Hollywood Reporter Story on Foreign Language Oscar Contenders includes ‘No’

‘The Intouchables,’ ‘Royal Affair’ Lead Pack of Potential Foreign Language Oscar Candidates

Twenty-eight countries have already announced their entries; the rest have until Oct. 1 to do so, and THR’s awards analyst breaks down five that could stir up controversy. While we all have been focused on the various late summer/early fall film festivals, another important event has been largely forgotten or ignored: the looming Oct. 1 deadline for countries around the world to select and submit to the Academy one film, released in their home country over the year since last Oct. 1, for consideration for the best foreign language film Oscar. Several countries’ selection committees have already announced their submissions, none of which were particularly controversial. (See a complete list at the bottom of this post.) Over the next two weeks, though, the selection committees in a handful of countries that possess multiple serious contenders will have to choose justone, which will inevitably stir up some fireworks.

Chile

Chile’s Consejo del Arte y la Industria Audiovisual will convene to choose from a short-list of four films — Cristián Jiménez’s Bonsai, Pablo Larraín’s No, Pedro Peirano andSebastián Silva’s Old Cats and Diego Rougier’s Sal — with the hope that one of them might deliver the nation its first-ever Oscar nomination for best foreign language film.