Neapolitan director Mario Martone's 'Nostalgia' has failed to make the 15-strong shortlist for next year's Oscars.
The film, adapted from Ermanno Rea's novel of the same name and
starring Pierfrancesco Favino as a man who returns to Naples
after 45 years in Africa and the Middle East to find an old
friend has become a criminal, will not be competing for the best
foreign film award on March 12, a selection committee in Los
Angeles said Wednesday.
The Naples Mob drama was last month named European film of the
year by the annual Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival.
The film also won four Silver Ribbons from Italian film critics
in June including best director, best actor, best supporting
actor, and best screenplay.
ScreenDaily reported that the international feature film
shortlist comprises eight titles from Europe, four from Asia,
two from Latin America, and one from Africa.
The US film publication said there is a first appearance for
Pakistan with Joyland, the film that was initially banned due to
its trans content before the government reversed the measure and
agreed to a release with unspecified cuts.
The shortlist contains all the heavyweights that were expected
to make it to this stage, including France's Saint Omer,
Austria's Corsage, Denmark's Holy Spider, Argentina's Argentina,
1985, Belgium's Close, South Korea's Decision To Leave, and
Mexico's Bardo.
Several films mark the first appearances from their country to
make it this far in a while: India with Last Film Show (Lagaan
was the last shortlisted film in 2001), Morocco with The Blue
Caftan (Omar Killed Me, 2011), Cambodia with Return To Seoul
(The Missing Picture, 2013), Ireland with The Quiet Girl (Viva
in 2015), and Argentina with Argentina,1985 (Wild Tales in
2014).
Three shortlisted films in the category are directed by women -
Alice Diop with France's Saint Omer, Marie Kreutzer with
Austria's Corsage, and Maryam Touzani with Morocco's The Blue
Caftan.
Mexico's Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu makes the list for the
third time with Bardo, after Biutiful in 2010 and Amores Perros
in 2000. Germany's All Quiet On The Western Front is named in
five of today's shortlists.
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