‘Norte’ makes early impact on Oscar prediction lists

Mae Paner and Angeli Bayani in a scene from 'Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan'.

Less than a week after it officially became the Philippine entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 2015 Academy Awards, Lav Diaz’s “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” has already made its presence felt in at least two online Oscar prediction lists.

Debuting at an impressive No. 15 in Indiewire’s Top 20 predictions, “Norte” is one of seven films categorized by writer Peter Knegt as “Other Options that Could Surprise”.

It is also one of only four films from Asia in the list, the others being “The Golden Era” from Hong Kong currently ranked number 12, “Winter Sleep” from Turkey ranked number 7, and “Leviathan” which is ranked at number 3.

Geographically, both Turkey and Russia are transcontinental countries that cover both Europe and Asia.

Indiewire is a US-based daily news site that is not only considered as leading source of information on independent and foreign language films but also a reliable resource for industry news, film festival reports, filmmaker interviews and movie reviews.

Another US-based entertainment site, Hitfix.com also posted its list of contenders (link: http://ift.tt/1os0zfU) for the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film. While “Norte” did not make its Top 10, it is listed among the films that are “Also in Play”.

Launched in 2008, Hitfix specializes in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television.

AwardsCircuit.com, an Oscar-prediction site where the Philippines has figured prominently over the last two years, with 2012’s “Bwakaw” peaking at number 6 and last year’s “Transit” ranking as high as number 15, has also released its own Oscar predictions for the Best Foreign Language Film category. However, its last update is dated September 21, three days before the announcement of “Norte” so it’s understandable that Diaz’s acclaimed masterpiece is not yet in its list.

As the October 1 deadline approaches, a total of 67 countries have so far submitted their official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), however, will still determine the eligibility of the submissions.

Based on the posted predictions, several films have emerged as early frontrunners, including Poland’s “Ida”, Canada’s “Mommy”, Russia’s “Leviathan”, Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night”, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” and Turkey’s “Winter Sleep”, the Palme d’ Or winner of the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival.

‘Norte’ makes early impact on Oscar prediction lists

Source: InterAksyon.com (September 30, 2014 at 08:37AM)

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