APPLES – Awards Campaign Status Report

SCREENINGS

• December 7 – TheWrap screening and Q&A with , Christos Nikou, and moderated by TheWrap’s Steve Pond. Article posted online following screening https://www.thewrap.com/apples-pandemic-amnesia-video/ • December 15 – CAA screening and conversation moderated by . • January 9 – Deadline Contenders event with pre-recorded conversation with Deadline International Editor Andreas Wiseman. • January 15 – CAA screening and conversation with Christos Nikou, Cate Blanchett, and Indiewire’s Anne Thompson. • January 16 – Greek Festival screening with Q&A moderated by Phedon Papamichael • January 15 – BAFTA pre-recorded Q&A with Cate Blanchett and Christos Nikou • January 18 – Pre-recorded Interview moderated by Nancy Tartaglione with Cate Blanchett and Christos Nikou • January 22 – Mill Valley For Your Consideration series screening and Q&A.

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PRESS BREAKS

VARIETY – Clayton Davis, January 28, 2021 Oscars Predictions: Best International Feature https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-international-feature-predictions-1234880372/ *APPLES is #10 and includes a photo.

VARIETY – Guy Lodge, January 27, 2021 Europe Leads the Way to International Film Oscar Shortlist hopes https://variety.com/2021/film/awards/europe-international-shortlist-oscar-1234892771/

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW – January 2021 ‘Apples in the Top 5 Foreign Language ’ https://nationalboardofreview.org/2021/01/national-board-of-review-announces-2020- award-winners/?fbclid=IwAR3FkJWMtpdk8TP4d3ZZXBzMA6DZgYD9eeWmkfEMvGwg- wK8VD0q9wWiWd8

DEADLINE – Amanda N’Duka – January 26, 2021 ‘ to star in ‘Apples’ director Christos Nikou’s english-language debut ‘Fingernails’ https://deadline.com/2021/01/carey-mulligan-fingernails-christos-nikou-movie-apples-dirty- films-1234680570/?fbclid=IwAR2qEa71oexWf

INDIEWIRE – Anne Thompson, January 25, 2021 15 Top Contenders for the Best International Feature Film Oscar shortlist https://www.indiewire.com/2021/01/15-top-contenders-best-international-feature-film- oscar-shortlist-1234611202/

VARIETY – Manori Ravindran, January 22, 2021 Cate Blanchett, Christos Nikou Discuss Greek Oscar Contender ‘Apples’ and movie’s accidental timeliness https://variety.com/2021/awards/global/cate-blanchett-christos-nikou-apples-oscar-- 1234890605/

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – Scott Feinberg, January 15, 2021 “Feinberg Forecast: A Mid-January Check on the Oscar Race” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/feinberg-forecast-a-mid-january-check-on-the-oscar- race?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%20Feinberg%20Forecast&ut m_term=hollywoodreporter_therace_ff

SCREEN DAILY – Michael Rosser, January 15, 2021 “In conversation: ‘Apples’, ‘Beginning’ and ‘Arracht’ directors talk Oscars, dark themes and future projects” http://screendaily.com/features/in-conversation-apples-beginning-and-arracht-directors-talk-oscars- dark-themes-and-future-projects/5156215.article

LOS ANGELES TIMES’ THE ENVELOPE – Gregory Ellwood, January 14, 2021 (print issue) “Rescuing Memory”

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ONLINE VERSION: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-01-12/greek- film-apples-christos-nikou

DEADLINE AWARDSLINE – Nancy Tartaglione, January 13, 2021 “Windows on the World” https://www.dropbox.com/s/uflxdsdz7fyw8o7/FirstTake_Deadline.pdf?dl=0

LOS ANGELES TIMES – Gregory Ellwood, January 12, 2021 “Greek film ‘Apples’ explores the role of memory in human existence” https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-01-12/greek-film-apples-christos- nikou

THEWRAP – Christos Nikou’s interview with the Wrap’s Awards editor Steve Pond is included in the January 11 International race print issue.

DEADLINE – Andreas Wiseman, January 9, 2021 “’Apples’ Director Christos Nikou On The Timeliness Of His Greek Oscar Entry” https://deadline.com/2021/01/apples-christos-nikou-greece-oscar-entry-interview- contenders-1234668028/

THE FILM STAGE – Eli Friedberg, January 6, 2021 “The 40 Best 2021 Films We’ve Already Seen” https://thefilmstage.com/the-40-best-2021-films-weve-already-seen/

GOLD DERBY – Paul Sheehan, November 10, 2020 “2021 Oscar Predictions: Best International Feature” https://www.goldderby.com/feature/2021-oscar-predictions-best-international-feature- 1203825978/

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – Scott Roxborough, January 8, 2021 (print issue) “Has Parasite Ushered in a Golden Age of Odd” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-international-feature-race-has-parasite- ushered-in-a-broader-acceptance-of-genre-in-category PRINT VERSION – https://www.dropbox.com/s/c60e8uxyef7zrxe/THR_Jan8_Apples.pdf?dl=0

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – David Rooney, “THR’s Top Reviewed International Films” PRINT VERSION – https://www.dropbox.com/s/4fdxj67nc3wtzw7/THR_Jan8_Apples_Rooney.pdf?dl=0 *Apples is in THR’s list of the 3 top reviewed films of 2020.

LOS ANGELES TIMES – Michael Ordoña, December 31, 2020 “BuzzMeter 2021: Our experts make early Oscar predictions – and so can you” https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2020-12-31/oscars-2021- buzzmeter-gets-you-in-the-awards-season-swing *Apples is #9.

THE PLAYLIST – Gregory Ellwood, November 30, 2020 “International Film Contenders Ready For A Wide Open Oscars Race”

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https://theplaylist.net/international-film-contenders-wide-open-oscars-race- 20201130/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium= *includes the trailer.

SCREEN DAILY – Wendy Ide, December 23, 2020 “Films of the year 2020: Wendy Ide” https://www.screendaily.com/features/films-of-the-year-2020-wendy-ide/5155934.article *Apples is #6 on Wendy Ide’s Top 10 list.

SCREEN DAILY – Michael Rosser, January 8, 2021 (print issue) “Awards countdown: In a league of their own” https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ggpflb2s1kc664/Screen_Jan8_EUROPE.pdf?dl=0

SCREEN DAILY – Wendy Ide, January 8, 2021 (print issue) “Review of the Year: Wendy Ide’s picks” https://www.dropbox.com/s/eb1t6cz5mogi320/Screen_Jan8_Apples.pdf?dl=0

SCREEN DAILY – Michael Rosser, January 11, 2020 “Oscars International Feature race: the European Contenders” https://www.screendaily.com/features/oscars-international-feature-race-the-european- contenders/5155992.article

VARIETY –– Peter Debruge, December 23, 2020 “Foreign-Language Films in Flux” https://variety.com/2020/film/awards/streaming-changes-audience-tastes-and-opens-up-intl- film-category-1234871810/

VARIETY – Shalini Dore, December 23, 2020 “Foreign-Language Films in the Fray” https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/international-film-oscar-list-2021-1234871908/

VARIETY – Clayton Davis, January 7, 2021 “Oscars Predictions: Best International Feature – ‘Another Round’ Out Front with Required Viewing List Going to Voters” https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-international-feature-predictions-1234880372/ *Apples is #16.

