News

Amazon Prime Video secures 97 titles from Indian company.

India’s National Film Development Corp (Nfdc) has sealed catalogue deals with three of the biggest streaming platforms in India: Amazon Prime Video, JioCinema and Hotstar.

The three deals include classics such as Gandhi [pictured], Salaam Bombay! and Mirch Masala, as well as recent titles Qissa: The Tale Of A Lonely Ghost, directed by Anup Singh, and Gyan Correa’s The Good Road.

Amazon Prime Video, which launched in India in late 2016, has acquired non-exclusive worldwide rights to 97 Nfdc titles, while JioCinema and Hotstar have India rights to 94 and 80 titles respectively.

All three platforms have already started onboarding the films.

“Our aim is to work with as many premium platforms as possible to help these classics from revered Indian directors reach a global audience,” said Nfdc head of distribution & syndication Awadhesh Kumar.

The Indian company will show the titles, totalling 49, as part of an Nfdc film festival.

India’s National Film Development Corp (Nfdc) has licensed 49 of its library titles to Zee Classic, owned by leading Indian broadcaster Zee Entertainment.

The deal includes classics such as Gandhi [pictured], starring Ben Kingsley, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay and Ketan Mehta’s Mirch Masala, along with more recent titles such as Anup Singh’s Qissa, which premiered at Toronto in 2013, and Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, India’s official submission to the 2014 Oscars.

Zee Classic is planning to broadcast the titles in an ‘Nfdc film festival’ running for couple of months from July. Nfdc has also licensed a package of titles to India’s Epic channel and is closing deals with Ott platforms.

“Over the past ten years, the Nfdc has introduced 18 first time feature filmmakers in 13 regional languages,” said Nfdc finance director Nazhat J. Shaikh. “We’re...

Amitabha Singh’s directorial debut Shortcut Safaari, starring Jimmy Sheirgill and an ensemble of kids, is gearing up for release this Friday. Jimmy, who essays the role of a chief, has a small yet pivotal part in the film.

Jimmy may not have been the original choice for Amitabha, but he has been the ultimate option for the filmmaker. Amitabha may have mulled over a few options, from actors like Naseeruddin Shah to Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Irrfan Khan, but he eventually settled for Jimmy Sheirgill. And now he reveals us how Jimmy perfectly fit the bill.

“I was considering quite a few options, right from Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin to Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Irrfan Khan to Boman Irani. The initial idea was to have a grandfather figure, but eventually I realised that it needs to be like elder brother or younger uncle kind of a figure, who can actually throw...

The new year is upon us, and it’s time to clean up Netflix once again. Don’t fear too much though, as much as we hate to see some of our favorites leave Netflix, they do a pretty good job at adding some great new content. We lose Almost Famous, A Clockwork Orange, American Psycho, The Graduate, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and all the Rocky movies – and we get Intolerable Cruelty, Training Day, The Rundown and a new Netflix Original for Degrassi: The Next Class.

All Title Dates are Subject to Change

Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only

Available 1/1/16

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Along Came Polly (2004)

American Girl: Grace Stirs up Success (2015)

Angry Birds Toons: Season 1

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009)

Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007)

Catwoman (2004)

The Celebrity Plastic Surgeons of Beverly Hills: Season 1

Constantine (2005)

Forensic Files: Collection 2

Friday Night Tykes: Season 1-2

The Good Road...

What to watch in the post-holiday doldrums of January? Coming to Netflix streaming next month are the Ben Stiller comedies "Meet the Parents," "Meet the Fockers," and "Along Came Polly" as well as "Intolerable Cruelty" and "The Ladykillers" from the Coen Brothers.

Also check out the new "we faked the moon landing" comedy "Moonwalkers," starring Rupert Grint and Ron Perlman, the Chelsea Handler special "Chelsea Does," and, of course, "Sharknado 3."

New on Netflix in January 2016

Available Jan. 1, 2016

"2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003)

"Along Came Polly" (2004)

"American Girl: Grace Stirs up Success" (2015)

"Angry Birds Toons:" Season 1

"Bring It On: Fight to the Finish" (2009)

"Bring It On: In It to Win It" (2007)

"Catwoman" (2004)

"The Celebrity Plastic Surgeons of Beverly Hills:" Season 1

"Constantine" (2005)

"Forensic Files: Collection 2"

"Friday Night Tykes:" Season 1-2

"The Good Road" (2013)

"House of Wax" (2005)

"How to Change the World" (2015)

"Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" (2006)

"Intolerable Cruelty" (2003)

"Journey to Le Mans" (2014)

"Loins...

Read More: Last Call: 62 Films Leaving Netflix This January (And 10 You Can't Miss) January is notoriously the month when the movies become a dumping ground for ill-faited leftovers, which makes Netflix more essential than ever. Fortunately, the streaming service is handing a handful of promising titles to ring in the new year, which means the lackluster choices at the theater shouldn't stop you from seeing great movies. From Lynne Ramsay's horrifying "We Need to Talk About Kevin" to Patrick Brice's Sundance sex comedy "The Overnight," below are all of the titles hitting Netflix this January, plus Indiewire's personal picks on what to stream. Available 1/1 2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003) "Along Came Polly" (2004) "American Girl: Grace Stirs up Success" (2015) "Bring It On: Fight to the Finish" (2009) "Bring It On: In It to Win It" (2007) "Catwoman" (2004) "Constantine" (2005) "The Good Road"...

Dutch film promotion outfit appoints successor to veteran Claudia Landsberger.

Marten Rabarts is to replace Claudia Landsberger as head of Eye International (formerly Holland Film) from March 1.

Screen revealed in November that Landsberger was to step after 20 years at the Dutch film promotion outfit to establish herself as an international film consultant for her new company, BaseWorx For Film.

New Zealand-born Rabarts, currently head of development and training at the National Film Development Corporation in India, was previously artistic director of Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam for 12 years.

Rabarts said: “Representing and promoting Dutch cinema, film-makers and industry abroad is a task I can’t wait to get my teeth into.

“The ever increasing flow of diverse and high quality work, evidenced already in 2015 with a Foreign Oscar shortlist contender (Accused) as well as a major new work by Peter Greenaway (Eisenstein in Guanajuato) in Berlin Film Festival competition indicates the robust good health of our industry.

“I look...

A still from Vinay Shukla and Khushboo Ranka’s Proposition for a Revolution

Nfdc Film Bazaar’s Work-in-Progress Lab has announced its selection in Fiction and Documentary categories.

The Work-in-Progress (Wip) Lab gives filmmakers a chance to have their rough-cut feature-length films viewed by an eminent panel of international advisers. These advisers have a one-on-one discussion with the filmmaker with an intention to help the filmmaker achieve an accomplished final cut of the film.

