A still from 2018. (courtesy: tovinothomas)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released shortlists in 10 categories. 2018, the Malayalam blockbuster, did not secure a spot among the final 15 films in the International Feature Film category. The Jude Anthany Joseph directorial is a survival drama about the floods that devastated Kerala in 2018. Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal were part of the film. The films, selected in the category, are Amerikatsi (Armenia), The Monk and the Gun (Bhutan); The Promised Land (Denmark); Fallen Leaves (Finland); The Taste of Things (France); The Teachers' Lounge (Germany); Godland (Iceland), lo Capitano (Italy), Perfect Days (Japan), Totem (Mexico), The Mother of All Lies (Morocco), Society of the Snow (Spain), Four Daughters (Tunisia), 20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) and The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom).
But in the Documentary Feature category, a film based on the Jharkhand gangrape case has sealed a place. To Kill a Tiger, by Toronto-based director Nisha Pahuja, has been selected. For those who don't know, the Oscars 2024 shortlists include movies that can officially compete but it does not guarantee that the film will advance in the final nominations of the Academy Awards, which will be announced on January 23.
The other Shortlists categories include Documentary Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, and Sound and Visual Effects. Several international blockbuster films, including Barbie, Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Napoleon, have earned nominations in multiple categories.
Since Lagaan in 2002, no Indian entry has secured a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Only two other films have previously made it to the final five – Nargis' Mother India and Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! Last year, Pan Nalin's Chhello Show was India's official entry for the International Feature Film category, but it also failed to secure a spot among the nominees.
Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature but did not win. However, the year proved significant for Indian cinema, with Naatu Naatu from RRR winning Best Original Song, and The Elephant Whisperers securing Best Documentary Short Subject. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10, 2024, at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre.