came out earlier this week.

Dan Cohen ’05 is an executive producer for “Arrival,” the science fiction movie starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whittaker, which was nominated for eight awards, including best picture. Cohen, who was also a producer for “The Spectacular Now” in 2013 and “Cut Bank” in 2014, graduated in 2005 from the College of Arts & Sciences. He is vice president of 21 Laps Entertainment Company, a production company also behind the Netflix series “Stranger Things.”

Robert Schenkkan MFA ’77 wrote the screenplay for “Hacksaw Ridge,” the story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss, who saved fellow soldiers without firing or carrying a gun. The movie was nominated for six awards: best picture, best director, best actor, best sound mix, best sound editing and best film editing. Schenkkan, a winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony, is the author of 14 original full-length plays, two musicals and a collection of one-act plays. He also co-wrote the feature film, “The Quiet American.”