THEWRAP – Jeremy Fuster, December 8, 2020 “‘Apples’ Tells the Story of a Different Kind of Pandemic, Where the Disease Is Amnesia (Video)” https://www.thewrap.com/apples-pandemic-amnesia-video/

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JANUARY 15, 2021 6:05pm PT by Scott Feinberg Feinberg Forecast: A Mid-January Check on the Oscar Race

Amazon Studios The Hollywood Reporter's awards columnist updates his projections.

PLEASE NOTE: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter's awards columnist Scott Feinberg, reflects his best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and awards strategists, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars, and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself. There will be regular updates to reflect new developments.

*BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE* Frontrunners Another Round () I'm No Longer Here (Mexico) alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

Two of Us (France) Dear Comrades! () Collective (Romania)

Rest of Shortlist Night of the Kings (Ivory Coast) My Little Sister (Switzerland) Apples (Greece) Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Charlatan () Notturno (Italy) La Llorona (Guatemala) A Sun (Taiwan) The Mole Agent (Chile) Sun Children (Iran)

LOS ANGELES TIMES’ THE ENVELOPE – Gregory Ellwood, January 14, 2021 (print issue) “Rescuing Memory” ONLINE VERSION: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-01-12/greek- film-apples-christos-nikou

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https://deadline.com/2021/01/apples-christos-nikou-greece-oscar-entry-interview-contenders- 1234668028/

‘Apples’ Director Christos Nikou On The Timeliness Of His Greek Oscar Entry – Contenders International By Andreas Wiseman International Editor

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UPDATED with video: Greek dramedy Apples was one of the buzz films of last year’s depleted festival circuit, debuting in Venice where it opened the festival’s Horizons section. It’s now Greece’s entry into this year’s International Feature Oscar race.

Six years in the making, the prescient movie is set amidst a worldwide pandemic that causes sudden amnesia and follows a middle-aged man who finds himself enrolled in a recovery program designed to help unclaimed patients build new identities.

Director Christos Nikou, who was snapped up for representation by CAA earlier this summer, was inspired by the allegorical novels Blindness and 1984, and the movies of , as well as his own personal loss, when developing the timely project.

“I have always been fascinated by movies that create new worlds. The Truman Show is the film that made me want to be a filmmaker,” Nikou says during his film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders International. “This is a very allegorical film and a very personal story. I was dealing with the loss of my father at the time. I was thinking about how we erase things that hurt us.”

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Nikou, who cut his teeth working alongside as an assistant director on Dogtooth and on Before Midnight, instructed his lead actor Aris Servetalis to watch films from and Jim Carrey to prepare for his lead role. They also discussed Buster Keaton. The research certainly paid off.

“Aris used to work as a dancer. I loved his body language,” he says. “I asked him to watch movies of Tati and Carrey and to combine these two different approaches into something new.”

https://thefilmstage.com/the-40-best-2021-films-weve-already-seen/

We don’t want to overwhelm you, but while you’re catching up with our top 50 films of 2020, more cinematic greatness awaits in 2021. Ahead of our 100 most-anticipated films (all of which have yet to premiere), we’re highlighting 40 titles we’ve enjoyed on the festival circuit this last year (and beyond) that either have confirmed 2020 release dates or are awaiting a debut date from its distributor. There’s also a handful of films seeking distribution that we hope will arrive in the next 12 months, which can be seen here.

As an additional note, a number of 2020 films that had one-week qualifying runs will also get expanded releases in 2021, including Nomadland, Gunda, Minari, Dear

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Comrades!, I Carry You With Me, The Truffle Hunters, Night of the Kings, One Night in Miami, Pieces of a Woman, and Herself.

Apples (Christos Nikou)

Apples is set in a world where digital technology seems not to exist, yet the psychic imprint of the digital age hangs heavy over first-time director Christos Nikou’s sparse absurdist dramedy. In an alternate-universe Greece, people are falling victim to a pandemic of sudden-onset Memento syndrome: total, crippling amnesia that befalls ordinary adults seemingly at random, necessitating elaborate state-run medical programs for the mnemonically impaired. Of particular concern to such programs are “unclaimed” amnesiacs, patients who fail to be identified by friends or family members and thus become wards of the state, who must be gradually rehabilitated into society and construct new identities from scratch. – Eli F. (full review)

https://www.goldderby.com/feature/2021-oscar-predictions-best-international-feature- 1203825978/

2021 Oscar Predictions: Best International Feature [UPDATED:

November 10] Paul Sheehan alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

November 10, 2020

AMPAS Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature is made difficult by the three-step process that begins after the December 1 deadline for countries to submit entries. To be part of the selection process for this category, which was called Best Foreign Language Film before 2020, requires a great deal of dedication. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscar predictions for Best International Feature.)

First, the several hundred academy members of the International Feature screening committee are divided into groups and required to watch a number of the submissions over a two-month period that ends in early February. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top seven vote- getters make it to the next round, as will three films added by the members of the executive committee. This list of 10 semi-finalists will be revealed on February 9, 2021.

Those 10 films will be available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final five nominees provided they attest to having watched all the entries. The nominations in this (and the other 22 competitive categories) will be announced on March 15, 2021. All voters will get access to the five nominees and can vote for the winner, which will be revealed on the Oscars on April 25, 2021.

Since the competitive category was introduced in 1957, European films have dominated by winning 52 times. Compare that to four victories for films from Asia, three from each of Africa and South America, and one apiece from Canada and Mexico. Last year, a record 93 countries submitted entries in the International Feature Film race. That was up by six from 2019, when the category was still called Best Foreign-Language Film, and eclipsed the record 92 submissions in 2018.

