'Peepli Live' out of Oscar race

Jan 20, 2011 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) "Peepli Live", India's official entry for the Oscars this year, is out of the race.

The Aamir Khan-produced film is not in the list of nine movies selected for the next next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards.

Directed by journalist-turned-director Anusha Rizvi, the satirical comedy wowed audiences to become one of 2010's top five grossers.

However, it seems the film couldn't impress the Academy bosses.

This year, 65 countries, including first-time entrants Ethiopia and Greenland, had submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2010 are again being determined in two phases, said a statement posted on the Oscar official website.

The Phase one committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 66 eligible films between mid-October and Jan 13. The group's top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy's Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend Friday, Jan 21, through Sunday, Jan 23, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

The nine films, listed in alphabetical order by country, selected for second stage are:

Algeria, "Hors la Loi" ("Outside the Law"), Rachid Bouchareb, director;

Canada, "Incendies," Denis Villeneuve, director;

Denmark, "In a Better World," Susanne Bier, director;

Greece, "Dogtooth," Yorgos Lanthimos, director;

Japan, "Confessions," Tetsuya Nakashima, director;

Mexico, "Biutiful," Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director;

South Africa, "Life, above All," Oliver Schmitz, director;

Spain, "Tambien la Lluvia" ("Even the Rain"), Iciar Bollain, director;

Sweden, "Simple Simon," Andreas Ohman, director.

The nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, Jan 25 and the mega award ceremony is scheduled for Feb 27.

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