International Oscar submissions sharpen: new titles and expanded rule

The submissions for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film close on Oct 1. The shortlist, announced on Dec 15, will present fifteen works that Academy members must watch. Among the selected titles are Fjord (Romania), Cannes Palme d'Or winner, Everytime (Germany), Un Certain Regard winner, Minotaur (France), Cannes Grand Prix winner, La Bola Negra (Spain), Fatherland (Poland), Cannes Best Director winner, and Woman Unknown (Denmark), Venice Golden Lion winner with Mathilde Arcel awarded the Coppa Volpi. A new rule now allows any film that has won an award at one of the six major festivals - Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan, Toronto - to compete without the backing of a national committee. China submits Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, an anti-war drama by Wen Muye, starring Shen Teng as Xu Fu, a indebted chef, and Jiang Qiming as Ma Junsheng. The film, based on real events, is co-written by Zhong Wei and Lang Qunli, under the supervision of Ning Hao. Source: Variety.