Nfdc Film Bazaar 2014 will be held from November 20-24 in Goa Mariott Resort.

Work-in-Progress Lab 2014:

Fiction :

Bokul by Reema Borah Highway by Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni Nil Battey Sannata by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari Tathagat by Manav Kaul Thithi by Raam Reddy

Documentary :

12 Acres by Rajesh Thind Maidaan (Home Ground) by Kavita Carneiro Nehi Mozo Hanü Dizo Le (Without You, I am Nothing) by Anushka Meenakshi and Iswar Srikumar Proposition for a Revolution by Khushboo Ranka...

The potential Oscar contenders from India this year in the 'Best Foreign Language' category seem to have gone commercial with a vengeance. Last year, Anurag Kashyap created an ugly hungama over the selection Gyan Correa's Gujarati drama The Good Road instead of Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox. This year, the films that are up as contenders as India's official entry to the Oscars include two big Hindi blockbusters, the film adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's 2 States. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram Leela. Curiously, two of Hansal Mehta's films Shahid and Citylights are both contenders to represent us at the Oscars. Even more significantly, there are three Marathi films in the reckoning, namely Mahesh Limaye's Yellow, Nagraj Manjule's Fandry and Srihari Sathe's Ek Hazarchi Note. There is also the one Bengali film, the very powerful Jaatishwar, the bio-pic of the Portuguese poet Hensman Anthony...

Fans can now relive the genre defining story of Imtiaz Ali’s film ‘Highway’ on Blu-ray™, DVD & Vcd. A favorite with fans and critics alike the movie was released on home video in association with Reliance Home Video and Games. Director Imtiaz Ali, actor Alia Bhatt & Randeep Hooda along with Sweta Agnihotri, COO, Reliance Home Video & Games were present to formally release the DVD of the film at up market Landmark Retail Store at Infiniti Mall, Andheri West Mumbai. The venue was packed with the media fraternity in full attendance.

Imtiaz Ali, the director of ‘Highway’ spoke about how his team had conceived of and packaged some really interesting material to be included in the DVD, the audience could look forward to bonus material about the film, deleted scenes and behind the camera moments with the cast and the crew.

Randeep Hooda was reminiscent of his role in the film...

‘The Lunchbox’ movie review: ‘Exceptional film’ that would have deserved an Oscar nomination (photo: Nimrat Kaur in ‘The Lunchbox’) The Lunchbox / Dabba was not the Film Federation of India’s submission to the 2014 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. This was reported as controversial at the time, particularly in the Indian film community. The Film Federation chose instead Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, which failed to be shortlisted by the Academy. We have not seen The Good Road, but it’d better be really good; otherwise, the harsh criticism of India’s Film Federation will be justified: The Lunchbox, writer-director Ritesh Batra’s debut feature, is an exceptional film, crafted to present an India that is profoundly traditional in many ways, yet emotionally modern, with characters engaged in deep reflection on the past and the deepest consideration of the future. In fact, The Lunchbox is a wonderful movie that...

While everyone's talking about the Oscars, there were actual movies screening in theaters this weekend too, and they weren't all ones with golden dreams tonight. Sony Pictures Classics released Indian import "The Lunchbox" -- which many felt the country should have submitted to the Oscars (they submitted "The Good Road" instead, which did not get nominated) -- in 4 theaters in La and NY. The result was a very strong $51,325 -- averaging $17,108 per theater.  Directed by Ritesh Batra, the acclaimed film stars  Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Also debuting to strong numbers was a film that was indeed included among this year's Oscar nominees (and the last to finally find theatrical release): Gkids's "Ernest & Celestine," which is up for best animated feature. On a single screen, the French import grossed $15,611, which bodes well as it expands in the coming week. Cinedigm released David Grovic's "The Bag Man" in 2 theaters.

Before the Trailer, We Thought: Romantic comedies are on the decline, but Ritesh Batra's feature debut seems to hold a certain charm. It was anticipated to be submit for a nomination in the Foreign Language Category, but India chose a little-known film, "The Good Road," for submission instead. But the love story set in motion by misdelivered lunch seems to have had the popular vote; we're still anticipating this alternate contender. For more indie film trailers check out Indiewire's trailer page, sponsored by Sony Picture Classics. And Now? We're definitely still hungry. Irrfan Khan is recognizable from his roles in "Life of Pi" and "The Amazing Spider Man," so it just kind of feels right to see him in one of the two lead roles. The other star is the brightly gorgeous Nimrat Kaur, an Indian film and stage actress. After her home-cooked lunch is delivered to a lonely...

One of the more interesting and minor controversies of the awards season this year was India's decision to submit the little seen or heard about "The Good Road," instead of "The Lunchbox," the feature debut by Ritesh Batra that spent a good chunk of 2013 on the festival circuit where it earned continual good notices. And not only was the film getting good reviews, it was widely perceived as being particularly accessible too, with the potential of reaching a wider audience than your usual arthouse fare. Awards consideration aside, the movie is still coming, and the first trailer and clip from "The Lunchbox" has arrived. Starring Irrfan Khan, the relatively simple story chronicles the foodie romance that blooms between a lonely office worker and an unloved housewife, after a switch up of lunchboxes has her meals being delivered to him, instead of her husband. And soon, the pair start trading notes through the daily lunchtime delivery.

As this year's Academy Awards nominations approach, and after the shocking selection of films conforming the Academy's shortlist for the Best Foreign Language Film Award, audiences will get the opportunity to see some of the films that were dismissed but which are absolutely deserving of attention. Rather than including all of the 76 Submissions the Palm Spring Film Festival decided to shorten their program to 45 of what they considered the best representation of the extensive amount of films.

Included in the program are all of the 9 shortlisted films, all the other major omissions, and many more obscure titles that showcase some of the most interesting voices in World Cinema today. Most of these films have been awarded prizes and received praise at major festivals from Sundance to Cannes and Toronto, and will give the viewer a broader view of the category beyond the assumed frontrunners.

