Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/30/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/30/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/25/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/24/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/24/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/24/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/23/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/23/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 8/23/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
If you've ever watched the red carpet at the Academy Awards there's a phrase you've probably heard over and over again, and for quite a few decades: "It's an honor just to be nominated."
And to be fair, it most certainly is. Although the Oscars were invented to bust unions, not reward artistic quality, at their best it's a gesture of support for a filmmaker from their peers. To be singled out by the other hard-working artisans in your branch as worthy of awards consideration as an actor, director, writer, cinematographer, sound designer et al is a great big feather in one's cap.
But it's a feather that can, and has been, plucked out. It's uncommon but the Academy Awards have vetoed quite a few nominations in the past — three times in the 2010s alone — in situations that stirred up controversy or, in some of the more technical or niche categories,...
And to be fair, it most certainly is. Although the Oscars were invented to bust unions, not reward artistic quality, at their best it's a gesture of support for a filmmaker from their peers. To be singled out by the other hard-working artisans in your branch as worthy of awards consideration as an actor, director, writer, cinematographer, sound designer et al is a great big feather in one's cap.
But it's a feather that can, and has been, plucked out. It's uncommon but the Academy Awards have vetoed quite a few nominations in the past — three times in the 2010s alone — in situations that stirred up controversy or, in some of the more technical or niche categories,...
- 2/1/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
- 9/1/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is...
- 8/30/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Uruguay's Institute of Cinema and Audiovisuals (Icau) announced today that the film "A Moonless Night" (Una Noche Sin Luna) will represent the South American country in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.
"A Moonless Night" is Germán Tejeira's debut feature and won the Golden Eye Award at last year's Zurich Film Festival. Tejeira was also one of the writers behind "Anina," the wonderful animated feature that represented Uruguay at the 86th Academy Awards.
The official synopsis reads as follows: "During New Year's Eve, three lonely characters travel to a small town lost in the Uruguayan countryside. Cesar, a divorced man, arrives to the town where he will have dinner with his ex-wife's new family to win back his little daughter's love. Antonio, a small-time magician, is trying to get to town to perform his routine at the community center, but his car breaks down. Stranded in the middle of the deserted road he meets Laura, a woman working at the toll station. Miguel, a performer, prepares his musical return to sing at the community center's New Year party. Following these paths, the characters will have a chance to turn around their destiny."
International sales are being handled by production company Rain Dogs Cine. U.S. rights are still available.
Uruguay has never won the coveted statuette; however, the country was nominated once back in 1993 for "A Place in the World," but the film was later disqualified because the Academy considered it was mostly an Argentine production with not enough Uruguayan artistic contribution to represent the country.
"A Moonless Night" is Germán Tejeira's debut feature and won the Golden Eye Award at last year's Zurich Film Festival. Tejeira was also one of the writers behind "Anina," the wonderful animated feature that represented Uruguay at the 86th Academy Awards.
The official synopsis reads as follows: "During New Year's Eve, three lonely characters travel to a small town lost in the Uruguayan countryside. Cesar, a divorced man, arrives to the town where he will have dinner with his ex-wife's new family to win back his little daughter's love. Antonio, a small-time magician, is trying to get to town to perform his routine at the community center, but his car breaks down. Stranded in the middle of the deserted road he meets Laura, a woman working at the toll station. Miguel, a performer, prepares his musical return to sing at the community center's New Year party. Following these paths, the characters will have a chance to turn around their destiny."
International sales are being handled by production company Rain Dogs Cine. U.S. rights are still available.
Uruguay has never won the coveted statuette; however, the country was nominated once back in 1993 for "A Place in the World," but the film was later disqualified because the Academy considered it was mostly an Argentine production with not enough Uruguayan artistic contribution to represent the country.
- 9/26/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The Academy has rescinded the Original Song Oscar nomination for 'Alone Yet Not Alone' by Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel.
The surprise nomination for the song from the film of the same name was withdrawn after Bruce Broughton - a former governor and current Music Branch executive committee member - emailed members of the branch to highlight his nomination.
"No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one's position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one's own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage," said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
Broughton's actions were deemed inconsistent with the Academy's promotional regulations and a threat to the "fair and ethical" conduct of the awards.
