A film that garnered accolades in Venice has been selected as the Italian candidate for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
Terraferma, the work of Italian director Emanuele Crialese, tells the story of an influx of immigrants to a small Italian island. At its debut at the 68th Venice Film Festival, the film was praised for tackling illegal immigration, an issue that has been hotly debated recently as immigrants escaping the political instability in North Africa continue to arrive in Italy.
The film won the Venice Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize in early September and is now in the running to head to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards.
There were seven films contending to become the Italian candidate for Best Foreign Language Film. Crialese was superstitiously happy to be selected, telling reporters that he had, of course, hoped to be chosen but was among other great nominees.
Crialese's 2006 film "Nuovomondo" ("The Golden Door") won a Silver Lion at Venice, and went on to worldwide acclaim. The film was Italy's submission for the 79th Academy Awards, but was ultimately passed over in final nominations.
There are currently 25 non-English films shortlisted for the Oscars this year. The Academy will narrow that down to five films when they announce the final nominees on the 25th of January 2012.
The Academy Awards will be broadcast on the 26th of February 2012, and, hopefully, Emanuele Crialese will be in attendance as an official Oscar Nominee.
Italian films have been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 27 times, winning the award on 13 occasions.
