Films from South Korea, Spain and Senegal are on the shortlist for Academy Award nominations. “Atlantics,” Senegal’s entry from history-making director Mati Diop, which explores the tragic legacy of Senegalese immigration through the prism of a contemporary ghost story, would mark the first for Senegal if the film is nominated.
Diop, became the first black woman to compete for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year receiving the festival’s Grand Prix honor. The film has been largely welcomed by film critics with organizations such as the New York Film Critics Circle and the African American Film Critics, who selected it as one of their top ten films of 2019.
The 10 short-listed Oscar films are; France’s “Les Misérables”; Hungary’s “Those Who Remained”; North Macedonia’s “Honeyland”; Poland’s “Corpus Christi”; Russia’s “Beanpole”; Senegal’s “Atlantics”; South Korea’s “Parasite,” Czech Republic’s “The Painted Bird”; Estonia’s “Truth and Justice” and Spain’s “Pain and Glory.”
The shortlist was selected from 91 eligible films and comes after “Lionheart,” the first Nigerian film ever reviewed for an Academy Award for “Best International Feature” was disqualified from consideration based on excessive English language dialogue.
Nominations for the 92nd annual Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 13. The Oscars will be held on Feb. 9 in Los Angeles.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince
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