Leading Contenders (alphabetical by country) Bulgaria, “The Father” (directors: Kristina Grozeva, Petat Valchanov) Canada: “Funny Boy” (director: Deepa Mehta) Czech Republic: “Charlatan” (director: ) Georgia: “Beginning” (director: Dea Kulumbegashvili) Greece:” Apples” (director: Christos Nikou) Japan: “True Mothers” (director: Naomi Kawase) : “Never Gonna Snow Again” (director: Małgorzata Szumowska) Romania: “Collective” (director: Alexander Nanau) : “The Man Standing Next” (director: Min-ho Woo) alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

Strong Contenders (alphabetical by country) Albania: “Open Door” (director: Florenc Papas) Algeria: “Heliopolis” (director: Djaafar Gacem) : “What We Wanted” (director: Ulrike Kofler) Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Quo Vadis, Aida?” (director: Jasmila Zbanic) : “And Tomorrow the Entire World” (director: Julia von Heinz) Ivory Coast: “Night of the Kings” (director: Philippe Lacôte) Peru: Song “Without a Name” (director: Melina León) Spain: “The Endless Trench” (directors: Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga) Sweden: “Charter” (director: Amanda Kernell) Switzerland: “My Little Sister” (directors: Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond) Taiwan: “A Sun” (director: Mong-Hong Chung) : “Atlantis” (director: Valentyn Vasyanovych)

Possible Contenders (alphabetical by country) Bhutan: “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (director: Pawo Choyning Dorji) Costa Rica: “Land of Ashes” (director: Sofia Quiros) Croatia: “Extracurricular” (director: Ivan-Goran Vitez) Ecuador: “Emptiness” (director: Paúl Venegas) Estonia: “The Last Ones” (director: Veiko Õunpuu) Kosovo: “Exile” (director: Visnar Morina) Luxembourg: “River Tales” (director: Julie Schroell) Malaysia: “Soul” (director: Emir Ezwan) Netherlands: “Bulado” (director: Eché Janga) Palestine: “Gaza Mon Amour” (directors: Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser) Panama: “Causa Justa” (directors: Luis Franco Brantley, Luis Pacheco) Singapore: “Wet Season” (director: Anthony Chen) : “The Auschwitz Report” (director: ) Slovenia: “Stories from the Chestnut Woods” (director: Gregor Bozic) Venezuela: “Once Upon a Time in Venezuela” (director: Anabel Rodriguez Rios)

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2020-12-31/oscars-2021-buzzmeter- gets-you-in-the-awards-season-swing

AWARDS BuzzMeter 2021: Our experts make early Oscar predictions — and so can you

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By MICHAEL ORDOÑA DEC. 31, 2020

It’s time for the annual gathering of our BuzzMeter experts, who will not only let you in on what’s getting early attention in the film awards races, but will also tout what they think deserves to be in the conversation. Even if you’re not an awards- season aficionado, maybe you just want some tips on quality viewing. In any case, the BuzzMeter aims to answer burning questions! In a cinematic year like no other, will closed theaters prove the great equalizer in awards season? Will independent and foreign films be seen just as much as major studio releases, leveling the playing field? Will the big ensemble movies’ contenders cancel each other out?

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Your 2021 Oscar BuzzMeter panel. Top row, from left: Justin Chang (Los Angeles Times), Tim Cogshell (KPCC’s FilmWeek), Dave Karger (IMDb and Turner Classic Movies). Bottom row, from left: Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby), Claudia Puig (KPCC’s FilmWeek), Anne Thompson (IndieWire), Glenn Whipp (Los Angeles Times).

Each of the seven veteran film journalists on our panel has ranked his or her picks in 10 Oscar categories; together, their votes make up our first-round BuzzMeter lists. You can vote on which of their picks you think are most likely to get nominations, or just pump up the ones you like best in our online polls for that week’s featured category.

International feature

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The journalism-vs-the-Romanian-healthcare-system documentary “Collective” is well on top. “Minari,” which has been all over the BuzzMeter, doesn’t qualify in the international feature Oscar category because it’s an American production (though it’s a Golden Globe contender for foreign-language film, but not for best picture, drama). But you know what does qualify? “The Father.” Not that “The Father”; this one is from Bulgaria, and Anthony Hopkins and are not in it, unless their transformative powers have reached amazing new heights.

1. “Collective” (Alexander Nanau, Romania) 2. “Another Round” (, Denmark) 3. “Minari” (; U.S.— not eligible for the international- feature Oscar, but in the running for the Golden Globes and critics’ prizes) 4. “I’m No Longer Here” (Fernando Frias, Mexico) 5. “La Llorona” (Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala) 6. “Song Without a Name” (Melina León, Peru) 7. “My Little Sister” (Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond, Switzerland) 8. “Notturno” (Gianfranco Rosi, Italy) 9. “Apples” (Christos Nikou, Greece) 10. (tie) “Exile” (Visar Morina, Kosovo) 10. (tie) “The Father” (Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Bulgaria) 10. (tie) “Night of the Kings” (Philippe Lacôte, Ivory Coast)

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https://theplaylist.net/international-film-contenders-wide-open-oscars-race- 20201130/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

International Film Contenders Ready For A Wide Open Oscars Race Gregory Ellwood

November 30, 2020

To many Oscar observers, there are already a ton of questions about this year’s Best Picture race. How many films will actually get nominated? Can actually land three Best Picture nominees? Will any films be seen in theaters before voting begins? But, one individual category that is even more wide open and puzzling for even the most veteran awards season strategist is the battle for the International Film, formerly Foreign Language Film, Oscar.

On pace for potentially a record number of submissions, the International Film Oscar has taken on greater significance in recent years with winners “Amour” and “Roma” also earning Best Picture nods, ‘s “The Salesman” 2017 triumph seen as a rebuke by AMPAS members of the Trump Administration’s “Muslim Ban,”

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Sebastián Lelio‘s “A Fantastic Woman” being a landmark moment for transgender representation in film and, of course, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. The International Film Committee has also modified the process to allow more members to participate in the first phase of voting and more volunteers worldwide. What was once a category seemingly determined by semi-retired members in LA, NY, and London with a lot of time on their hands is now decidedly not (although those older members still influence the shortlist and nominees).

And, in case you forgot, members volunteer in phase one to watch and grade at least 10-12 films (it’s unclear what the number will be this year). They can also watch and grade more, beyond the minimum requirement. The seven highest-ranked features automatically make it to the 10 feature “shortlist” which includes three films chosen by the International Film Committee as “saves.” This is to ensure that lauded films make the cut before phase two voting results in the final five nominees. And, of course, to try to avoid institutional embarrassment after numerous modern classics didn’t make the cut (see 2007 when “Four Months, 3 Weeks and Two Days” was snubbed).

This year has also already seen four nations make either controversial or very tough choices as their submission. India picked Lijo Jose Pellissery’s “Jallikattu” over Chaitanya Tamhane‘s “The Disciple,” a favorite which was likely an easy committee shortlist save. Mexico selected Fernando Frías’s “I’m No Longer Here” over Michael Franco’s “New Order” and Heidi Ewing’s “I Carry You With Me.” France chose Filippo Meneghetti’s “Deux (Two of Us)” over Francois Ozon’s “Summer of 85” and Maïmouna Doucouré’s “Cuties,” among others. Italy selected Gianfranco Rosi’s documentary “Notturno” over “The Life Ahead” starring the legendary Sofia Loren, Netflix film that has already been a massive “hit” in numerous countries for the streaming platform and finds the screen legend potentially in line for her first Oscar nomination since 1965.