"I'm devastated," Broughton told The Hollywood Reporter. "I indulged in the simplest grassroots campaign and it went against me when the song started getting attention.
"I got taken down...
The surprise nomination for the song from the film of the same name was withdrawn after Bruce Broughton - a former governor and current Music Branch executive committee member - emailed members of the branch to highlight his nomination.
"No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one's position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one's own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage," said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
Broughton's actions were deemed inconsistent with the Academy's promotional regulations and a threat to the "fair and ethical" conduct of the awards.
"I'm devastated," Broughton told The Hollywood Reporter. "I indulged in the simplest grassroots campaign and it went against me when the song started getting attention.
"I got taken down...
- 1/30/2014
- Digital Spy
Alone Yet Not Alone has some company.
The obscure religious drama, which had its Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song revoked over allegations of improper campaigning, is one of the few films in history to suffer such a fate.
In one case, the film actually won the Oscar — and the victory was overturned after the fact and awarded to the runner-up. And in another — the earliest in the organization history — no one is sure why the film was rejected from consideration.
Updated: While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disputes that some crediting and nominating issues of...
The obscure religious drama, which had its Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song revoked over allegations of improper campaigning, is one of the few films in history to suffer such a fate.
In one case, the film actually won the Oscar — and the victory was overturned after the fact and awarded to the runner-up. And in another — the earliest in the organization history — no one is sure why the film was rejected from consideration.
Updated: While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disputes that some crediting and nominating issues of...
- 1/30/2014
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy has announced the Board of Governors has voted to rescind the Original Song nomination for "Alone Yet Not Alone," by Bruce Broughton. A press release says the decision was prompted by the discovery Broughton, a former Governor and current Music Branch executive committee member, had emailed members of the branch to make them aware of his submission during the nominations voting period. This is an important distinction as the song's eligibility was also called into question as noted by the Hollywood Reporter as it did have an Oscar-qualifying run took place at Laemmle Town Center 5 in Encino, where it screened once daily at 9:55 p.m. from Nov. 15 through Nov. 22, but in order to be eligible the distributors must also purchase advertising prior to the film's one week run... There was no such advertising. The Academy, however, chose to focus on Broughton's lobbying of his former Branch members,...
- 1/29/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
A few weeks ago the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its shortlist for the Foreign Language Film Award. The nominations are being determined in two phases. After a committee of several hundred Academy members screened all 71 eligible films nine were selected to advance to the second round, making it to the shortlist. Of these nine only one Latin American film made the cut, Pablo Larraín’s No, starring Gael García Bernal.
Specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles will watch the nine shortlisted films and cast their votes in early January. The remaining five films will be announced as the official Oscar nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film on January 10, 2013.
If No gets enough votes it will be the first time a Chilean film is nominated in the Foreign Language Film category. What are Chile’s chances? Well, if we take a look back at the Latin American nominees and winners of the Best Foreign Language Film Award, the odds don’t look so good.
And the Nominees are....
This year nine Latin American countries submitted a film for consideration: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Of these nine, only Chile made the shortlist. If it is nominated it will become part of an elite group of Latin American countries that have received this honor. Mexico leads the pack with eight nominations, followed by Argentina who has six, and Brazil with four. Nicaragua, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Peru have all been nominated once. That is a total of 22 nominations for all Latin American countries since 1960, when the region received its first nomination for Macario, directed by Roberto Gavaldón. The film, a supernatural drama set in colonial times, lost out to Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring. It was the first time Mexico had been nominated in the category and despite being the most often nominated country in Latin America, it has failed to ever win a statuette. So, which countries have won the coveted award?
And the Award Goes to....
Despite its 22 nominations Latin America has only won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film twice. Both times the winners were from Argentina. The first win was in 1985 for La historia oficial (The Official Story), set in Buenos Aires. In the film an upper middle class couple adopts a young girl during the dictatorship. As the country transitions to democracy they begin to suspect that she may be the child of one of the victims of the forced disappearances that occurred during the dirty war, known as los desaparecidos.
