The Brazilian Academy of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts announced the film “Pictures of Ghosts” (“Retratos Fantasmas”) by Kleber Mendonça Filho as Brazil’s representative in the competition for a place in the Oscars for Best International Film at the 2024 Academy Awards.
The film was competing against five others, which had been shortlisted from among 28 Brazilian productions.
“It was a democratic, representative meeting with a broad committee. The diversity and quality of the films took us three hours of debate before we arrived at the chosen title,” committee chair Ilda Santiago stated.
“Pictures of Ghosts” has downtown Recife city as the main character, revisited through the great cinemas that served as spaces of conviviality in the 20th century.
Being chosen as the Brazilian representative for the Oscars does not mean that the film is guaranteed to be nominated. Each country appoints a film as its representative for the race. The Oscars then review these nominations and make a shortlist, to be unveiled on December 21.
The official announcement of the films that will actually compete for the main prize in world cinema will be made on January 23, 2024. The ceremony awarding the best films of the year is scheduled to take place on March 10, 2024.
This is the second time director Kleber Mendonça Filho has had a movie selected to represent Brazil at the Oscars. In 2013, the Brazilian Film Academy had nominated “Neighbouring Sounds” (“O Som ao Redor”), but the film ended up being left off the Oscars list. He is also known for films such as Bacurau and Aquarius.
Source: Agência Brasil