Below is a list with more information on each of the films that will be screening at Palm Springs with reviews and interviews with the filmmakers for the majority of them. Read more about the complete list of 76 Foreign Language Oscar Submissions visit Here

For more information on the Palm Springs International Film Festival visit Here

Argentina

The German Doctor (Wakolda)

Dir: Lucia Puenzo

Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew

U.S Release: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Isa: Pyramide

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Case Study by Sydney Levine

Australia

The Rocket

Dir: Kim Mordaunt

Language: Lao

U.S Release: Kino Lorber

Isa: Level K

Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition

Trailer

Austria

The Wall

Dir: Julian Polsler

Language: German

U.S Release: Music Box Films - May 31, 2013

Isa: The Match Factory

Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Official Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Belgium

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Dir: Felix van Groeningen

Language: Flemish

U.S Release: Tribeca Film - November 1, 2013

Isa: The Match Factory

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

Bosnia And Herzegovina

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker

Dir: Danis Tanović

Language: Bosnian, Romani

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: The Match Factory

Festivals: Berlinale Competition,Efm Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

Trailer

Cambodia

The Missing Picture

Dir: Rithy Panh

Language: French

U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Canada

Gabrielle

Dir: Louise Archambault

Language: French

U.S Release: eOne

Isa: eOne

Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

Chile

Gloria

Dir: Sebastian Lelio

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Roadside Attractions

Isa: Funny Balloons

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Sydney Levine

China

Back to 1942

Dir: Feng Xiaogang

Language: Mandarin, English

U.S Release: Well Go USA - May 14, 2013

Isa: Huayi Brothers

Festivals: Rome Film Festival 2012, Dubai International Film Festival 2012

Trailer

Croatia

Halima's Path

Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić

Language: Bosnian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Denmark

The Hunt

Dir: Thomas Vinterberg

Language: Danish

U.S Release: Magnolia Pictures - July 12, 2013

Isa: TrustNordisk

Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest 2012

Trailer

Egypt

Winter of Discontent

Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Venice International Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Dubai Film Festival

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Finland

Disciple

Dir: Ulrika Bengts

Language: Finnish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Helsinki Ff 2012, Montréal World Ff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

France

Renoir

Dir: Gilles Bourdos

Language: French

U.S Release: Samuel Goldwyn Films - March 29, 2013

Isa: Wild Bunch

Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard

Trailer

Georgia

In Bloom

Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß

Language: Georgian

U.S Release: Big World Pictures

Isa: Memento

Festivals: Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Germany

Two Lives

Dir: Georg Maas

Language: German

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Beta Cinema

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013

Trailer

Hong Kong

The Grandmaster

Dir: Wong Kar-wai

Language: Cantonese, Mandarin

U.S Release: The Weinstein Company - August 23, 2013

Isa: Fortissimo

Festivals: Berlinale -Efm 2013

Trailer

Hungary

The Notebook

Dir: Janosz Szasz

Language: Hungarian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Iceland

Of Horses and Men

Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson

Language: Icelandic

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Icelandic Film Centre

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

India

The Good Road

Dir: Gyan Correa

Language: Gujarati

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: National Film Board of India

Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Iran

The Past

Dir: Asghar Farhadi

Language: French, Persian

U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics - December 20, 2013

Isa: Memento

Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

Israel

Bethlehem

Dir: Yuval Adler

Language: Hebrew

U.S Release: Adopt

Isa: Westend

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Telluride Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival

Trailer

Italy

The Great Beauty

Dir: Paolo Sorrentino

Language: Italian

U.S Release: AJanus Films

Isa: Pathe

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,

Trailer

Interview by Sydney Levine

Japan

The Great Passage

Dir: Yuya Ishii

Language: Japanese

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Shochiku

Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection

Trailer

Kazakhstan

Shal (The Old Man)

Dir: Yermek Tursunov

Language: Russian, Kazakh

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Latvia

Mother, I Love You

Dir: Janis Nords

Language: Latvian

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: New Europe Film Sales

Festivals: Los Angeles Film Festival 2013, Berlinale Generation KPlus (Grand Prix of the International Jury for the best feature film)

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Mexico

Heli

Dir: Amat Escalante

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Ndm

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Winner Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

Morocco

Horses of God

Dir: Nabil Ayouch

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

The Netherlands

Borgman

Dir: Alex van Warmerdam

Language: Dutch

U.S Release: Drafthouse Films

Isa: Fortissimo

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

New Zealand

White Lies

Dir: Dana Rotberg

Language: Maori

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Film Sales Company

Festivals: N/A

Trailer

Norway

I Am Yours

Dir: Iram Haq

Language: Norwegian, Urdu

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013

Trailer

Palestine

Omar

Dir: Hany Abu-Assad

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Adopt FilmsIsa: The Match Factory

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

Philippines

Transit

Dir: Hannah Espia

Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Poland

Walesa

Dir: Andrzej Wajda

Language: Polish

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Films Boutique

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013

Trailer

Romania

Child's Pose

Dir: Calin Peter Netzer

Language: Romanian

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Beta Cinema

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

Trailer

Articles by Sydney Levine, Berlin Diary #2

Russia

Stalingrad

Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk

Language: Russian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

Trailer

Saudi Arabia

Wadjda

Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics - September 13, 2013

Isa: The Match Factory

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Serbia

Circles

Dir: Srdan Golubovic

Language: Serbian

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Memento

Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Sydney Levine

Singapore

Ilo Ilo

Dir: Anthony Chen

Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Memento

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Slovenia

Class Enemy

Dir: Rok Biček

Language: Slovene

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

South Korea

Juvenile Offender

Dir: Kang Yi-kwan

Language: Korean

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Finecut

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,

Trailer

Spain

15 Years and One Day

Dir: Gracia Querejeta

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Latido

Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

Interview by Carlos Aguilar

Switzerland

More Than Honey

Dir: Markus Imhoof

Language: German, Mandarin

U.S Release: Tba

Isa: Films Boutique

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Berlin Efm 2013

Trailer

Turkey

The Butterfly's Dream

Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan

Language: Turkish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar

United Kingdom

Metro Manila

Dir: Sean Elllis

Language: Filipino, Tagalog

U.S Release: Paladin/108 Media

Isa:

Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013

Trailer

Uruguay

Anina

Dir: Alfredo Soderguit

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin International Film Festival, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema

Trailer

Review by Carlos Aguilar...

Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014 submissions (photo: Ziyi Zhang in ‘The Grandmaster’) (See previous post: Best Foreign Language Film Oscar: ‘The Past,’ ‘Wadjda,’ Andrzej Wajda Among Omissions) In case you missed it, here’s the full list of submissions (in alphabetical order, per country) for the 2014 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. The list of contenders was originally announced on October 7, 2013. Of note: Saudi Arabia and Moldova were first-timers; Montenegro was a first-timer as an independent country. Afghanistan, Wajma — An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram, director; Albania, Agon, Robert Budina, director; Argentina, The German Doctor, Lucía Puenzo, director; Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt, director; Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler, director; Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev, director; Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director; Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen, director; Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanovic, director; Brazil, Neighboring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho,...

India's official entry for the Oscars, The Good Road is out of the best foreign film Oscar race. It failed to qualify in the Academy's latest shortlist of nine films.The nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the category for the 86th Academy Awards out of 76 films that had qualified in the categoryThe nine films nominated in the Foreign Language Film category are: The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium) - Director: Felix van Groeningen An Epis...

