Academy releases 91st Oscars shortlists
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday announced shortlists in consideration for the 91st Academy Awards in nine categories, including foreign language films, documentaries, music, visual effects and shorts.
It is the first time for the organization to release those shortlists in consideration for Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, on the same day.
Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category. A total of 87 films, including three Chinese-language films, had originally been considered in the category.
According to the Academy, Los Angeles-based Academy members from all branches screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and Dec. 10. The group's top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy's Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.
Failing to qualify for the next round were the action comedy film "Hidden Man," which was selected as the Chinese entry of the mainland; the military action film "Operation Red Sea," which was submitted in the category by Hong Kong, China; and the dark comedy film "Great Buddha+," which was selected as the entry of Taiwan, China.
The Foreign Language Film race was narrowed down to nine films, including Colombia's "Birds of Passage," Denmark's "The Guilty," Germany's "Never Look Away," Japan's "Shoplifters," Kazakhstan's "Ayka," Lebanon's "Capernaum," Mexico's "Roma," Poland's "Cold War" and South Korea's "Burning."
Front-runners in the Foreign Language Film category include Alfonso Cuaron's critically lauded "Roma," which won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival; Japan's "Shoplifters," which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival; and Poland's "Cold War," which won the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Academy members eligible to participate in the nominations round of voting will view the shortlisted films. Members must see all nine films before casting their ballots.
