ANGELI Bayani (left) and Hazel Orencio in Lav Diaz’s “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan”
“We welcome this challenge,” said producer Moira Lang (the former Raymond Lee) of “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan.” The movie has been chosen by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) to vie for a spot in the Best Foreign Language Film race of the 2015 Oscars.
The four-hour Lav Diaz film premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. In the same year, it bagged the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award and Best Picture at the International Cinephile Society (online critics group) Awards. It also won Best Film at the Pancevo (Serbia) International Film Festival.
Locally, “Norte” won for Diaz the Best Director award from the 2014 Cinemanila International Film Festival, and the Best Picture Award from the 2014 Gawad Urian. Lead star Angeli Bayani was awarded the Urian Best Actress trophy.
“To boost ‘Norte’s’ chances for an Oscar nod is our top prioritiy,” Lang said. “This time, it’s no longer just about the film; it’s about inspiring the country, calling world attention to Philippine cinema.”
Other contenders
According to the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), local counterpart of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States, “Norte” was picked from a lineup of films released commercially from October 2013 to September 2014.
FAP representative and filmmaker Jose N. Carreon said movies given an “A” rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board were prioritized, as well as those that have exposure in the international festival circuit.
He said FAP picked 12 films, then whittled it down to four: “Norte,” Jun Robles Lana’s “Barber’s Tales,” Ian Loreños’ “Alagwa” and Joel Lamangan’s “Kamkam.”
Carreon pointed out that the closest a Filipino film got to a nomination was in 2003, when Gil Portes’ “Mga Munting Tinig” made it to the Top Eight. Last year’s bet, Lana’s “Bwakaw,” landed in the Top 15.
DVD copies
The “Norte” team should expect a much tougher competition than usual, Carreon said. “They have to send DVD copies to Oscar voters if they want to even be considered. It is costly but they could reduce expenses by tying up with a distributor. Plus, they have just a few months to promote before finalists are announced.”
Official nominees will be announced in January 2015; the awards ceremony is set Feb. 22.
(According to Hollywood-dedicated publication The Wrap, rules in the Foreign Language Film race are “more complicated than in most, with volunteers from the entire Academy viewing and scoring the eligible films over a period of months.” These viewers consist what is called the general committee, which picks six favorites, to which an executive committee adds three more to make up a short list. “Another hand-picked committee views the nine shortlisted films and votes for the five nominees.”)
Lang said the film’s US distributor, Cinema Guild, has promised to help. “Norte” has also signed up with distributors in France, United Kingdom and most recently, Germany.
“But Cinema Guild also said the bulk of the campaign fund should come from the host country,” said Lang.
More US screenings should be arranged, Lang said. “Giving screeners to voters may not be effective. It’s an experiential film. The full effect is best felt by watching it inside a theater. This will definitely cost [us].”