OSCAR
RACE 2008
commentary
by Nathaniel
R
days
until Oscar Nomination are announced
Best Foreign Language Film
| _Georgia_ | _to_ | _Morocco_ |
FOREIGN OSCAR RECORDS / 2007 -LAST YEAR'S RACE
Official Contenders
Afghanistan to France / Georgia to Morocco / The Netherlands to Venezuela01/07 Additional info and posters filled in. The Finalist list should be out shortly.
10/17 This is the OFFICIAL SUBMISSION LIST. 67 Countries are competing for the five nominations this year.
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Georgia 1 nomination Mediator d. Dito Tsintsadze |
Greece 5 noms / 0 wins Diorthosi (Correction) d. Thanos Anastopoulos |
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details ? min (English, Russian, German) genre Thriller starring Ewen Bremner, Dito Tsintsadze, Burghart Klaussner, Merab Ninidze, Nutsa Kukhianidze and Dina Korzun synopsis A career ending fiasco for an investigator |
details 150 min (Germany) genre Drama (Based on True Story / Book) starring familiar faces include: Bruno Ganz (Downfall), Moritz Bleibtreu (Run Lola Run) and Alexandar Maria Lara (Control) synopsis True story of German terrorist organization RAF. It takes place in the 60s and 70s. misc Yes it's that Uli Edel of Body of Evidence infamy |
details 87 min (Greek) genre Drama / Mystery starring Giorgos Symeonidis, Ornela Kapetani, Savina Alimani and Nikos Georgakis synopsis a man on parole from prison tries to reconnect with friends while avoiding pursuers surprise Greece always submits the winner of the Thessaloniki Film Festival. This year they veered from that tradition |
details ??? min (???) genre Action Fantasy starring Donnie Yen, David Leong, Kun Chen, Wei Zaho, Xun Zhou and Betty Sun |
details 92 min (Hungarian) genre Docu-Drama starring Maria Varga synopsis Gritty study of poverty, Romanian runaways and human trafficking ...and one particular child (Iska) caught up in it. misc info ... |
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Iceland |
Iran 1 nomination Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows) d. Majid Majidi |
Israel 6 nominations Waltz With Bashir d. Ari Folman |
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UTV
-closed |
Regent
Releasing Spring 2009 |
2008
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IFC
Films - early 2009 |
details 96 min (Icelandic) genre Comedy starring Maria Varga synopsis a modern retelling of Chekhov's Ivanov misc info Past credits for Kormakur include Jar City and 101 Reykjavík. His films have been submitted before but Iceland has only ever received 1 nomination here. |
details 165 min (Hindi) genre Inspirational Teacher Drama starring Aamir Khan (Lagaan), Tisca Chopra, Tanay Chheda and Darsheel Safary synopsis An 8 year old boy who has never done well in school is transformed by a new art teacher. misc info This is the famous actor's debut behind the camera as director. But he also stars. |
details 96 min (...) genre Drama starring Mohammad Amir Naji synopsis a man is fired from his job at an ostrich farm and accidentaly finds work as a taxi driver. His family doesn't like the way the new job affects him. misc info Played at the Berlin International Film Festival |
details 90 min (Hebrew & German) genre War Drama / Documentary of sorts synopsis an illustrated conversation between the director and his war buddies about their time in the Israeli army during the Lebanon War. Folman struggles to remember what happened during the Lebanon war. misc info no animated film has ever been nominated in this category, despite annual submissions lately |
details 137 min (Italian, Cantonese and French) starring Salvatore Abruzzese, Vincenzo Fabricino, Toni Servillo and many more... genre Mafia Drama / Based on a Book synopsis a depictions of the underlings rather than the power players in the Mafia world misc info Grand Prize at Cannes |
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Kazakhstan 1 nomination Tulpan d. Sergei Dvortsevoy |
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Releasing Summer 2009 |
