Best International Film: Shortlist Wishes and Predictions

by Cláudio Alves

Portugal's BAD LIVING is an actressexual feast, but it's unlikely to get shortlisted.

The Academy will announce its shortlists for various categories tomorrow, including Best International Film. For the past few months, I've been writing about a lot of these movies and have, so far, watched 44 of the 88 submissions. So, it seems logical that I'd have something to say before the race gets whittled down to 15 titles vying for five nomination slots and, inevitably, one little gold man. While predictions are important, I'll start by expressing more movie love, naming what films would make my shortlist. Undoubtedly, it'll be very different from the Academy's selection. If that's for better or worse, you decide…

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Oscar Volley: Which Foreign Films Will Voters Choose for Best International Feature?

Before we get the shortlist on Thursday, here’s today’s volley, on Best International Feature, from Elisa Giudici and Abe Friedtanzer...

THE ZONE OF INTEREST feels like a lock in this race.

ABE: Hi Elisa! I'm excited to talk about one of my favorite categories, Best International Feature! This year we have 88 submissions from all around the world. While I'm still hoping to catch more in the next few weeks, I think I've managed to track down a good number of the top contenders. Interestingly, this year's likely frontrunner is from a country that rarely gets noticed, in part because most of its films simply aren't eligible. That would be the United Kingdom, which has quite an intense feature in The Zone of Interest, a haunting portrait of the commandant of Auschwitz and his family, who live right next to the infamous concentration camp but live quite the serene life...

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94 Songs vie for the Oscar

by Cláudio Alves

ORLANDO: MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY is an unlikely contender but you gotta love its boldness.

The Academy has released a couple of eligibility lists, including one for the Best Original Song race. Ninety-four different tunes have been submitted for the Oscar. It's three maximum for each movie, from which only two can be nominated for the same title. Barbie, The Face of the Faceless, A Good Person, The Little Mermaid, State of the Unity, and Wish have submitted three, while many other projects went for double trouble. There are no significant surprises in terms of omitted contenders, but some submission choices delight with their boldness, and others shock because their origin is so obscure. For example, I quibble with the one song chosen from Dicks: The Musical and Carmen. I'm also delighted that Orlando: My Political Biography threw its hat in the race and just found out some of these movies even exist.

From American Symphony to Wonka, come discover the complete list of submissions…

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European Film Awards: "Anatomy of a Fall" Sweeps!

by Cláudio Alves

Photo by Sebastian Gabsch | © European Film Awards

The European Film Academy loves itself a sweep, and this year did nothing to disprove their inclination. At the same time it keeps winning critics honors stateside, Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall took home four prizes, adding to the trophy it already earned for editing. Sandra Hüller even defeated herself since she was also nominated for The Zone of Interest, a first in EFA history. In her speech, the actress asked her audience to imagine peace in these troubled times while her director joked that making the film was a test on her relationship with partner and co-screenwriter Arthur Harari. The ceremony took place in Berlin this year, presided by Agnieszka Holland and host Britta Steffenhagen. 

Discover the complete list of honorees after the jump…

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Best International Film: Pakistan's "In Flames" & India's "2018"

by Cláudio Alves

Considering the Academy's general disinclination to honor horror cinema, it's always surprising when the genre pops up amid Best International Film submissions. This year, Pakistan is one of the brave countries that didn't let genre bias stop them from selecting a scary movie for the Oscar race. Zarrar Kahn's In Flames is the lucky flick, a Canadian-produced meditation on grief, trauma, and poisonous patriarchy bound to unnerve viewers. Neighboring nation India didn't dip their toes into nightmare cinema but sent a disaster picture that's horrifying in its own way. Juan Anthany Joseph's 2018 dramatizes a real-life catastrophe that befell the state of Kerala…

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