Colombia receives its first ever Oscar nomination for best foreign language film.
The 2016 Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film has already brought a handful of historical firsts for Latin America, with a number of new countries submitting their cinematic best for the Academy’s consideration. But as of today the historical weight of the 88th Academy Awards for Latin America is even greater: the Academy has announced Colombia’s El abrazo de la serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent) as the first ever foreign language nomination for the South American cultural powerhouse. Past Colombian nominees include Catalina Sandino Moreno for Best Actress in the drug smuggling drama Maria Full of Grace and director Isabel Vega for her short documentary La Corona.
Directed by Ciro Guerra, who had already turned heads on the European festival circuit with his previous films Los viajes del viento (The Wind Journeys) and La sombra del caminante, El abrazo has picked up numerous awards since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier last year. After being the only Latin American title on the Oscar’s nine-film Foreign Language Shortlist published in December, it is now officially in the five-film final cut alongside titles from Jordan, Denmark, France, and Hungary.
For more info: http://remezcla.com/film/colombia-first-ever-oscar-nomination-for-best-foreign-language-film-abrazo-de-la-serpiente/