Argentina’s second Oscar came almost twenty-five years later with El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) in 2009. In the crime thriller directed by Juan José Campanella and starring Ricardo Darín, a retired federal agent begins to write a novel on an unsolved murder case that has haunted him for years. With its two wins, Argentina remains the only Latin American country to have brought home the bronze. Taking into account its 22 nominations but only two Oscar statuettes the odds aren’t the best for Latin America as a whole and Chile in particular (zero nominations or wins), but let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best. Chile could very well be selected this time since Nois the kind of the film the Academy usually goes for.
Set in 1988, Norecounts the amazing real life story of a national referendum that everyone thought was destined to fail but ultimately dissolved the Chilean dictatorship and ended General Pinochet’s almost twenty year rule. Leading up to the historic vote each side was allowed 15 minutes of late-night TV airtime every day for a month straight. Gael García Bernal stars as Rene Saavedra, a young, rebellious skateboard-riding advertising executive who went from selling soap and soda to heading up the campaign to vote No on keeping Pinochet in power for eight more years. Shot using U-matic video cameras, Larraín wanted to match the look of the archival television footage woven into the film. As a result of using the same format that T.V. news was shot in during the eighties, the real-life footage seamlessly matches his purposely grainy and overexposed film. Despite its dreary appearance, it is funny, uplifting, and entertaining. It’s not a slow artsy film with little dialogue; it is perfectly paced. And together, Bernal’s charm and the film’s many amusing moments end up creating a movie that will surely captivate the Academy and maybe even a mainstream commercial audience.
Every year the Academy Awards are televised live in more than 200 countries. This year’s winners will be presented with their Oscar statuette on Sunday, February 24, 2013.
Latin American Best Foreign Language Film nominees by country (winners are in bold)
Mexico
1960 -- Macario
1961 -- The Important Man
1962 -- Tlayucan
1975 -- Letters from Marusia
2000 -- Amores Perros
2002 -- El Crimen del Padre Amaro
2006 -- Pan's Labyrinth
2010 -- Biutiful
Argentina
1974 -- The Truce
1984 -- Camila
1985 -- The Official Story[Oscar winner]
1998 -- Tango
2001 -- Son of the Bride
2009 -- The Secret in Their Eyes[Oscar winner]
Brazil
1962 -- Keeper of Promises (The Given Word)
1995 -- O Quatrilho
1997 -- Four Days in September
1998 -- Central Station
Nicaragua
1982 -- Alsino and the Condor
Puerto Rico
1989 -- What Happened to Santiago
Cuba
1994 -- Strawberry and Chocolate
Peru
2009 -- The Milk of Sorrow
Fun Fact: In 1992, amongst the five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film was Uruguay’s A Place in the World. Shortly after the nominations were announced the film was deemed ineligible and Uruguay’s nomination was revoked! A closer look at the film revealed that, “it was wholly produced in Argentina and had insufficient Uruguayan artistic control” according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
Specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles will watch the nine shortlisted films and cast their votes in early January. The remaining five films will be announced as the official Oscar nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film on January 10, 2013.
If No gets enough votes it will be the first time a Chilean film is nominated in the Foreign Language Film category. What are Chile’s chances? Well, if we take a look back at the Latin American nominees and winners of the Best Foreign Language Film Award, the odds don’t look so good.
And the Nominees are....
This year nine Latin American countries submitted a film for consideration: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Of these nine, only Chile made the shortlist. If it is nominated it will become part of an elite group of Latin American countries that have received this honor. Mexico leads the pack with eight nominations, followed by Argentina who has six, and Brazil with four. Nicaragua, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Peru have all been nominated once. That is a total of 22 nominations for all Latin American countries since 1960, when the region received its first nomination for Macario, directed by Roberto Gavaldón. The film, a supernatural drama set in colonial times, lost out to Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring. It was the first time Mexico had been nominated in the category and despite being the most often nominated country in Latin America, it has failed to ever win a statuette. So, which countries have won the coveted award?
And the Award Goes to....
Despite its 22 nominations Latin America has only won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film twice. Both times the winners were from Argentina. The first win was in 1985 for La historia oficial (The Official Story), set in Buenos Aires. In the film an upper middle class couple adopts a young girl during the dictatorship. As the country transitions to democracy they begin to suspect that she may be the child of one of the victims of the forced disappearances that occurred during the dirty war, known as los desaparecidos.