Throw in the fact that there have been almost no in-person festivals to gauge audience reaction to these contenders and there’s a lot to unpack for anyone trying to predict a majority of the shortlist. An announcement that won’t arrive, mind you, until February 9. Keeping all that in mind, here’s a preliminary look at 15 films that are at least in play for the International Film Oscar in 2021.

“Another Round” – Denmark Centered around a great performance by , the latest Thomas Vinterbeg endeavor is the closest thing to a lock for a nomination

“Collective” – Romania One of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. Is it “cinematic” enough to earn a nod?

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“Apples” – Greece Unexpectedly timely.

“Quo Vadis, Aida?” – Bosnia and Herzegovina Venice. . Sticks with you. Feels like a shortlist selection.

“Deux (Two of Us)” – France The French have sort of cornered the market on great Lesbian love stories over the past decade.

“Charlatan” – Czech Republic An Oscar nominee in the Adapted Screenplay category for “” in 1992 and in the International Film category for “In Darkness” in 2012, the celebrated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland‘s new biopic is now Czech’s submission.

“Beginning” – Georgia Powerful, but a tough watch. Potential committee save.

“La Llorona” – Guatemala Could be a surprise year-end favorite of major critics groups.

“Notturno” – Italy More “cinematic” than “Collective,” but less critically acclaimed.

“Night of the Kings” – Ivory Coast NEON’s first player in this category after guiding “Parasite” to Oscar glory in February.

“True Mothers” – Japan Originally intended for Cannes, debuted at San Sebastian and Venice instead. This is Naomi Kawase‘s first Oscar submission.

“I’m No Longer Here” – Mexico Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo del Toro are big fans. As you’d expect, Netflix is letting the Academy know.

“Never Gonna Snow Again” – Poland I’m not an Academy member, but it made my top 10 films of the year.

“Dear Comrades!” – Russia NEON’s second player in this category.

“My Little Sister” – Switzerland Melodrama with fantastic performances and, oh yeah, tear-inducing.

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https://www.screendaily.com/features/films-of-the-year-2020-wendy-ide/5155934.article

Films of the year 2020: Wendy Ide BY WENDY IDE 23 DECEMBER 2020

Ide joined Screen in 2015 as a UK-based critic, and also writes for The Observer and Sight & Sound. Read our other critics’ top tens here.

SOURCE: ‘NOMADLAND’

Top ten

1. Nomadland Dir. Chloé Zhao alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

Zhao’s remarkable cross-country odyssey doesn’t just see the rootless wanderers who find themselves relegated to America’s new periphery — it hears them too. One of the most arresting qualities of Frances McDormand’s remarkable and generous central performance as Fern is that while crafting a character of rare complexity and depth, she also acts as the conduit through which we learn about everyone she encounters. It is a picture that takes a lyrical approach rather than a polemical one — Zhao’s use of glowing magic-hour light brings at times an almost romantic quality. But for all its pensive poetry, this is a damning indictment of the gig economy and of a society without a safety net. Contact: Searchlight Pictures Read Screen’s review

2. The Assistant Dir. Kitty Green The buttoned-up economy of Green’s laser-focused portrait of workplace toxicity gives this film its insidious power — that, and a remarkable central performance from Julia Garner as the lowly assistant to a Weinstein-like mogul. The boss is never seen, but Green uses his absence brilliantly. He is like a black hole of malice that consumes everything. Contact: Protagonist Pictures Read Screen’s review

3. Kala Azar Dir. Janis Rafa A film named after a pandemic is a tough sell this year, even when the disease is one that affects dogs rather than humans. But visual artist Rafa’s directorial debut, about a couple who collect deceased animals for a pet cremation service, is remarkable — a visceral and original piece of work that feels almost feral in its approach to storytelling. Contact: Heretic Outreach Read Screen’s review

4. Limbo Dir. Ben Sharrock Asylum seekers waiting for decisions pending on their applications are lodged on a small Scottish island in Sharrock’s superb second feature. This is a tonal triumph, a film that juggles heartbreaking pathos with absurdist humour. At the heart of the story is a friendship between Omar, a promising musician from Syria, and Farhad, an Afghan who is a fan of Freddie Mercury and chickens. Contact: Protagonist Pictures Read Screen’s review

5. Wolfwalkers Dirs. Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart The third film in the Irish trilogy from Moore and Cartoon Saloon, Wolfwalkers is a thing of beauty. It weaves together Celtic graphic influences with 20th-century modernism, capturing a spirit of disruption and rebellion that is both ancient and bracingly timely. The use of music is a soul-soaring delight and the voicework (Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker and Sean Bean among others) crackles with

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personality. Contact: Apple TV+ Read Screen’s review

6. Apples Dir. Christos Nikou Read Screen’s review

7. Mangrove Dir. Steve McQueen Read Screen’s review

8. Sweat Dir. Magnus von Horn Read Screen’s review

9. Soul Dirs. Pete Docter, Kemp Powers Read Screen’s review

10. The Cloud In Her Room Dir. Zheng Lu Xinyuan Read Screen’s review

https://www.screendaily.com/features/oscars-international-feature-race-the-european- contenders/5155992.article

FEATURES Oscars international feature race: the European contenders

BY MICHAEL ROSSER 11 JANUARY 2021 It has been five years since a film submitted from Europe won the international feature film Oscar — but the region has several highly favoured contenders.

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SOURCE: HENRIK OHSTEN ‘ANOTHER ROUND’ Despite a year of disrupted releases and downsized festivals, Europe’s entries to the international feature film award have remained robust and could be set to break a losing streak. A total of 40 productions from Europe have been submitted to the US ’ best international feature film category, matching the number of last year’s entries, with the only notable absentee being the UK — declining to submit for the first time since 2012.

European films have traditionally dominated the category, winning 56 out of 72 awards since the Academy began honouring foreign-language productions with their own prize in 1948. But it has been five years since Laszlo Nemes’ won the award for Hungary in 2016, marking the longest losing streak for Europe to date in the category. This could come to an end at the 93rd Oscars in April as an assortment of highly acclaimed European films look set to dominate the 10-title shortlist (announced February 9) and five-strong nomination list.

Frontrunners include Denmark’s submission, Thomas Vinterberg’s comedy- drama Another Round, in which Mads Mikkelsen leads a group of four friends who test the theory that life is better lived with a constant level of alcohol in the blood.

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It marks Vinterberg’s third time representing his country, after The Celebration () in 1999 and The Hunt, which made the shortlist in 2014. Denmark has proved one of the most successful countries in the category, with 12 nominations and three wins from 57 previous entries, the last prize coming in 2011 for ’s .

Another Round entered the race on a wave of accolades including a hat-trick of awards at San Sebastian, where it screened shortly after a world premiere at Toronto. The feature, which is distributed in the US by Samuel Goldwyn Films, also triumphed at the winning four major prizes including best film.

