10/02/2021 - Another Round, Quo Vadis, Aïda?, Two of Us, Charlatan, Hope, Collective and Dear Comrades are vying for a nomination

This year’s Oscar shortlists, unveiled yesterday, feature a bunch of European titles across every category – and, as expected, the International Feature Film selection is spearheaded by them. In a line-up that has been expanded to 15 titles this year, Academy voters have picked seven submissions from European countries, as well as four European co-productions submitted by non-European countries. The frontrunner, Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Thomas Vinterberg’s European Film Award-winning Danish submission, is found on the shortlist, alongside France’s Two of Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Filippo Meneghetti
film profile], the first feature by Filippo Meneghetti (also nominated for a Golden Globe), Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Quo Vadis, Aïda? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jasmila Žbanić
film profile], the latest film by Jasmila Žbanić (also in the mix for the Spirit Award), Norway’s Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maria Sødahl
film profile] by Maria Sødahl, Romania’s documentary Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Alexander Nanau and the latest efforts by two veteran filmmakers who have already worked in Hollywood, the Czech Republic’s Charlatan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agnieszka Holland
film profile] by Agnieszka Holland (whose pictures have already been nominated for an Oscar in 1992 and 2011) and Russia’s Dear Comrades [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Andrey Konchalovskiy.

The rest of the European participation in this category is to be found in Chile’s The Mole Agent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maite Alberdi
film profile] by Maite Alberdi, Guatemala’s La Llorona [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile] by Jayro Bustamante, Ivory Coast’s Night of the Kings [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philippe Lacôte
film profile] by Philippe Lacôte and Tunisia’s The Man Who Sold His Skin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kaouther Ben Hania
film profile] by Kaouther Ben Hania.

The Documentary shortlist features two of the aforementioned titles (Collective and The Mole Agent), which could lead to a fresh double-nomination feat, such as that achieved by the Macedonian title Honeyland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara K…
interview: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir S…
film profile] last year. Alongside them, the voters have chosen the European titles Gunda [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Viktor Kossakovsky, Notturno [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gianfranco Rosi
film profile] by Gianfranco Rosi, The Painter and the Thief [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benjamin Ree
film profile] by Benjamin Ree, and The Truffle Hunters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gregory Kershaw and Michael…
film profile] by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw.

This year, an exceptional case of a European master being shortlisted in the Live-Action Short Film category, which is usually filled with newcomers, is to be celebrated with Pedro Almodóvar’s The Human Voice (a success in the Spanish box office - read news), which could lead to the eighth nod for a movie by the Spanish filmmaker.

Lastly, still more European talent peppers the lists, with titles such as Ammonite [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], The Life Ahead [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Blizzard of Souls [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Tenet [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (in the Original Score category), Pinocchio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] and Emma [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (in the Make-Up and Hairstyling category), and those in the always varied Short Film categories.

Here are the Oscar shortlists:

International Feature Film

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Quo Vadis, Aïda? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jasmila Žbanić
film profile], Jasmila Žbanić (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Austria/Romania/France/Netherlands/Germany/Poland/Norway/Turkey)
Chile: The Mole Agent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maite Alberdi
film profile], Maite Alberdi (Chile/USA/Germany/Netherlands/Spain)
Czech Republic: Charlatan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agnieszka Holland
film profile], Agnieszka Holland (Czech Republic/Ireland/Poland/Slovakia)
Denmark: Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands)
France: Two of Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Filippo Meneghetti
film profile], Filippo Meneghetti (France/Luxembourg/Belgium)
Guatemala: La Llorona [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile], Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala/France)
Hong Kong: Better Days, Derek Tsang (Hong Kong)
Iran: Sun Children, Majid Majidi (Iran)
Ivory Coast: Night of the Kings [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philippe Lacôte
film profile], Philippe Lacôte (France/Ivory Coast/Canada/Senegal)
Mexico: I’m No Longer Here, Fernando Frías de la Parra (Mexico/USA)
Norway: Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maria Sødahl
film profile], Maria Sødahl (Norway/Sweden)
Romania: Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Alexander Nanau (Romania/Luxembourg)
Russia: Dear Comrades [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Andrey Konchalovskiy (Russia)
Taiwan: A Sun, Chung Mong-hong (Taiwan)
Tunisia: The Man Who Sold His Skin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kaouther Ben Hania
film profile], Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia/France/Belgium/Germany/Sweden)

