Each year more than 500 films made by young and upcoming filmmakers compete for the Student Academy Awards awarded by the American Film Academy. This year newly hatched director from the National Film School of Denmark Carl Marott is nominated in the best foreign film category for his graduation film, "The Oasis".
Starring Danica Curcic, Shooting Star at this year's Berlinale, "The Oasis" is a psychological thriller which takes place on a dark and stormy night at a sleazy motel. Here, Tom, an awkward and lonely guy falls in love head over heels when he meets the beautiful but utterly unattainable girl Laura, played by Curcic.
Director Carl Marott and procucer Per Damgaard Hansen are very excited about the nomination: "We are thrilled and of course very proud to be nominated. As a new generation of filmmakers we are also proud that we can help create international awareness about Danish film."
"The Oasis" will compete against nine other films in the best foreign film category. Other categories at the Student Adademy Awards include best fiction, best documentary, best animated film, and best alternative film. The Student Academy Awards ceremony takes place on 7 June at the Academy's Samuel Goldwin Theater in Los Angeles. The winners will already be announced on 13 May.
Previous Danish winners of the Student Adademy Award for best foreign film include Lauritz Munch-Petersen for "Between Us" (2004), Martin Strange-Hansen for "Feeding Desire" (2002), Reza Parsa for "Never" (1996), and Ingrid Oustrup Jensen for "Over My Dead Body" (1983).