It is one of two European submissions that received a Cannes 2020 label, designated to films that would have debuted at the festival had it not been forced to cancel as a result of the pandemic.

The other is the entry from Georgia, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s Beginning, which centres on a sleepy provincial town where a Jehovah’s Witness community is attacked by an extremist group. The drama premiered at San Sebastian where it won four awards including the Golden Shell for best film, and was honoured with the Fipresci prize at Toronto.

Cannes previously supplied last year’s international feature winner, Bong Joon Ho’s South Korean phenomenon Parasite, which was awarded the Palme d’Or on the Croisette and also won best picture among its four Oscars.

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Docs make the running

SOURCE: ALEXANDER NANAU PRODUCTION ‘COLLECTIVE’ Another frontrunner is Romania’s submission Collective, in which director Alexander Nanau follows a team of investigative journalists who attempt to uncover a vast healthcare fraud. The documentary has made a long journey since its debut at Venice, Toronto and Zurich (where it won the Golden Eye for best documentary) in 2019, and was released in the US by Magnolia in November 2020. If Collective makes it to the final five, it would mark the first time Romania has received an Oscar nomination from its 35 entries to date.

It also marks a rare documentary frontrunner and follows last year’s breakout North Macedonia entry Honeyland, which made it to the final nominations and has perhaps encouraged more countries to submit factual features.

These include Italy, which has put up Gianfranco Rosi’s Notturno, a portrait of those trying to survive in the war-torn Middle East, having previously submitted Rosi’s Fire At Sea in 2017, which did not secure a nomination.

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Luxembourg has also put forward documentary River Tales, by Julie Schroell, in which a teacher and his students in Nicaragua stage a play exploring their local identity and history. Sweden, however, did not put forward Nathan Grossman’s lauded Greta Thunberg documentary I Am Greta and instead selected Amanda Kernell’s family drama Charter, which debuted at Sundance.

Another submission that some considered a surprise was France’s entry, Two Of Us by Italian director Filippo Meneghetti. The romantic drama, about a lesbian couple who come out after two decades of secret companionship, overcame stiff competition from high-profile titles including Maïmouna Doucouré’s Cuties, Maïwenn’s DNA, Francois Ozon’s Summer Of 85 and Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s Gagarine.

But Two Of Us, which was picked up for the US by Magnolia at Toronto 2019, has been heralded by critics, not least for the performances of Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier. It marks a resurgence for Germany’s Sukowa, who won the best actress prize at Venice in 1981 for her role in The German Sisters and at Cannes in 1986 for her performance in historical drama Rosa Luxemburg, both directed by Margarethe von Trotta. Sukowa reunited with von Trotta in 2012 to play the eponymous role in Hannah Arendt.

Although France remains one of the most successful territories overall, with 12 victories, it has been 27 years since it last won the top prize in 1993 with Régis Wargnier’s Indochine.

Two Of Us is the feature debut of Italy’s Meneghetti, who is one of several filmmakers in the European submissions representing a country with their first feature. They include Dzintars Dreibergs, whose war drama Blizzard Of Souls represents , where it has generated the biggest cinema admissions in more than 30 years; Florenc Papas, whose family drama Open Door was submitted by Albania having debuted at Sarajevo Film Festival; and Tom Sullivan, whose historical drama Arracht represents Ireland, following its premiere at Tallinn Black Nights.

This year’s submissions also represent a strong showing for female filmmakers with 17 out of the 40 European productions directed (or co-directed) by women, up from 12 last year. They include Ulrike Kofler with Austria’s What We Wanted, a relationship drama that was released by Netflix on November 11; Zaida Bergroth, whose biopic Tove, about Moomins creator Tove Jansson, is Finland’s entry; and Lili Horvat, whose Hitchcockian suspense drama Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time will represent Hungary, following its debut at Venice Days and Toronto.

One of the most hotly tipped female filmmakers in this year’s line-up is Agnieszka Holland, whose Berlinale entry Charlatan is the choice of the Czech Republic. alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

SOURCE: FILMS BOUTIQUE ‘CHARLATAN’ Holland has achieved the rare feat of representing three different nations at the Academy Awards over the years. She fronted for her native Poland twice — with Pokot in 2018 and In Darkness in 2012 — and West Germany with in 1986. Charlatan is a biographical drama about healer Jan Mikolasek, who used plant-based remedies, and is set against the background of totalitarian 1950s Czechoslovakia. Holland secured a best director nomination at the European Film Awards for the feature.

Spain has submitted period epic The Endless Trench, which scored six awards at San Sebastian in 2019, including for best director, shared by Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga. Netflix snapped up global rights to the Spanish Civil War drama shortly after the festival and it picked up two Goyas, Spain’s national cinema awards.

A late submission came from Portugal, which originally put forward Ana Rocha de Sousa’s Listen but saw the selection vetoed by the Academy due to more than 50% of the dialogue being in the English language. Instead, Portugal submitted Pedro Costa’s Vitalina Varela, which won three prizes at Locarno in 2019 including the

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Golden Leopard for best film. Inspired by the life of the film’s eponymous star, it follows Varela on a journey through Lisbon as she discovers the secret life of her recently deceased husband. Grasshopper Film took US rights.

Mehmet Ada Öztekin’s Miracle In Cell No. 7 is Turkey’s submission. The drama is an adaptation of a 2013 South Korean film and centres on the relationship between a wrongly incarcerated, mentally ill father and his six-year-old daughter. It premiered in cinemas in Germany in October 2019, launching online in multiple territories in March 2020.

Last year’s Venice Film Festival, highly praised for taking place safely in the midst of the pandemic, hosted several buzzy features that would go on to secure submissions for the Oscars. These include Russian entry Dear Comrades!, which won a special jury prize after competing on the Lido and was picked up by Neon for the US. Andrei Konchalovsky’s historical drama recounts the government massacre of striking workers in a small industrial town, seen through the eyes of a devout party activist. Konchalovsky directed

Russia’s 2003 entry House Of Fools and 2017’s Paradise, of which the latter made the shortlist. Russia again made it as far as the 10-strong shortlist in 2020 with Kantemir Balagov’s Beanpole.

SOURCE: SEVEN ELEPHANTS / OLIVER WOLFF ‘AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD’

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Representing Germany is Julia von Heinz’s activism drama And Tomorrow The Entire World, which played well in Venice’s Competition section, winning lead Mala Emde a critics’ prize for best actress. It beat stiff competition from nine other titles to secure the Oscar submission, including Berlin Alexanderplatz, Undine and Enfant Terrible. Von Heinz has since been signed by CAA and is adapting Lily Brett’s bestselling novel Too Many Men as her first English-language feature.