Documentary

All In: The Fight for Democracy - Lisa Cortes, Liz Garbus (USA)
Boys State - Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss (USA)
Collective – Alexander Nanau
Crip Camp - James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham (USA)
Dick Johnson Is Dead - Kirsten Johnson (USA)
Gunda [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Viktor Kossakovsky (Norway/USA)
MLK/FBI - Samuel D. Pollard (USA)
The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi
My Octopus Teacher - Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed (South Africa)
Notturno [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gianfranco Rosi
film profile] – Gianfranco Rosi (Italy/Germany/France)
The Painter and the Thief [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benjamin Ree
film profile] – Benjamin Ree (Norway)
76 Days - Hao Wu, Weixi Chen (USA/China)
Time – Garrett Bradley (USA)
The Truffle Hunters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gregory Kershaw and Michael…
film profile] - Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw (Italy/USA/Greece)
Welcome to Chechnya – David France (USA)

Original Score

Ammonite [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK/USA/Australia)
Blizzard of Souls [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Latvia)
Da 5 Bloods (USA)
The Invisible Man (USA)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (USA)
The Life Ahead [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Italy/USA)
The Little Things (USA)
Mank (USA)
The Midnight Sky (USA)
Minari (USA)
Mulan (USA/Canada/Hong Kong)
News of the World (USA/China)
Soul (USA)
Tenet [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (UK/USA)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (USA)

Original Song

Turntables - All In: The Fight for Democracy
See What You’ve Done - Belly of the Beast (USA)
Wuhan Flu - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (USA)
Husavik - Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (USA)
Never Break - Giving Voice (USA)
Make It Work - Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Fight For You - Judas and the Black Messiah (USA)
lo Sì (Seen) - The Life Ahead
Rain Song – Minari
Show Me Your Soul - Mr. Soul! (USA)
Loyal Brave True – Mulan
Free - The One and Only Ivan (USA)
Speak Now - One Night in Miami… (USA)
Green - Sound of Metal (USA)
Hear My Voice - The Trial of the Chicago 7

Make-Up and Hairstyling

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (USA)
Emma [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (UK)
The Glorias (USA)
Hillbilly Elegy (USA)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
The Little Things
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (USA)
Mank
One Night in Miami…
Pinocchio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (Italy/France)

Visual Effects

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Bloodshot (USA)
Love and Monsters (USA)
Mank
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Soul
Tenet
Welcome to Chechnya

Live-Action Short Film

Bittu - Karishma Dube (India)
Da Yie – Anthony Nti (Ghana/Belgium)
Feeling Through – Doug Roland (USA)
The Human Voice – Pedro Almodóvar (Spain)
The Kicksled Choir - Torfinn Iversen (Norway)
The Letter Room – Elvira Lind (USA)
The Present - Farah Nabulsi (Palestine)
Two Distant Strangers - Travon Free, Martin Desmond Roe (USA)
The Van - Erenik Beqiri (France/Albania)
White Eye - Tomer Shushan (Israel)

Documentary Short Subject

Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa - Barbara Attie, Mike Attie, Janet Goldwater (USA)
Call Center Blues - Geeta Gandbhir (USA)
Colette - Anthony Giacchino (USA)
A Concerto Is a Conversation - Kris Bowers, Ben Proudfoot (USA)
Do Not Split - Anders Hammer (Norway/USA)
Hunger Ward - Skye Fitzgerald (USA)
Hysterical Girl - Kate Novack (USA)
A Love Song for Latasha - Sophia Nahli Allison (USA)
The Speed Cubers - Sue Kim (USA)
What Would Sophia Loren Do? - Ross Kauffman (USA)

Animated Short Film

Burrow - Madeline Sharafian (USA)
Genius Loci - Adrien Merigeau (France)
If Anything Happens I Love You - Michael Govier, Will McCormack (USA)
Kapaemahu - Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (USA)
Opera - Keith Connelly (USA)
Out - Steven Clay Hunter (USA)
The Snail and the Whale - Max Lang, Daniel Snaddon (UK/Germany)
To Gerard - Taylor Meacham (USA)
Traces - Hugo Frassetto, Sophie Tavert Macian (France)
Yes-People - Gísli Darri Halldórsson (Iceland)