Los Angeles, Dec 21: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced a list of nine films that will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category and Indian director Gyan Correa's film "The Good Road", is out of the race.

The Gujarati film was chosen to represent the country in the category at the coveted awards event this year.

Out of the nine, five will be shortlisted for the finale. The 86th Academy Awards nominations will be announced Jan 16, 2014, according to the statement on the official Oscar website.

The nine films nominated in the Foreign Language.

The journey of Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, India’s official submission to the Oscars in the foreign-language category, has come to an end with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announcing nine films that will advance to the next round of voting.

The final five nominees in this category will be announced on January 16, 2014.

The longlist is as follows:

Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanovic

Cambodia, The Missing Picture, Rithy Panh

Denmark, The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg

Germany, Two Lives, Georg Maas

Hong Kong, The Grandmaster, Wong Kar-wai

Hungary, The Notebook, Janos Szasz

Italy, The Great Beauty, Paolo Sorrentino

Palestine, Omar, Hany Abu-Assad...

The Good Road, India's Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : None Yet. Production Company: National Film Development Corporation : Cinemas of India

Mesmerizingly diverse India is a land of immeasurable contrasts, which cultural tapestry is breathtaking and too vast to compile into one single artistic work. Modern and in synch with the global economic competitiveness but also protective of its intricately varied ancestry, the country is a melting pot of religious beliefs, languages, and lifestyles. Hence the fact that it’s almost impossible to summarize what it means to be Indian and to determine what is the accepted national identity that applies to all the distinct fractions of the population. Nonetheless, Gyan Correa’s Gujarati-language feature The Good Road does an outstanding job at integrating people from all walks of Indian’s social stratum into a cohesive and absorbing film that honors such enriching multiculturalism.

Arranged in a multi-linear fashion the converging stories take place along highway 378, which runs near the Rann Dessert. Impertinent 7-year-old Aditya (Keval Katrodia) is a city boy on holiday with his picture-perfect suburban family from Mumbai. While wandering around a roadside store, the boy is unexpectedly left behind by his parents, which sets in motion a triptych road trip that turns into an introspective learning journey for all its participants. Ordered by his morally deviant boss, Pappu (Shamji Dhana Kerasia), a truck driver on his way to complete an illegal operation, is responsible for taking Adi to the nearest diner to wait for his parents. Helped by his suspicious assistant Shaukat (Priyank Upadhyay), the two men now have to accomplish their mission while caring for the irritating child.

At a distant point along the same path, starving and noticeably exhausted, Poonam (Poonam Kesar Singh) is a small girl trying to hitch a ride to her grandmother’s house when she stumbles upon a makeshift brothel in the middle of nowhere. Warned by the owner that she is too young to stay there, Poonam decides to stay long enough to rest and grab some food. Unaware of the sort of business that goes on there, she befriends teenage Rinkle, an experienced young woman who wants to show her the ropes of the trait. Meanwhile, David (Ajay Gehi) and Kiran (Sonali Kulkarni), Adi’s parents, are tormented by guilt and desperately look for him. Aided by police they launch a full-scale search that puts their own lives at risk, and shakes them into realizing the important things that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Linked together by the arid landscape of the Gujarati province, the ensemble cast conveys the unified spirit of he country’s people disregarding their origin or social status. The serendipitous events in their shared journey are a test, and require them to decide whether to take the road of virtue or one of hatred. Initially charged with animosity, Adi’s relationship with Shaukat develops into a genuine friendship. His presence becomes a refreshing cure for Pappu’s apathetic perception of life, the child’s ability for wonderment is reinvigorating for the frayed driver. Simultaneously, David and Kiran find in their parallel quest to find their son, a renewed hope in others. Receiving help from the least expected good Samaritans, they learn a lesson of trust and kindness. Lastly, the other intertwined drifter, Poonam, exemplifies self-respect and loyalty far beyond her age. Collectively the entire cast is effective at playing their respective piece of the puzzle.

This layered film proves that there are far more nuanced visions in the creative field of India that what Bollywood presents to the word. The characters are at a crossroads, physically and emotionally. At this crucial moment in their lives, their differences are irrelevant and they must walk together to seek a brighter future. Just as it is mentioned in Adi’s patriotic song, all of them form part of one multilayered but joined singular vision. Shot with entrancing luminosity The Good Road is a bracingly evocative collage of experiences connected by one road, this road is India.

Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...

Top brass at the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) have announced a new programme on Canadian Cinema as well as the traditionally strong roster of foreign-language films eligible for the Fipresci Award in the Awards Buzz section, and Modern Masters.

The festival will screen 45 of the 76 official foreign-language Oscar submissions under the umbrella of Awards Buzz.

“We’ve selected Canadian films for a special focus at this year’s festival for many reasons, not the least of which is the wealth of talent emerging from its relatively small, indigenous film industry, and the depth and richness of story and character portrayal its films exemplify,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.

“Whether it’s established auteurs like Denis Coté, Denis Villenueve and Atom Egoyan, gifted actor-directors like Don McKellar and Sarah Polley or newly emerging talents like Chloé Robichaud, Craig Goodwill and Sébastien Pilote, Canadian creative ingenuity is on abundant display in its films. All of this...

The Good Road India’s official submission for Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, an Nfdc production, has been invited to be screened at the Ivy League Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge campus at Massachusetts, USA. The film will be screened on December 9, 2013 at Harvard University’s South Asia Institute (Sai), as part of an ongoing series, where the director of the film Gyan Correa himself will be present, and interact Read More...

Mumbai, Dec 6: Gujarati film "The Good Road", India's official submission for the foreign language film category at the 86th Academy Awards, will be screened at Harvard University's Cambridge campus in Massachusetts, Us.

A production by the National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), the film will be shown Dec 9 at Harvard University's South Asia Institute (Sai). The film's director, Gyan Correa, will interact with the audience at the screening.

It will be an academic event held for the Harvard faculty, students and affiliates who have an avid interest in films, said a statement from Nfdc.

The event will.

No one will be mistaking the Indian submission for the best foreign film Oscar, “The Good Road,” for a Bollywood production, even before it doesn’t get to the first musical number. More apt comparisons for writer-director Gyan Correa’s triptych feature are tough-minded, multi-narrative dramas from other countries, like “Babel.” As it turns out, first-time helmer Correa has not lacked for points of connection with the Bollywood world, in his previous life as an ad-man. “When I started making commercials, I had a lot of offers to do feature films in India — but essentially in a space like the Bollywood space,...

Amit Kumar’s Monsoon Shootout will open the 10th Annual South Asian International Film Festival which will be held from December 3-8, 2013.

Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, India’s official submission to the Oscars in the foreign-language category, will screen as the closing film.

Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar’s Good Morning Karachi will be screened as the Centerpiece film. The film addresses the tension between religious extremism and modernity through the eyes of a young woman, Rafina, coming of age in Karachi city.

Hammad Khan’s Anima State, Rajat Kapoor’s Ankhon Dekhi, Richie Mehta’s Siddharth, Kamal K.M.’s I.D and Anup Singh’s Qissa will compete in Feature Film Competition.

Rahul Desai’s Khoon Ltd, Shiva Shankka’s Outpost, Rodd Rathjen’s Tau Seru, Anand Tiwari’s Neighbours and Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush are the short films in competition.

The Spectrum section of the festival will...

Rajesh Jala’s The Spark was awarded the $16,000 (Rs1m) Incredible India award at the close of Film Bazaar (Nov 20-24), while Kanu Behl’s Titli took the Prasad Digital Intermediate prize.

The Spark, which was selected for Film Bazaar’s Screenwriters’ Lab, tells the story of a riot victim who has a plan to take revenge, but is indecisive about taking action. Jala previously directed award-winning documentary Children Of The Pyre.

Produced by Dibakar Banerjee with backing from Yash Raj Films, Titli revolves around the volatile relationship between two brothers. Currently in post-production, the film was selected for Film Bazaar’s Work-in-Progress Lab. Behl has worked as assistant and co-writer on Banerjee’s previous features.

More than 950 delegates from 35 countries attended this year’s Film Bazaar, compared to 712 from 32 countries in 2012. International visitors included four Cannes heavyweights – Thierry Fremaux, Christian Jeune, Critics Week’s Charles Tesson and Directors’ Fortnight’s Edouard Waintrop – along with delegations from Screen...

Panaji, Nov 24: The New York-based Bgp Film has picked up north American rights to Gyan Correa's "The Good Road", a report said Sunday.

The movie is India's official entry to the foreign language category of the Academy Awards, Screen At Film Bazaar said.

Launched by former New Line executive Bill Straus, Bgp Film is a sales agency focussed on the north American market.

Screen At Film Bazaar is being brought out specially for the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) here.

Ians...

New York-based Bgp Film has picked up North American rights to Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, which is India’s official entry to the foreign-language category of the Academy Awards.

Launched by former New Line executive Bill Straus, Bgp is a sales agency focused on the North American market. “The Oscar submission for the film is a good opportunity to pitch it to a range of American buyers while it’s still under consideration,” said Straus. “I will start screening it for buyers immediately.”

Produced by India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), The Good Road won an award for best Gujarati-language film at India’s prestigious National Film Awards in May this year.

Nfdc general manager Vikramjit Roy, who is overseeing the film’s Oscar campaign, said: “This is the beginning of a journey and it’s great to have Bill and his passion on board.”

Straus said he felt the film could work with...

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has acquired four films that have screened at Film Bazaar including India’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

The four titles – The Good Road, Sulemani Keeda, Fandry and B.A. Pass - will screen as part of the New Voices section within Channel 4’s Indian film season in 2014. The season of around 20 Indian titles is screened in two blocks – April and September-October.

“The idea is to make sure we cater to a wider Asian audience, so we would have a commercial movie like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara screening alongside a Celluloid Man,” said Channel 4 Indian film programmer Nasreen Munni Kabir.

“These are young, new generation film-makers who will not get mainstream studios’ distribution support. The only downside is that sub-titled films play late at night [after 11pm] but people mostly record and watch at their convenience.”

Gyan Correa’s The Good Road is a Gujarati-language road movie revolving around three groups of people...

UK broadcaster Channel 4 had acquired four films that have screened at Film Bazaar – The Good Road, Sulemani Keeda, Fandry and B.A. Pass.

The four titles will screen as part of the New Voices section within Channel 4’s Indian film season in 2014. The season of around 20 Indian titles is screened in two blocks – April and September-October.

“The idea is to make sure we cater to a wider Asian audience, so we would have a commercial movie like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara screening alongside a Celluloid Man,” said Channel 4 Indian film programmer Nasreen Munni Kabir.

“These are young, new generation film-makers who will not get mainstream studios’ distribution support. The only downside is that sub-titled films play late at night [after 11pm] but people mostly record and watch at their convenience.”

Gyan Correa’s The Good Road is a Gujarati-language road movie revolving around three groups of people travelling in the Rann of Kutch, while Fandry...

New Delhi, Nov 20: Model-turned-actor Ajay Gehi, seen in a pivotal role in the Gujarati movie "The Good Road", India's official entry to the best foreign film category section at the Oscars this year, is sure that it will embark on the road to glory.

"I'm confident about 'The Good Road' as its narrative is unique," Gehi said.

"It has an original, well-crafted script and a very enthusiastic and talented team. I'm very confident of 'The Good Road' making it (to the Oscars), but at the same time keeping my fingers crossed and counting all the wishes sent to me," Gehi told Ians in an e-mail interaction.

The directorial.

I feel very fortunate to have been able to cover New York's Saiff for the last three years, and this fourth go around looks like it's going to be as great as ever.Yesterday Saiff 2013 announced its complete line up, including special presentations and having seen a couple of the films already, I'm very excited for anyone who gets to attend in person. Leading the selections are Amit Kumar's Monsoon Shootout, a film I programmed for Fantastic Fest 2013, India's controversial Oscar submission Gyan Correa's The Good Road, Q's psychedelic return to narrative features, Tasher Desh, and Richie Mehta's Siddarth, a film that premiered to unanimous praise at Tiff this year.Twitch will be covering the festival again this year, so you can count on reviews...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Life of Pi actor Irrfan Khan has added further criticism of India’s submission to the Oscars – and revealed he wants to make a film based around music.

Khan starred in The Lunchbox, a heartwarming feature that debuted at Cannes and was considered a shoo-in for the Best Foreign Language Oscar submission from India.

However, the selection committee of the Film Federation of India ignored the critically acclaimed title and instead chose Gujarati film The Good Road.

Speaking on stage at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Khan said the move was out of touch with the changes occurring in Indian cinema and was a “regressive” move.

“No problem, if they didn’t select The Lunchbox,” said the actor, who also co-produced the film.

“Unfortunately, the selection made by the people concerned shows they don’t realise the way the industry is changing. You are not encouraging the serious efforts currently being made to improve the image of Indian...

Life of Pi actor Irrfan Kahn has added further criticism of India’s submission to the Oscars – and revealed he wants to make a film based around music.

Kahn starred in The Lunchbox, a heartwarming feature that debuted at Cannes and was considered a shoo-in for the Best Foreign Language Oscar submission from India.

However, the selection committee of the Film Federation of India ignored the critically acclaimed title and instead chose Gujarati film The Good Road.

Speaking on stage at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Kahn said the move was out of touch with the changes occurring in Indian cinema and was a “regressive” move.

