The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected Gustav Möller's 'The Guilty' as one of the nine titles to receive a shortlisting in the Foreign Language Film category.
The thriller takes place over one single night at an emergency call centre, following a police officer's race against time to save a kidnapped woman, with the phone as his only tool. Since winning the Audience Award at its debut in Sundance, the film has received scores of accolades and a warm critical reception across the board.
'The Guilty' is Gustav Möller's feature debut. He wrote the script with Emil Nygaard Albertsen, and Lina Flint for Nordisk Film Spring has produced. As recently announced, Jake Gyllenhaal is set to feature in a US remake of the film.
Also making it to the Foreign Language shortlist is one co-productions with Danish partners: Colombia's 'Birds of Passage' by Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego, co-produced with Snowglobe.
Here is the full list of the nine foreign-language feature films picked by the Academy from a field of 87 candidates:
- Colombia / Birds of Passage
- Denmark / The Guilty
- Germany / Never Look Away
- Japan / Shoplifters
- Kazakhstan / Ayka
- Lebanon / Capernaum
- Mexico / Roma
- Poland / Cold War
- South Korea / Burning
Simon Lereng Wilmont's 'The Distant Barking of Dogs' is selected as one of the fifteen films on the Oscar shortlist in the Documentary Feature category.
'The Distant Barking of Dogs' premiered last year at IDFA and took home the festival's best debut documentary award. Since then it has toured the festival circuit and won numerous awards for its sensitive portrayal of Oleg, who lives with his grandmother near the front lines in Eastern Ukraine. The producer is Monica Hellström for Final Cut for Real.
Oscars 2019 / the dates
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominations for the title as Best Foreign Language Film on 22 January. The 2019 winners will be announced on Oscar Night taking place in Los Angeles on 24 February.
Ten years of Danish films and the Oscars
Below is an overview of the last ten years of Danish Oscar entries in the Foreign Language category (by awards ceremony year):
2018 You Disappear / Peter Schønau Fog
2017 Land of Mine / Martin Zandvliet / Oscar nomination
2016 A War / Tobias Lindholm / Oscar nomination
2015 Sorrow and Joy / Nils Malmros
2014 The Hunt / Thomas Vinterberg / Oscar nomination
2013 A Royal Affair / Nikolaj Arcel / Oscar nomination
2012 Superclásico / Ole Christian Madsen / Oscar shortlist
2011 In a Better World / Susanne Bier / Oscar winner
2010 Terribly Happy / Henrik Ruben Genz
2009 Worlds Apart / Niels Arden Oplev
