Guatemala remains the favorite after the announcement of Oscars shortlists
The 2021 Academy Awards unveiled nine shortlists for awards, including several productions from Guatemala, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
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Since the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 9, 15 films remain in the race for recognition by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after the announcement of nine shortlists for the Oscars, including a number of Latino talents.
The shortlists are the first phase of the prestigious competition. Members must vote to promote those chosen for nomination on March 15 before a winner is chosen at the 93rd Oscars on April 25.
Numerous Latin American countries have reached this stage and are among the candidates for the "Best Foreign Film," but the case of Jayro Bustamante's La Llorona, which not only broke records in Guatemala with nominations at the Golden Globes but could do the same at the Oscars, is particularly noteworthy.
The story re-imagines, thanks to the brilliant performance of María Mercedes Coroy, the myth of terror and folklore as a metaphor for its civil war. Guatemala has never won in the category and it could be a moment that makes history.
Other entries that resonate are Mexico's Ya no estoy aquí, a cumbia-filled Netflix hit directed by Fernando Frias that collected 10 Ariel awards.
Also, Argentina's Los Sonámbulos, directed by Paula Hernandez and El olvido que seremos, a Colombian production directed by Spanish director Fernando Trueba that adapts the memoirs of doctor and activist Hector Abad Gomez, made the shortlist.
He is not the only Spanish director on the list of potential winners: Academy favorite Pedro Almodóvar appears in the "Short Film" section with his first English film, The Human Voice, an adaptation of Jean Cocteau's 1930 monologue of the same name (La voix humaine).
A sure bet in the documentary section was the presence of Maite Alberdi's documentary from Chile, El agente topo, a true story of octogenarian detectives that premiered at Sundance and was also nominated at the Golden Globes and Spirit Awards. Chile already won a statuette in 2018 (Una mujer fantástica, Sebastián Lelio), Argentina in 2010 (El secreto de sus ojos, Juan José Campanella) and Mexico most recently in 2019 (Roma, Alfonso Cuarón).
You can check out the rest of the finalists below, which include major blockbusters that tried to escape a theatrical flop, such as Tenet. Although an attempt to reward films promoted by the classic production companies seems evident, the reality is that the entry of streaming platforms in the competition is also evident in hits such as Mank and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
DOCUMENTARY FILM:
- “All In: The Fight for Democracy”
- “Boys State”
- “Collective”
- “Crip Camp”
- “Dick Johnson Is Dead”
- “Gunda”
- “MLK/FBI”
- “The Mole Agent”
- “My Octopus Teacher”
- “Notturno”
- “The Painter and the Thief”
- “76 Days”
- “Time”
- “The Truffle Hunters”
- “Welcome to Chechnya”
DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
- “Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa”
- “Call Center Blues”
- “Colette”
- “A Concerto Is a Conversation”
- “Do Not Split”
- “Hunger Ward”
- “Hysterical Girl”
- “A Love Song for Latasha”
- “The Speed Cubers”
- “What Would Sophia Loren Do?”
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
- Chile, “The Mole Agent”
- Czech Republic, “Charlatan”
- Dinamarca, “Another Round”
- Francia, “Two of Us”
- Guatemala, “La Llorona”
- Hong Kong, “Better Days”
- Irán, “Sun Children”
- Ivory Coast, “Night of the Kings”
- México, “I’m No Longer Here”
- Noruega, “Hope”
- Rumania, “Collective”
- Rusia, “Dear Comrades!”
- Taiwán, “A Sun”
- Tunisia, “The Man Who Sold His Skin”
MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLING:
- “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”
- “Emma”
- “The Glorias”
- “Hillbilly Elegy”
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
- “The Little Things”
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- “Mank”
- “One Night in Miami...”
- “Pinocchio”
MUSIC ORIGINAL SCORE:
- “Ammonite”
- “Blizzard of Souls”
- “Da 5 Bloods”
- “The Invisible Man”
- “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
- “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
- “The Little Things”
- “Mank”
- “The Midnight Sky”
- “Minari”
- “Mulan”
- “News of the World”
- “Soul”
RELATED CONTENT
- “Tenet”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG:
- “Turntables” from “All In: The Fight for Democracy”
- “See What You’ve Done” from “Belly of the Beast”
- “Wuhan Flu” from “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
- “Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
- “Never Break” from “Giving Voice”
- “Make It Work” from “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
- “Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”
- “lo Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
- “Rain Song” from “Minari”
- “Show Me Your Soul” from “Mr. Soul!”
- “Loyal Brave True” from “Mulan”
- “Free” from “The One and Only Ivan”
- “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami...”
- “Green” from “Sound of Metal”
- “Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
ANIMATED SHORT:
- “Burrow”
- “Genius Loci”
- “If Anything Happens I Love You”
- “Kapaemahu”
- “Opera”
- “Out”
- “The Snail and the Whale”
- “To Gerard”
- “Traces”
- “Yes-People”
LIVE ACTION AND VISUAL EFFECTS:
- “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”
- “Bloodshot”
- “Love and Monsters”
- “Mank”
- “The Midnight Sky”
- “Mulan”
- “The One and Only Ivan”
- “Soul”
- “Tenet”
- “Welcome to Chechnya”
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