“No problem, if they didn’t select The Lunchbox,” said the actor, who also co-produced the film.

“Unfortunately, the selection made by the people concerned shows they don’t realise the way the industry is changing. You are not encouraging the serious efforts currently being made to improve the image of Indian...

Abu Dhabi, Oct 27: Academy Award winning Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tavonic is upset with Indian decision makers for choosing a "good film" like "The Good Road" over its "best horse", "The Lunchbox" as the representative to compete for the Oscar in the best foreign language film category this year.

And he is not saying it because he is one of the around 20 co-producers of the Irrfan Khan-starrer.

The Film Federation of India (Ffi) picked "The Good Road", a Gujarati travel drama, which the federation felt reflects an India that our movies usually don't showcase.

"You had a chance and you don't have it anymore,".

Without meaning to, a gentle, yet obscure Gujarati-language film ignited a storm of controversy in India in September when it was chosen by the Film Federation of India as the country’s submission for the Academy Award for foreign language film. But upset film watchers need to get over their resentment. The Good Road — which had been pitted against Sony Pictures Classics’ festival favorite The Lunchbox for India’s Oscar submission — defies its critics by succeeding cinematically. That doesn’t mean many people will get a chance to see it, though. The country’s National Film Development Corporation, producer of The

read more...

There has been a lot of speculation recently about The Good Road being selected as the Indian entry for the Oscars, and the Film Federation of India(Ffi) sent a letter to Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra asking for an apology for ‘demeaning a film when an eminent jury has selected it’. As reported by the Hindustan Times, Ffi secretary Supran Sen wrote to Batra, “We have been hearing and reading about your various unsavoury comments either through the film industry grapevine or through your Twitter /Facebook posts about the selection of The Good Road for Oscar. As a citizen of a democratic country you have every right to express yourself, but when a certain boundary is crossed time and again, one cannot take it lying down.”

Ritesh Batra responded to the letter stating that he had no intent of hurting anyone’s sentiments when he expressed his views. He wrote,...

Nfdc Film Bazaar is calling for entries for its Industry Screening Program. The screenings will be organised at Film Bazaar to be held from November 20 – 24, 2013 in Marriott Resort, Goa.

Under the Industry Screenings, filmmakers can showcase and pitch their films to a select audience of sales agents, distributors, producers, festival programmers and directors. Filmmakers can either reserve their film screenings for a selected audience of international distributors and sales agents or open it for all attending delegates.

The fee for each screening is Rs 10,000 (inclusive of all taxes).

Last date for applications is November 15, 2013.

The Bright Day by Mohit Takalkar, Pune 52 by Nikhil Mahajan, The Good Road by Gyan Correa, Touring Talkies by Gajendra Ahire, Masala by Sandesh Kulkarni, Love Tomato by Hideo Nanbu, Tasher Desh by Q, Kshay by Karan Gaur are some of the films that had industry screenings in 2012.

Write to screenings@filmbazaarindia.com or click here for more details.

Organisers dissatisfied with current selection process after Cannes winner Blue Is the Warmest Colour misses out

• The Past picked as Iran's official Oscar entry

• Renoir biopic to be France's official Oscars submission

The body which organises the Oscars is considering "radical" changes to the rules surrounding the coveted prize for best foreign language film to help more acclaimed examples of world cinema make it through to the nominations stage.

As the longlist for next year's Oscar is announced, revealing that 76 films from as many countries will compete for the award, officials told Deadline that alterations might be needed in future to improve the quality of movies. For example, this year's list does not include the Palme D'Or-winning French film Blue is the Warmest Colour, which was disqualified because it was not released in French cinemas by the October 1 2012 deadline. Indian hit The Lunchbox also misses out, despite being tipped by...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its shortlist for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar — totaling a not-so-short 76 submitted films.

The number, up from 71 films last year, sets a new record for the category and includes frontrunners such as Asghar Farhadi’s The Past from Iran, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt from Denmark, and Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster from Hong Kong. Abdellatif Kechiche’s festival favorite lesbian drama Blue Is the Warmest Color from France, however, failed to make the cut-off date for eligibility, while India controversially submitted Gyan Correa’s The Good Road over Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox.

The Academy officially announced today that a record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 2014 Oscars. Among those submitting, Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants and this is the first time Montenegro has submitted a film as an independent country. Based solely on name recognition alone I'd say Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt (Denmark) and Asghar Farhadi's The Past (Iran) will be looked at as front-runners. However, I haven't only seen a few of the titles on this list, another of which is Mexico's entry, Heli from Amat Escalante. I have heard good things about Borgman (Netherlands) and it will be interesting to see how Haifaa al-Mansour's Wadjda is treated as it is a story unto itself, not to mention it seems to be receiving high marks from those that have seen it. I'm personally hoping to catch it soon...

A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the foreign language film category for the 86th Academy Awards.

Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants while Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.

Earlier this year the Academy changed its rule allowing all voting members to vote on the shortlist.

The nominations will be announced on January 16 2014 and the Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

The 2013 submissions are:

Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram

Albania, Agon, Robert Budina

Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo

Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt

Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler

Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev

Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović

Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov

Cambodia...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has released the list of the 76 countries and their submissions officially competing for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Amongst the high profile entries this year are Australia's "The Rocket," Denmark's "The Hunt," France's "Renoir," Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmaster," Iran's "The Past," and Saudi Arabia's "Wadjda".

The nominations will be announced on January 16th 2014 ahead of the ceremony on March 2nd. Here is the complete list:

Afghanistan, "Wajma – An Afghan Love Story," Barmak Akram

Albania, "Agon," Robert Budina

Argentina, "The German Doctor," Lucía Puenzo

Australia, "The Rocket," Kim Mordaunt

Austria, "The Wall," Julian Pölsler

Azerbaijan, "Steppe Man," Shamil Aliyev

Bangladesh, "Television," Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, "The Broken Circle Breakdown," Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, "An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker," Danis Tanovic

Brazil, "Neighboring Sounds," Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, "The Color of the Chameleon," Emil Hristov

Cambodia, "The Missing Picture,...

As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continues to debate the best way to reform the foreign language branch, from new president Cheryl Boone-Isaacs to producer Mark Johnson, who is restored to running the various voting committees who check out the movies submitted by countries all over the world. That number has been steadily increasing: This year a record 76 films were officially submitted, up from 71 last year. Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country. China, Japan and India chose to select films that seem to have less going for them that others that have succeeded on the fest circuit. China went with politically correct “Back to 1942,” over controversial “A Touch of Sin,” Japan chose “The Great Passage” instead of “Like Father, Like Son," while India picked “The Good Road” over popular festival hit "The Lunchbox." And the Academy disqualified Poland's first choice,...

