India’s official Oscar entry in the international feature film category, “2018: Everyone is a Hero,” a Malayalam film directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, has been excluded from the final 15 nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards. The announcement was made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on Friday.
Jonathan Glazer’s historical drama “The Zone of Interest” (UK), Denmark’s “The Promised Land” starring Mads Mikkelsen, and “Perfect Days” from Japan are considered frontrunners in the category. The shortlist also includes films from Armenia, Bhutan, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, and Ukraine.
A total of 88 countries had eligible entries in the international feature film category. The shortlisted movies will proceed to the next round of voting.
“2018,” featuring Tovino Thomas in the lead, was chosen as India’s official entry for the 96th Oscars in September, portraying the devastating Kerala floods in 2018. The film has reportedly earned over ₹200 crore at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film in Malayalam cinema.
The 96th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 10, 2024, in Los Angeles. In previous years, films directly sent to the Oscars by their makers, such as “RRR” and “The Elephant Whisperers,” won in the best original song and best documentary short categories, respectively. However, India’s official entry in the international film category, the Gujarati film “Chhello Show” (Last Film Show), did not secure a spot in the final five nominations. The last Indian film to achieve this feat was Aamir Khan-led “Lagaan” in 2001.
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