Iran missing from Oscars shortlist

Tehran, Dec 20, IRNA – Reza Mirkarimi’s ‘Today’, Iran’s contender at Foreign Language Film Award category of the 87th Academy Award, failed to reach the Oscars shortlist. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its nine-film shortlist of movies still in the running for the Oscar for best foreign-language film of 2014-2015. Iran’s contender ‘Today’ and Azerbaijani film ‘Nabat’, starring Iranian actress Fatemeh Motamed Arya were missing from the list. ‘A Few Cubic Meters of Love’, a joint production of both Iran and Afghanistan, introduced as Afghanistan’s nominee also failed to reach the shortlist. The shortlisted foreign-language films included ‘Wild Tales’ (Argentina), ‘Tangerines’ (Estonia), ‘Corn Island’ (Georgia), ‘Timbuktu’ (Mauritania), ‘Accused’ (Netherlands), ‘Ida’ (Poland), ‘Leviathan’ (Russia), ‘Force Majeure’ (Sweden) and ‘The Liberator’ (Venezuela). Eighty three countries submitted films for consideration. Of the entries, six were chosen by a committee of several hundred Academy members based in Los Angeles who were tasked with screening the original submissions. Three additional features were then added by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee. The five final nominees will be selected from this group of films and announced, along with the other Academy Award nominees, live on Jan.15, 2015. Winners will be presented at the 87th Academy Awards on Feb. 22./end