By RUEL J. MENDOZA
MULING nabigo ang Pilipinas na makapasok sa shortlist ng Best Foreign Language Film category ng 90th Academy Awards or the Oscars.
Pinadala ng Pilipinas ang pelikulang “Birdshot” for consideration sa naturang category. Nakipagbunuan ito sa 92 films na galing sa iba’t-ibang bansa.
Pero hindi muling nakapasok ang “Birdshot” sa siyam na napili para sa shortlist na ang iba ay galing sa bansang Chile, Senegal, South Africa at Lebanon.
Heto ang mga nakapasok sa shortlist: Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director; Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director; Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director; Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director; Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director; Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director; Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director; South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director; Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director.
Ang final nominations ng Oscars ay ilalabas sa Jan. 23, 2018 at ang awards night ay sa Mar. 4, 2018.
Nanalong best picture ang “Birdshot” sa Asian Future category ng 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival.
It was selected for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award at the Goteborg Film Festival.
“Birdshot” is a 2016 Philippine thriller film directed by Mikhail Red, produced by Pamela L. Reyes, and was co-produced by PelikulaRED, Tuko Film Productions, and Buchi Boy Productions.
Ang cast nito ay sina Mary Joy Apostol, Arnold Reyes, John Arcilla, and Ku Aquino.
Pinuring film critic Richard Kuipers ang pelikulang “Birdshot.” Ang review niya na published sa Variety ay nagde-describe sa film as a “gripping combination of police procedural and coming-of-age drama.”
He paralleled the film’s commentary to the 2009 Maguindanao massacre and remarked on Apostol’s performance in particular as “impressive.”
Additional praise was also given by Kuiper to Teresa Barrozo’s “haunting soundscapes.”