Horizons opening film Apples is Greece’s entry and the feature debut of Christos Nikou, who has spent the past 10 years as an assistant director on features including Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight and Yorgos Lanthimos’s Dogtooth, which was the last film to make the Oscar nominations for Greece in 2010. Apples is a timely feature set during a pandemic that causes people to rely on social services as they lose their memory, and has been picked up for North America by Cohen Media Group.

Other titles that played well at Venice include Polish entry Never Gonna Snow Again by Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert, which Kino Lorber has taken for the US; and Jasmila Zbanic’s Quo Vadis, Aida?, which will represent Bosnia & Herzegovina, and is set against the backdrop of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Zbanic saw her Berlinale -winning feature Grbavica: The Land Of My Dreams submitted for the Oscar in 2007 but it was not shortlisted. Quo Vadis, Aida? is distributed by Curzon in the UK, and a US deal was in the works at press time.

Also generating interest is Belarus entry Persian Lessons, a concentration-camp drama directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Vadim Perelman, whose US drama House Of Sand And Fog secured three Oscar nominations in 2004; and Swiss entry My Little Sister, directed by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond, and starring Nina Hoss and Lars Eidinger as siblings who reconnect as he recovers from leukaemia. Both films debuted at the Berlinale.

https://variety.com/2020/film/awards/streaming-changes-audience-tastes-and-opens-up-intl-film- category-1234871810/

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Streaming Changes Audience Tastes and

Opens up International Film Category By Peter Debruge

Courtesy of Henrik Ohsten

Last year, “Parasite” made Oscar history by becoming the first non-English-language film to win best picture, which should have signaled a new, more internationally open-minded attitude at the Academy.

Ninety-two years in, an org founded with the strategic purpose of benefiting the American film industry had demonstrated that it had, as “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho put it, “overcome the 1- inch-tall barrier of subtitles.”

Back in the ’60s, there existed a thriving market for foreign cinema, as audiences and film societies flocked to the latest offerings from Bergman, Godard, Truffaut, Fellini, Antonioni, et al. In 1970, Costa-Gavras’ political thriller “Z” was nominated for best picture.

Miramax gave that sector a revival in the ’90s, turning a few titles (such as “Amélie” and “”) into bonafide blockbusters. Lately, a new phenomenon — an appetite for international television, available through streaming platforms — has boosted U.S. audiences’ willingness to watch foreign-language content. From “Borgen” to “My Brilliant Friend” and “La Casa de los Flores” to “Narcos,” many non-English-language series perform better than their domestic competition and pave the way for audiences to be more adventurous with the films they watch as well.

Combine those evolving viewing habits in the culture at large with changes to the Academy itself, and we should expect to see more non-English-language achievements at the Oscars. Through an aggressive expansion of its membership (22% of which is now non-American, nearly three times where it was in 2015) and a re-centering of its core values around diversity, the Academy has declared itself to be the preeminent international film prize.

That puts the Academy’s “international feature film” category in a tricky position. If movies made in languages other than English now stand a realistic chance of being nominated for — and winning —

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best picture, does that reduce the recently rechristened “international feature” Oscar to a kind of ? Or was “Parasite” a black swan event, unlikely to be repeated in our lifetime?

Further complicating our outlook on the category is that the film industry was hit by a global pandemic, which forced the cancellation of some of the most prominent showcases for world cinema — namely, the . Others (such as Toronto) shrank to such a degree that American critics, distributors and cinephiles haven’t been able to keep track of those international achievements as they normally would.

It’s highly unlikely that we’ll see another foreign-language film nominated for the Oscar’s top award this year, and it could be years before that happens again. That means “Parasite” sent a message of possibility to the international film community upon which the Academy has no immediate intention of following through. That’s especially frustrating to this critic, who feels that the best film of 2020 is the epic Taiwanese family saga “A Sun.”

The winner of six Golden Horse Awards, “A Sun” examines a working-class family of four in which the parents show a clear preference for their eldest son, all but disowning his black-sheep younger sibling after he’s sent to juvie for his involvement in a violent crime.

The film spans a period of several years and unfolds with the heft of such past best picture winners as “Ordinary People” and “The Godfather,” surprising audiences as the characters evolve and upend one another’s expectations.

Though the film was released in the U.S. by Netflix, it has barely been seen by American audiences (there are only eight English-language reviews registered on ), so I don’t realistically expect that “A Sun” will be considered for best picture. But it could — and should — be short-listed for the international feature category.

This has been a year without an obvious frontrunner (whereas last year served up two, with Pedro Almodóvar’s “Pain & Glory” competing alongside “Parasite,” and a host of other Cannes and Venice favorites in the mix).

Without the usual support of festivals, foreign films have a hard time establishing the clout they need to be taken seriously. And it’s hard for voters to know where to begin in terms of screening films for consideration.

This year, the Academy eliminated in-person screenings, and has opened its shortlist selection process to the general membership, which should ensure greater participation. In addition to screening a pre-set cross-section of submissions, the site allows voters to rate other foreign films they’ve seen.

That boosts the few that had U.S. distribution, such as Indonesian horror film “Impetigore” and Romanian corruption exposé “Collective” — one of several docs in the mix, along with “The Mole Agent,” “Babenco” and Italian Oscar submission, Gianfranco Rosi’s “Notturno.”

Netflix has released three submissions — from Spain, Austria and Mexico, in addition to “A Sun.”

The Mexican film, “I’m No Longer Here,” has attracted such champions as Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón, who recorded a special segment to promote the film on Netflix — the kind of

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endorsement that matters in a year when publicists can’t coordinate special screening events for Academy members.

A few titles have been successful enough to generate their own noise. A Cannes Label title (the distinction given films that would have premiered at the French festival in May), Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round” debuted in Toronto and went on to become a hit across Europe, where it was one of the few films in wide release.

The film stars Mads Mikkelsen and features the kind of hook that transcends language barriers: A group of Danish high school teachers test the theory that they are better at their jobs with a bit of booze in their systems.

With no Cannes, the Venice film festival (which succeeded in pulling off an in-person event) and virtual editions of Toronto and New York have added power in giving several of this year’s international contenders a real boost.

Julia von Heinz’s German-language political drama “And Tomorrow the Entire World,” Poland’s “Never Gonna Snow Again,” Russian submission “Dear Comrades!” and Jasmila Zbanic’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” all got a big boost from their premieres on the Lido.

Other breakouts of the Venice lineup include Philippe Lacôte’s visionary Ivory Coast prison parable “Night of the Kings” and Greek director Christos Nikou’s debut, “Apples,” a Charlie Kaufman-esque character study set amid a global pandemic, which was set to play all the key fall fests. France’s well-regarded lesbian drama “Two of Us” (or “Deux”) has benefited from a year-long festival run, reaching from Toronto 2019 to Outfest, while Berlinale breakout “Charlatan” puts Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland (“Europa Europa”) back in the mix.