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| details 130 min (Japanese) starring Masahiro Motoki and Ryoko Hirosue genre Supposedly drama though the trailer looks a comedy... synopsis an unemployed cellist decides to return home and become an undertaker |
details 102 min (Arabic) starring Nadim Sawalha genre Drama synopsis A janitor is mistaken for a pilot. Apparently a lot of cute kids are involved (OSCAR ALERT!) |
details 100 min (Kazakh, Russian) starring Ondas Besikbasov, Saml Esljamova, Askhat Kuchencherekov genre Dramedy synopsis a young sheep farmer struggles to find a wife and make his own life on the Steppe. my brief review |
details 112 min (Korean) genre Based on a True Story / Drama starring Cha In-Pyo synopsis Story of North Korean refugees who attempted to break into the Spanish Embassy. Also something of a Father/Son drama not selected The Good the Bad the Weird, Forever the Moment, Sunny and The Chaser a lawsuit regarding this picture is going on. If guilty of plagairism (the charge) South Korea will choose another film |
details ??? min (French & Kyrgyz) genre Romantic Drama synopsis a 30 year old Kazakh falls in love with a married Muslim women in the steppes. They decide to leave the mountains together. |
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Latvia never nominated Defenders of Riga (Rigas Sargi) d. Aigars Grauba |
Lebanon never nominated Under the Bombs d. Philippe Aractingi |
Macedonia 1 nomination Jas sum od Titov Veles (I Am from Titov Veles) d. Teona Strugar Mitevska Official Site |
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Global
Film Initiative TBA 2009 |
details ? min (?) genre War Drama starring Janis Reinis, Elita Klavina, Girts Krumins, Romualds Ancans, Indra Brike, Vilis Daudzins, Uldis Dumpis, Kestutis Jakstas and Andris Keiss synopsis A rouge German general attacks Riga after WWI has ended. The Latvian army and non-military citizens defended their city in this true story |
details ? min (?) genre War Drama starring Nada Abou Farhat , Georges Khabbaz , Bshara Atallay and Rawia Elchab synopsis A Dubai mother travels to Lebanon during the war. Her son was spending his summer there. |
details 96 min (Lithuanian / English) genre Drama starring Valda Bickute synopsis Another strangers lives overlapping film (very popular genre this decade). One story concerns a mentally ill woman, convinced an orphan is her son. misc won Best Director at the Shanghai Int'l Festival |
details 110 min (French, Letzebuergesh & Arabic) genre Romantic Drama starring Jules Werner and Sabrina Ouazani synopsis A romance across two cultures |
details 102 min (Macedonian) genre Sociopolitical Drama starring Labina Mitevska, Ana Kostovska and Nikolina Kujaca synopsis Three sisters fall apart in a decaying community |
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Next: The Netherlands through Venezuela A round of applause for contributing readers: Aldo, Alex, Arietro, Arkaan, Bar, Blaz, Boyd, Brian, Cristian, Dzong, Eduardo, Heng, Ivan, José, KD, Krister, Ludwig, Marco, Marcos, MikeKiddo, Noah, Oscar, Pasha, Peter Radovan, Sadik, Sean, Spartak, Tomaz, Yonatan Notable foreign films not chosen by their home country: Serbis -Phillipines * I've Loved You So Long -France *
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Mexico 7 noms / 0 wins Arrancame la Vida d. Roberto Sneider |
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20th
Century Fox - US distribution??? |
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details ... min (Spanish) genre Costume Drama / Based on a Novel starring Ana Clauda Talancon (The Crime of Father Amaro), Daniel Gimenez Cacho (Bad Education) and Maria de Tavira (The Mask of Zorro) synopsis Post Revolution Mexico as seen through the eyes of a teenage bride misc Reportedly the most expensive movie ever made in Mexico not selected the finalist list |
details 110 min (???) genre Political Drama starring Marc Samuel, Rachid El Ouali, Souad Hamidou, Christian Drillaud and Rachel Huet synopsis This interfaith drama takes place in 1960s Morocco and deals with the after effects of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 |
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