A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 86th Academy Awards®.

Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.

The 2013 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Wajma – An Afghan Love Story,” Barmak Akram, director;

Albania, “Agon,” Robert Budina, director;

Argentina, “The German Doctor,” Lucía Puenzo, director;

Australia, “The Rocket,” Kim Mordaunt, director;

Austria, “The Wall,” Julian Pölsler, director;

Azerbaijan, “Steppe Man,” Shamil Aliyev, director;

Bangladesh, “Television,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;

Belgium, “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” Felix van Groeningen, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” Danis Tanovic, director;

Brazil, “Neighboring Sounds,” Kleber Mendonça Filho, director;

Bulgaria, “The Color of the Chameleon,” Emil Hristov, director;

Cambodia, “The Missing Picture,” Rithy Panh, director;

Canada, “Gabrielle,” Louise Archambault, director;

Chad, “GriGris,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, director;

Chile, “Gloria,” Sebastián Lelio, director;

China, “Back to 1942,” Feng Xiaogang,...

All entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Academy Awards 2014.

Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.

Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.

An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.

Submissions

Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram

Albania, Agon, Robert Budina

Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo

Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt

Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler

Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev

Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović

Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov

Cambodia...

One of India's well-known brands, Amul India is best known to quirkily feature the top current affair topics through their ads. This time they have picked India's official entry for the Oscars, The Good Road. The ad says 'Gudh Road' followed by the tagline 'Our best dishes with you'. The Amul girl is seen offering food to the lead characters of The Good Road. The Good Road left behind Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, The Lunch Box, The Ship Of Theseus, English Vinglish, Malayalam film...

In line with SydneysBuzz’s focus on the international film business we have put together the most complete list on the 67 national submissions to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This list showcases films that have been the centerpieces of the most renowned festivals and that represent the best in the cinematic landscape from across the globe. Last year, at this point in the race the clear favorite was Palm d'Or winner Amour, which went on to win the award with no significant competition and scoring 4 other nominations including Best Picture, an outstanding feat for a foreign film about love at the end of life, by Michael Haneke.

This time around the story could have repeated almost identically with the most recent winner of Cannes’ biggest prize Blue is the Warmest Color. However, the film became one more victim of the Academy's rules, which rendered it unqualified to compete because of the late release date in France. With Blue out of the race the award is fair game for virtually anyone on the list, although there are certainly some favorites.

Saudi Arabia's first ever submission, the charming Wadjda might turn into beginners luck and score the Kingdom, in which movie theaters are banned, a nomination or even a win. Iran's audacious decision to submit the French-language The Past caused uproar among conservatives, but might certainly score the nation another nomination after their win in 2012 with the masterful A Separation. Other strong contenders are Denmark's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, and which would continue the countries streak of 3 consecutive nominations winning in 2011 with In A Better World, as well as Canada's Gabrielle about the romantic relationship of a handicapped couple, and Hong Kong’s The Grandmaster by famous director Wong Kar-wai.

Italy’s The Great Beauty, Australia’s The Rocket, Romania’s Child’s Pose, and Chile’s Gloria are among other titles that might score a nomination given their success and prominence during their festivals rounds. Some countries decided to take a chance and send audacious choices as their representation to the Academy, so is the case Mexico, a country that chose the more violent and artistically daring Cannes winner Heli, over the hit comedy Instructions Not Included, or Greece’s Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, which includes grotesque imagery that might not sit well with academy members.

The African continent is minimally represented with only 3 entries, South Africa’s Four Corners, and the Arabic-language works God’s Horses from Morocco, and Winter of Discontent from Egypt. Algeria, which has submitted regularly and even scored several nominations, is absent in this occasion. Another big omission is China who did not submit an entry but whose language is represented by Taiwan and the above-mentioned Hong Kong; equally strange is France’s decision to enter Renoir over tons of other films that could have substituted Abdellatif Kechiche.

Less surprising is Russia’s decision to submit a blockbuster-style production with a very nationalistic message in lieu of a more intimate film. On the other hand, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Switzerland decided to go with a documentary, a choice that has never been very fruitful in this category. Lastly, Israel and Palestine both entered strong candidate with Bethlehem and Omar respectively, adding with that to the great year the region has seen in the cinematic realm.

The rest of the films are a mixture of obscure titles with not much exposure outside their homelands, and a others with great premise but equally unknown quality. Thankfully for SydneysBuzz readers, the list below compiles all 67 Foreign Submissions and includes links to more information and a link to the trailer of every single one of them. For the most part the clips are subtitled; the ones that are not will at least give the reader a sense of what the film is about. As the Awards Season develops, we will have updates on predicted nominees and other developments in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film.

Argentina

The German Doctor (Wakolda)

Dir: Lucia Puenzo

Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew

U.S Release: Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard

Trailer

Australia

The Rocket

Dir: Kim Mordaunt

Language: Lao

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition

Trailer

Austria

The Wall

Dir: Julian Polsler

Language: German

U.S Release: Released by Music Box Films on May 31st, 2013

Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Oficial Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition

Trailer

Bangladesh

Television

Dir: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Language: Bengali

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Dubai Diff 2012 (Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Special Mention)

Trailer

Belgium

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Dir: Felix van Groeningen

Language: Flemish

U.S Release: Tribeca Film Will Release the Film on November 1st, 2013

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama

Trailer

Bosnia And Herzegovina

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker

Dir: Danis Tanović

Language: Bosnian, Romani

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 Competition, Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

Trailer

Brazil

Neighboring Sounds

Dir: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Language: Portuguese, Mandarin

U.S Release: Released by Cinema Guild, Now Available on Netflix streaming

Festivals:Mar Del Plata Ff 2012 Competencia Int'l, Bafici (Buenos Aires) 2013 Panorama

Trailer

Bulgaria

The Color of the Chameleon

Dir: Emil Hristov

Language: Bulgarian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery, Thessaloniki Iff 2012 Int'l Competition

Trailer

Cambodia

The Missing Picture

Dir: Rithy Panh

Language: French

U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls

Trailer

Canada

Gabrielle

Dir: Louise Archambault

Language: French

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013

Trailer

Chile

Gloria

Dir: Sebastian Lelio

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Acquired by Roadside Attractions for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013

Trailer

Colombia

La Playa DC

Dir: Juan Andrés Arango

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Released by Artmattan Productions on July 19th, 2013

Festivals:Official Selection Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard, Chicago Iff 2012 New Directors Competition

Trailer

Croatia

Halima's Path

Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić

Language: Bosnian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)

Trailer

Czech Republic

Burning Bush

Dir: Agnieszka Holland

Language: Czech

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013

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Denmark

The Hunt

Dir: Thomas Vinterberg

Language: Danish

U.S Release: Released by Magnolia Pictures on July 12th

Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest

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Dominican Republic

Who's the Boss?