But scan the rest of the list of submissions — from just shy of 90 countries — and you may be surprised how few of the films you’ve heard of. That needn’t be an obstacle.

With Oscar members who might normally be too busy to screen 20 or so contenders now confined to their homes, many more may take the opportunity to participate in round one of voting. That could be the silver lining on a challenging year: With fewer big English-language releases to catch up on, why not binge-watch the international feature submissions?

https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/international-film-oscar-list-2021-1234871908/

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Complete List of Oscar Foreign-Language

Films in the Fray By Shalini Dore

Courtesy Images

While the Academy has not yet released the full official list, these are the films Variety has learned have been submitted by various countries in the international film race. The shortlist will be announced Feb. 9 and the nominations on March 15. The Academy Awards ceremony takes place on April 25.

Greece Apples

Director: Christos Nikou Key Cast: Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovasili, Anna Kalaitzidou Logline: During an amnesia pandemic a man goes through a routine of getting new memories by taking photographs. Running for Globes consideration. U.S. Distributor: Cohen Media Group

https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-international-feature-predictions-1234880372/

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Oscars Predictions: Best International Feature – ‘Another Round’ Out Front with Required

Viewing List Going to Voters

By Clayton Davis UPDATED: Jan. 7, 2021

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit THE COLLECTIVE

DRAFT>>>PRE SEASON>>>REGULAR SEASON>>>POST SEASON

2021 OSCARS PREDICTIONS: BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

AWARDS COMMENTARY: The best international feature race is always a question mark, but you can read the tea leaves on in many films. Denmark’s “Another Round” seems to be the frontrunner and is probably the film with the best chance to break out in other categories, particularly Mads Mikkelsen and its screenplay (if it catches on). Mexico’s “I’m No Longer Here” and France’s “The Two of Us” has the goods to far as well as “A Sun” from Taiwan and “Quo Vadis, Aida?” from Bosnia and Herzegovina that could surprise if it makes the bakeoff. Voting for the bakeoff begins on Feb. 1, and the required viewing list will be provided by Friday, Jan. 8, with about 70 countries and films up on the platform.

(Awards Circuit Winners Chart (2020-2021)

Mads Mikkelsen – Another Round Courtesy of TIFF

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AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE:

1. "Another Round" (Denmark) "Druk" - Danish (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: 12 nominations, 3 wins, 57 submissions

DIRECTOR: Thomas Vinterberg

SYNOPSIS: Four friends, all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood.

STARRING: Mads Mikkelsen, , Magnus Millang

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2. "I'm No Longer Here" (Mexico) "Ya no estoy aquí" - Spanish (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: 9 nominations, 1 win, 52 submissions

DIRECTOR: Fernando Frias

SYNOPSIS: In Monterrey, Mexico, a young street gang spends their days dancing to slowed-down cumbia and attending parties. After a mix-up with a local cartel, their leader is forced to migrate to the U.S. but quickly longs to return home.

STARRING: Daniel Garcia, Xueming Angelina Chen, Sophia Metcalf

3. "Two Of Us" (France) "Deux" - French, German (languages)

OSCAR HISTORY: 40 nominations, 12 wins, 66 submissions

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DIRECTOR: Filippo Meneghetti

SYNOPSIS: Pensioners Nina and Madeleine have hidden their deep and passionate love for many decades, but their bond is put to the test when they are suddenly unable to move freely between each other's apartments.

STARRING: Barbara Sukowa, Martine Chevallier, Léa Drucker

4. "My Little Sister" (Switzerland) "Schwesterlein" - English, French, German (languages)

OSCAR HISTORY: 5 nominations, 2 wins, 47 submissions

DIRECTOR: Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond

SYNOPSIS: Lisa has bid goodbye to her ambitions as a playwright and the Berlin arts scene and now lives in Switzerland with her husband, who runs an international school. When her twin brother falls ill, she returns to Berlin.

STARRING: Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Marthe Keller

5. "Night of the Kings" (Ivory Coast) "La Nuit des rois" - Dyula, French (languages)

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OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated

DIRECTOR: Philippe Lacôte

SYNOPSIS: A young man is sent to "La Maca", a prison of Ivory Coast in the middle of the forest ruled by its prisoners. With the red moon rising, he is designated by the Boss to be the new "Roman" and must tell a story to the other prisoners.

STARRING: , Issaka Sawadogo, Steve Tientcheu

Courtesy of Venice Film Festival

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6. "Dear Comrades!" (Russia) "Дорогие товарищи! (Dorogie tovarishchi!)" - Russian (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: 7 nominations, 1 win, 27 submissions – DIRECTOR: Andrey Konchalovskiy

SYNOPSIS: Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens.

STARRING: Yuliya Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrey Gusev

7. "Quo Vadis, Aida?" (Bosnia and Herzegovina) "Quo Vadis, Aida?" - Bosnian, Dutch, English, Serbian (languages)

OSCAR HISTORY: 1 nomination, 1 win, 19 submissions –

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DIRECTOR: Jasmila Žbanić

SYNOPSIS: Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Bosnian Serb army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp.

STARRING: Jasna Djuricic, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler

8. "A Sun" (Taiwan) "陽光普照 (Yángguāng Pǔzhào)" - Mandarin (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated –

DIRECTOR: Chung Mong-hong

SYNOPSIS: A family of four fractures under the weight of unmet expectations, unexpected tragedy, and uncompromising pride.

STARRING: Chien-Ho Wu, Yi-wen Chen, Samantha Shu-Chin Ko

9. "Sun Children" (Iran) (Khōrshīd)" - Persian (language) ﺷرﻮﺧ ﯿ ﺪ "

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OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated –

DIRECTOR:

SYNOPSIS: 12-year-old Ali and his three friends.Together they work hard to survive and support their families. In a turn of events that seems miraculous, Ali is entrusted to find hidden treasure underground.

STARRING: Ali Nassirian, Javad Ezati, Tannaz Tabatabaei

10. "Charlatan" (Czech Republic) "Šarlatán" - Czech (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: 3 nominations, 1 win, 26 submissions –

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DIRECTOR: Agnieszka Holland

SYNOPSIS: The breathtaking story of a man gifted with exceptional abilities set against the background of the events of the totalitarian fifties.

STARRING: Ivan Trojan, Josef Trojan, Juraj Loj

Courtesy of Venice Film Festival

TOP-TIER AWARDS CONTENDERS:

11. "La Llorona" (Guatemala) "La Llorona" - Spanish, Kaqchikel (languages)

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OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated, 2 submissions

DIRECTOR: Jayro Bustamante

SYNOPSIS: An aging paranoid war criminal, protected by his faithful wife, faces death while being haunted by the ghosts of his past.

