MANILA, Philippines – No movie submitted by the Philippines to the Academy Awards for Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie because the inception of the class in 1956 has earned a nomination. Not even one made the shortlist.
However Lav Diaz’s Magellan can change all that because it earned the nod because the Philippines’ entry to the 98th version of the Oscars.
The movie chronicles the ultimate months of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who sailed to the Philippines within the sixteenth century underneath the Spanish crown.
Whereas it’s up for debate whether or not Magellan ought to have been the selection because it beat out six different shortlisted movies by the Movie Academy of the Philippines (FAP), together with Sunshine, Meals Supply: Contemporary from the West Philippine Sea, Tune Of The Fireflies, Some Nights I Really feel Like Strolling, Inexperienced Bones, and Hiya, Love, Once more, it’s the strategic choose.
For one, Magellan is directed by the internationally famend Diaz, whose works have netted prestigious awards. Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Midday (2014) gained the Golden Leopard on the Locarno Worldwide Movie Competition, Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis (2016) gained the Alfred Bauer Prize at Berlin Worldwide Movie Competition, and Ang Babaeng Humayo (2016) gained the Golden Lion on the Venice Worldwide Movie Competition. His Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan was the Philippines’ Oscar entry in 2014.
Additionally, Magellan stars famed Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal because the titular character. He featured in Motorcyle Diaries (2004), Babel (2006), and Coco (2017), all of which bagged awards within the Oscars.
These two components work in favor of the movie, however the individuals behind Magellan nonetheless have their work lower out for them because it sails into the extremely aggressive and principally costly waters of Oscars campaigning.
“It’s not sufficient that you’ve an aesthetically good film, you will need to be capable of mount a marketing campaign as a result of the competitors goes to be very tight the second your film is chosen,” mentioned veteran director Jose Javier Reyes, who heads the Movie Improvement Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
In its standards for choice, the FAP included not solely aesthetic and technical excellence, embodiment of Filipino values and tradition, and worldwide enchantment, but in addition the flexibility of the producer to stage an in depth marketing campaign for Academy shortlisting in December and nomination in February.
As a result of to make it large within the Oscars, it takes deep pockets, too.
For instance, American unbiased studio Neon spent $18 million on the advertising and marketing, distribution, and awards marketing campaign of Anora, which is thrice the $6 million funds it took to make the film, in accordance with Selection.
That funding paid dividends as Anora made a splash within the Oscars this yr, successful Finest Image, Finest Authentic Screenplay, and Finest Movie Enhancing. Sean Baker and Mikey Madison additionally scored the Finest Director and Finest Actress awards, respectively.
The FDCP will give P1 million to help Magellan, however even Reyes admitted that’s merely a “drop within the bucket” because it goes up towards equally formidable movies which is able to take pleasure in ample monetary backing.
Reyes mentioned favorites have already emerged, together with Norway’s Sentimental Worth and South Korea’s No Different Alternative.
“Greater than 50 or 60 movies can be submitted. What are the probabilities that the Academy notices your movie? It’s essential that your movie makes the rounds in festivals, that it has recall. We’ve come to understand that regardless of how good your movie is, when there’s no buzz round it, it gained’t be watched,” mentioned Reyes.
These in command of Magellan appear to be making the suitable strikes.
Magellan can be distributed in North America by Janus Movies, which has a observe document of buying worldwide movies which have discovered Oscars success, amongst them Japan’s Drive My Automobile (2021) and Latvia’s Movement (2024).
Drive My Automobile gained Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie in 2021, whereas Movement received nominated for Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie and gained Finest Animated Characteristic this yr.
Magellan has additionally tapped Cinetic Advertising and marketing, the company behind the campaigns of Drive My Automobile and critically acclaimed South Korean smash hit Parasite, which took residence Finest Image, Finest Authentic Screenplay, Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie, and Finest Director for Bong Joon-ho in 2020.
On high of these strikes, Magellan, which premiered on the Cannes Movie Competition in Might, will display screen on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition and New York Movie Competition this September.
“With the Oscars, it’s like going by means of the attention of the needle,“ mentioned Diaz. “It’s extra of an election course of. The methodology is now we have to marketing campaign. Fortuitously, now we have good distributors in North America, Europe. We’re in good arms. Within the promotional facet, that’s already an enormous factor.”
FAP director-general Paolo Villaluna mentioned Magellan can depend on help from the federal government for its Oscars push.
“We’ve been sending so many good movies, however individuals overlook it’s additionally a monetary marketing campaign,” mentioned Villaluna. “After we have a look at different worldwide movies which received within the shortlist, it was as a result of that they had large nationwide authorities help, and we’ll be doing that this yr.”
Because the Philippines shoots for an Oscars breakthrough, Reyes underlined the significance of continuous to provide movies that aren’t “extra of the identical.”
“We have to make extra good movies,” mentioned Reyes. “The one downside is how we’re going to persuade producers to create deeper and extra significant movies.” – Rappler.com