Argentina’s second Oscar came almost twenty-five years later with El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) in 2009. In the crime thriller directed by Juan José Campanella and starring Ricardo Darín, a retired federal agent begins to write a novel on an unsolved murder case that has haunted him for years. With its two wins, Argentina remains the only Latin American country to have brought home the bronze. Taking into account its 22 nominations but only two Oscar statuettes the odds aren’t the best for Latin America as a whole and Chile in particular (zero nominations or wins), but let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best. Chile could very well be selected this time since Nois the kind of the film the Academy usually goes for.
Set in 1988, Norecounts the amazing real life story of a national referendum that everyone thought was destined to fail but ultimately dissolved the Chilean dictatorship and ended General Pinochet’s almost twenty year rule. Leading up to the historic vote each side was allowed 15 minutes of late-night TV airtime every day for a month straight. Gael García Bernal stars as Rene Saavedra, a young, rebellious skateboard-riding advertising executive who went from selling soap and soda to heading up the campaign to vote No on keeping Pinochet in power for eight more years. Shot using U-matic video cameras, Larraín wanted to match the look of the archival television footage woven into the film. As a result of using the same format that T.V. news was shot in during the eighties, the real-life footage seamlessly matches his purposely grainy and overexposed film. Despite its dreary appearance, it is funny, uplifting, and entertaining. It’s not a slow artsy film with little dialogue; it is perfectly paced. And together, Bernal’s charm and the film’s many amusing moments end up creating a movie that will surely captivate the Academy and maybe even a mainstream commercial audience.
Every year the Academy Awards are televised live in more than 200 countries. This year’s winners will be presented with their Oscar statuette on Sunday, February 24, 2013.
Latin American Best Foreign Language Film nominees by country (winners are in bold)
Mexico
1960 -- Macario
1961 -- The Important Man
1962 -- Tlayucan
1975 -- Letters from Marusia
2000 -- Amores Perros
2002 -- El Crimen del Padre Amaro
2006 -- Pan's Labyrinth
2010 -- Biutiful
Argentina
1974 -- The Truce
1984 -- Camila
1985 -- The Official Story[Oscar winner]
1998 -- Tango
2001 -- Son of the Bride
2009 -- The Secret in Their Eyes[Oscar winner]
Brazil
1962 -- Keeper of Promises (The Given Word)
1995 -- O Quatrilho
1997 -- Four Days in September
1998 -- Central Station
Nicaragua
1982 -- Alsino and the Condor
Puerto Rico
1989 -- What Happened to Santiago
Cuba
1994 -- Strawberry and Chocolate
Peru
2009 -- The Milk of Sorrow
Fun Fact: In 1992, amongst the five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film was Uruguay’s A Place in the World. Shortly after the nominations were announced the film was deemed ineligible and Uruguay’s nomination was revoked! A closer look at the film revealed that, “it was wholly produced in Argentina and had insufficient Uruguayan artistic control” according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
- 1/2/2013
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Toronto’s Images Festival celebrates it’s 25th anniversary on April 12-21 at theaters, galleries and other venues all over the city. They are celebrating with a massive event with films and videos, live performances, installations, artist talks and other events.
Below is the lineup for Images’ specific film screening events and some live performances. The fest’s Opening Night film is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which takes a poetic look at the immigrant experience, particularly through using images of Caribbean and African migrants in the 1950s and ’60s.
The fest will close with a live score by alt-rock band Yo La Tengo accompanying the avant-garde scientific underwater films by French documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé. Yo La Tengo has been performing “Sounds of Science” since they were commissioned for the project by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001.
In between these two events is a lineup of feature-length experimental works,...
Below is the lineup for Images’ specific film screening events and some live performances. The fest’s Opening Night film is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which takes a poetic look at the immigrant experience, particularly through using images of Caribbean and African migrants in the 1950s and ’60s.
The fest will close with a live score by alt-rock band Yo La Tengo accompanying the avant-garde scientific underwater films by French documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé. Yo La Tengo has been performing “Sounds of Science” since they were commissioned for the project by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001.
In between these two events is a lineup of feature-length experimental works,...
- 4/9/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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