STARRING: María Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kenéfic

12. "The Mole Agent" (Chile) "El agente topo" - Spanish (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: 2 nominations, 1 win, 24 submissions

DIRECTOR: Maite Alberdi

SYNOPSIS: A private investigator in Chile hires someone to work as a mole at a retirement home where a client of his suspects the caretakers of elder abuse.

STARRING: Romulo Aitken, Sergio Chamy

13. "Collective" (Romania) "Colectiv" - Romanian (language)

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Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Media

OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated, 35 submissions –

DIRECTOR: Alexander Nanau

SYNOPSIS: Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens.

STARRING: Razvan Lutac, Mirela Neag, Catalin Tolontan

14. "The Endless Trench" (Spain) "La trinchera infinita" - Spanish (language)

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OSCAR HISTORY: 20 nominations, 4 wins, 62 submissions –

DIRECTOR: Jon Garaño, Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga

SYNOPSIS: 1936. A country taken by the fascism. A husband marked for the killing. A wife determined to all for saving him. An endless incarceration in his own home.

STARRING: Antonio de la Torre, Belén Cuesta, Vicente Vergara

15. "Never Gonna Snow Again" (Poland) "Śniegu już nigdy nie będzie - French, Polish, Russian, Vietnamese (languages)

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OSCAR HISTORY: 12 nominations, 1 win, 51 submissions

DIRECTOR: Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert

SYNOPSIS: Zhenia, a Russian-speaking Ukrainian immigrant works as a masseur in Poland and becomes a guru-like figure in a wealthy gated community of his clients.

STARRING: Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza

16. "Apples" (Greece) "Μήλα (Mila)"

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OSCAR HISTORY: 5 nominations, 39 submissions – DIRECTOR: Christos Nikou

SYNOPSIS: Amidst a worldwide pandemic that causes sudden amnesia, middle-aged Aris finds himself enrolled in a recovery program designed to help unclaimed patients build new identities.

STARRING: Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovassili, Anna Kalaitzidou

17. "Asia" () (Asia)" - Hebrew, Russian (languages) סא י ה "

OSCAR HISTORY: 10 nominations, 52 submissions –

DIRECTOR: Ruthy Pribar

SYNOPSIS: Asia's motherhood has always been an ongoing struggle rather than an obvious instinct. Becoming a mother at a very early age has shaped Asia's relationship with her teenage daughter Vika. Despite living together, Asia and Vika barely interact with one another. Asia concentrates on her job as a nurse while Vika hangs out at the skate-park with her friends. Their routine is shaken when Vika's health deteriorates rapidly. Asia must step in and become the mother Vika so desperately needs. Vika's illness turns out to be an opportunity to reveal the great love within this small family unit.

STARRING: Alena Yiv, Shira Haas, Tamir Mula

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18. "The Man Standing Next" (South Korea) "남산의 부장들 (Namsanui bujangdeul)" - Korean (language)

OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated – DIRECTOR: Woo Min-ho

SYNOPSIS: In the 1970s Korea is under the absolute control of the president Park who controls the KCIA the organization with the edge over any branch of government.

STARRING: Lee Byung-Hun, Sung-min Lee, Do-won Kwak

19. "Vitalina Varela" (Portugal) "Vitalina Varela" - Cape Verdean Creole, Portuguese (languages)

alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated –

DIRECTOR: Viktor Kossakovsky

SYNOPSIS: Documentary looks at the daily life of a pig and its farm animal companions: two cows and a one-legged chicken.

STARRING: Gunda

20. "The Auschwitz Report" (Slovakia) "Správa" - Czech, German, Polish, Slovak (languages)

alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

OSCAR HISTORY: 3 nominations – DIRECTOR: Peter Bebjak

SYNOPSIS: Two prisoners in the Auschwitz concentration camp manage to escape with a document about the camp's operation.

STARRING: Noel Czuczor, Peter Ondrejicka, John Hannah

https://www.thewrap.com/apples-pandemic-amnesia-video/

‘Apples’ Tells the Story of a Different Kind of Pandemic, Where the Disease Is Amnesia

(Video)

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Director Christos Nikou and executive producer Cate Blanchett discuss the connection between technology and memory

Jeremy Fuster | December 8, 2020 @ 10:52 AM

A sci-fi film about a global pandemic might not be what people really want to see right now, but Christos Nikou hopes that his new film “Apples,” and its tale of infectious amnesia, will help people explore the nature of identity and our connection to the past.

“I’m sure that some will recognize elements like loneliness, isolation, uncertainty about the future that we’re experiencing right now that are also in the film,” Nikou said during a panel for TheWrap’s International Screening Series. “But in this film, we try to see the pandemic in a very optimistic way … and I think that’s something we also have to do in our real life.

“Apples” screened at the Venice Film Festival — one of the very few festivals to have a physical edition in 2020 — where Cate Blanchett saw the film while serving as head of the festival’s jury. Though “Apples” wasn’t screening in competition, Blanchett was so moved by the film that she came aboard as an executive producer as it begins its campaign as Greece’s selection for the Best International Film Oscar. “Apples” follows Aris, a man who has been struck by a mysterious disease that inflicts total amnesia on those who contract it. While most have families to put themselves back together, Aris has no next of kin, and thus enters a recovery program designed to help people build new identities for themselves.

“I was so captivated by it. There was so much that was familiar to things that … sort of dream states I’ve had about how documented our lives are but how invisible and erased we are,” Blanchett said. “There’s a kind of fairy tale quality to ‘Apples,’ but at the same time it feels completely plausible.”

An important part of Aris’ recovery is to complete various therapy sessions using a cassette tape and to create new memories using a Polaroid camera, a notable narrative decision by Nikou that particularly impressed Blanchett. Nikou says that in an era where every moment can instantly be preserved via smartphones and cloud servers, it was important for him to set his story in a world of analog instead of digital.

“I believe that extensive use of technology has made our brains lazier. There’s no need to save something in your mind.” Nikou said. “People see alpha violet 18 rue Soleillet, BL 64, 75020 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 47 97 39 84 www.alphaviolet.com

something or hear something and they have to imitate it and take a photo of it with a selfie with a polaroid filter and upload it in a digital photo album and then a normal photo album. And ultimately people care more about the photo than the moment, and that’s something we wanted to comment on with the treatment that Aris has to go through.”

“I’m old enough to actually remember Polaroids,” Blanchett added. “I’m old enough to remember that it was a party camera. It was special and you could all gather around it, and it wasn’t really a repository of memory. You could take pictures — unless you’re a photographer obviously — and then you’d leave the roll of film and then think ‘Oh, I forgot to develop that!’ And so you would be ambushed by those memories, so there’s something magical about the Polaroid camera that brings memories right into the present.”

See more remarks from Nikou and Blanchett in the clip above, including what Nikou learned from his time working as an assistant director under “” director Yorgos Lanthimos. Please note that the second half of the discussion contains major spoilers for the film.

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