The Colombian Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences has announced a list of four films that were submitted to represent the country in the Best Foreign Language category at the 87th Academy Awards.
The four candidates are:
–El Abrazo de la Serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent), directed by Ciro Guerra.
–Ella, helmed by Libia Stella Gómez.
–Gente de Bien, brought to life by Franco Lolli.
–La Tierra y la Sombra (Land and Shade), by César Augusto Acevedo.
This year has been one of the most successful in the history of the Colombian film industry. Two of the candidates above received awards at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. La Tierra y la Sombra took home the coveted Golden Camera, while El Abrazo de la Serpiente was awarded the Art Cinema Award at the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar. These have been, by far, the most important honors ever earned by a Colombian production. Lolli’s Gente de Bien screened at Cannes last year during the Critics’ Week.
Guerra has represented his country on two previous occasions, in 2006 with La Sombra del Caminante and in 2010 with Los Viajes del Viento (The Wind Joruneys). El Abrazo de la Serpiente is seen by many as the clear favorite to become Colombia’s Oscar entry particularly because it is the only one out of the four films with U.S. distribution. Oscilloscope Laboratories recently acquired the film.
Colombia has never been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Members of the Colombian Academy have until September 15 to cast their vote.
