Who is Thelma Schoonmaker, the film editor nominated for an Oscar for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’?

Another edition of the Academy Awards is celebrated on Sunday 10 March 2024, where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honours the best of cinema, from performances and technical aspects to the best picture of the lot.

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‘Oppenheimer’ leads with 13 nominations, becoming the most recognised film this year, followed by ‘Poor Things’ with 11 nominations, and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ with 10, including a nomination for Best Editing for Thelma Schoonmaker, who is seeking another statuette for her collection.

When did Thelma Schoonmaker first meet Martin Scorsese?

Schoonmaker was born in Algiers, Algeria. She did not move to the United States until she was young in 1955. She began attending Cornell University in 1957, where she studied political science and Russian language.

Work began at The New York Times as an assistant film editor. She also took a brief six-week film course at New York University, where she first encountered a young Martin Scorsese. It wasn’t until 1980 that she was able to join the Editors Guild and formally begin working in the profession.

Thelma Schoonmaker family

Regarding her personal life, she was married to British film director Michael Powell from 19 May 1984, until his death in 1990. The couple did not have children.

Scorsese and Schoonmaker 50 years

Schoonmaker is renowned for her collaboration spanning five decades with director Martin Scorsese, making her the editor for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’.

Schoonmaker began working with Scorsese on his debut feature, ‘Who’s That Knocking at My Door’ (1967), and has edited all of his films since ‘Raging Bull’ (1980). Here is a list of their other projects together:

Schoonmaker in search of 4th Oscar

The editor has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four ACE Eddie Awards presented by the American Cinema Editors. Additionally, she has been honoured with the British Film Institute Fellowship (1997), the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2014, and the BAFTA Fellowship in 2019.

Thanks to her recent inclusion in the Best Editing category at the 2024 Oscars, Schoonmaker now has nine nominations and three wins. She won in 1990 for ‘Raging Bull’, in 2005 for ‘The Aviator’, and in 2007 for ‘The Departed’.

She was also nominated for ‘Woodstock’, ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Gangs of New York’, ‘Hugo’, ‘The Irishman’, and, of course, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’. In 1982, she won a BAFTA for Best Editing for ‘Raging Bull’, and in 1991, she won her second BAFTA for ‘Goodfellas’.