Dir: Ronni Castillo

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Egypt

Winter of Discontent

Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013

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Estonia

Free Range

Dir: Veiko Õunpuu

Language: Estonian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2012

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Finland

The Disciple

Dir: Ulrika Bengts

Language: Finnish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals:Helsinki International Film Festival, Montréal World Film Festival

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France

Renoir

Dir: Gilles Bourdos

Language: French

U.S Release: Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29th, 2013

Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard

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Georgia

In Bloom

Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß

Language: Georgian

U.S Release: Acquired by Big World Pictures for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013

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Germany

Two Lives

Dir: Georg Maas

Language: German

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013

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Greece

Boy Eating The Bird's Food

Dir: Ektoras Lygizos

Language: Greek

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery

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Hong Kong

The Grandmaster

Dir: Wong Kar-wai

Language: Cantonese, Mandarin

U.S Release: Released by The Weinstein Company on August 23rd, 2013

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013, Cannes 2013

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Hungary

The Notebook

Dir: Janosz Szasz

Language: Hungarian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

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Iceland

Of Horses and Men

Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson

Language: Icelandic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013

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India

The Good Road

Dir: Gyan Correa

Language: Gujarati

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013

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Iran

The Past

Dir: Asghar Farhadi

Language: French, Persian

U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on December 20th, 2013

Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013

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Israel

Bethlehem

Dir: Yuval Adler

Language: Hebrew

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Cannes 2013 , Berlin Efm 2013

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Italy

The Great Beauty

Dir: Paolo Sorrentino

Language: Italian

U.S Release: Acquired by Janus Films for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,

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Japan

The Great Passage

Dir: Yuya Ishii

Language: Japanese

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection, Cannes 2013

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Kazakhstan

The Old Man

Dir: Ermek Tursunov

Language: Russian, Kazakh

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Latvia

Mother, I Love You

Dir: Janis Nords

Language: Latvian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Los Angeles Film Festival 2013

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Lebanon

Ghadi

Dir: Amin Dora

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Lithuania

Conversations on Serious Topics

Dir: Giedrė Beinoriūtė

Language: Lithuanian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013

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Luxembourg

Blind Spot

Dir: Christophe Wagner

Language: Luxembourgish, French

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012

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Mexico

Heli

Dir: Amat Escalante

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,

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Montenegro

Bad Destiny

Dir: Draško Đurović

Language: Serbo-Croatian

U.S Release: Acquired by Princ Films for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Busan 2013

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Morocco

God's Horses

Dir: Nabil Ayouch

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012

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Nepal

Soongava: Dance of the Orchids

Dir: Subarna Thapa

Language: Nepalese

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Berlin Efm 2013

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The Netherlands

Borgman

Dir: Alex van Warmerdam

Language: Dutch

U.S Release: Acquired by Drafthouse Films for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013

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New Zealand

White Lies

Dir: Dana Rotberg

Language: Maori

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Norway

I Am Yours

Dir: Iram Haq

Language: Norwegian, Urdu

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013

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Pakistan

Zinda Bhaag

Dir: Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi

Language: Udu, Punjabi

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Palestine

Omar

Dir: Hany Abu-Assad

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013

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Peru

The Cleaner

Dir: Adrian Saba

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Palm Springs Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival

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Philippines

Transit

Dir: Hannah Espia

Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013

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Poland

Walesa

Dir: Andrzej Wajda

Language: Polish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013

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Portugal

Lines of Wellington

Dir: Valeria Sarmiento

Language: Portuguese, English, French

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Venice - Biennale 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012

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Romania

Child's Pose

Dir: Calin Peter Netzer

Language: Romanian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

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Russia

Stalingrad

Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk

Language: Russian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Saudi Arabia

Wadjda

Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Released by Sony Pictures Classics on September 13th, 2013

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013

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Serbia

Circles

Dir: Srdan Golubovic

Language: Serbian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum, Cannes 2013

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Singapore

Ilo Ilo

Dir: Anthony Chen

Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery

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Slovakia

My Dog Killer

Dir: Mira Fornay

Language: Slovak

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Busan 2013

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Slovenia

Class Enemy

Dir: Rok Biček

Language: Slovene

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013

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Spain

15 Years and One Day

Dir: Gracia Querejeta

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013

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South Africa

Four Corners

Dir: Ian Gabriel

Language: Afrikaans, Tsotsitaal

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals:N/A

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South Korea

Juvenile Offender

Dir: Kang Yi-kwan

Language: Korean

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,

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Sweden

Eat Sleep Die

Dir: Gabriela Pichler

Language: Swedish, Croatian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Venice International Film Festival 2012, Toronto - Tiff 2012

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Switzerland

More Than Honey

Dir: Markus Imhoof

Language: German, Mandarin

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Cannes 2013, Berlin Efm 2013

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Taiwan

Soul

Dir: Mong-Hong Chung

Language: Mandarin

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Vanguard

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Thailand

Countdown

Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya

Language: Thai

U.S Release: Acquired by Birch Tree Entertainment for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Far East Film Festival 2013

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Turkey

The Butterfly's Dream

Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan

Language: Turkish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival

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Ukraine

Paradjanov

Dir: Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova

Language: Russian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto 2013

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United Kingdom

Metro Manila

Dir: Sean Elllis

Language: Filipino, Tagalog

U.S Release: Acquired by Paladin/108 Media for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013

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Venezuela

Breach in the Silence

Dir: Luis and Andrés Rodríguez

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Ventana Sur 2012, Festival de Mar del Plata "Panorama Latinomaericano"

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There was a huge hue and cry about the Gujarati film The Good Road being chosen as the official Indian entry for the Oscars. Amongst the other films, Farhan Akhtar's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag also lost out to The Good Road.Ask him whether he's disappointed about his film not being selected and the actor says, I'm not at all disappointed about Bhaag Milkha Bhaag not being selected as India's official entry. I think we made a film which we wanted to make. I'm happy that audience lik...

To begin, Afghanistan and Ecuador have added two more titles to the list of Foreign Language Oscar contenders submitted to the 86th Academy Awards with Barmak Akram's Wajma (An Afghan Love Story) and Javier Andrade's Porcelain Horse, bringing the total number of submissions to 69 so far. Today marked the deadline for submissions and the Academy will soon announce the complete list of films accepted for consideration as this year's race for the Foreign Language category may prove a little more interesting now that the entire voting membership of the Academy can vote for the category, though the nominations will still be determined by a committee. What effect the rule change will have on the end results will be hard to determine since we won't know how it would have happened otherwise, but opening the opportunity to more members can't be a bad thing. Bad things are brewing around the category,...