Director Jude Anthany Joseph Disappointed Over Oscar Shortlist Exclusion
'Everyone Is A Hero' Misses Academy Awards Shortlist for Best International Feature
A day after the Oscar shortlists for ten different categories were revealed, director Jude Anthany Joseph expressed his disappointment at not having his survival drama 2018: Everyone Is A Hero included in the list.
Joseph apologized to his followers on Instagram on Friday for not getting his name on the shortlist for the Best International Feature award. In addition, he shared a screen grab of the fifteen movies that made the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's short list.
"Hello to all of you. The Oscar shortlist was revealed, and unfortunately, our movie from 2018—Everyone Is a Hero—did not make it into the top 15 out of 88 foreign language films from around the world. He wrote, "I truly apologize to all of my supporters and well-wishers for disappointing you all," next to the screenshot.
Joseph acknowledged the disappointment but also expressed gratitude for the unique honor of being the official Indian entry for the Oscars. "For any filmmaker, becoming the highest-grossing movie and the official Indian entry for the Oscars is an exceptional accomplishment in their career. "I express my gratitude to God for selecting me for this remarkable journey," he said.
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The Malayalam director conveyed his appreciation to other Indian directors for their help along the way, naming Pan Nalin, Sidharth Roy Kapoor, Guneet Monga, Rintu Thomas, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Resul Pookkutty, Anurag Kashyap, S.S. Rajamouli, and Senthi. In closing, he wished the best of luck to each and every finalist. He also gave a special mention to Sol, the producer of the Armenian film Amerikatsi, which was included on the Oscar shortlist.
"The next dream starts today, when the Oscars are about to happen, and I am ready to be here. I love you, Oscar, until we meet. ❤️❤️❤️,” the director concluded.
2018's disaster drama Everyone Is A Hero centers on the Kerala floods that same year. The film, which starred Tovino Thomas, Kunchako Boban, Lal, Kalaiyarasan, Asif Ali, and Tanvi Ram, became the greatest Malayalam hit of all time with a global box office receipt of over Rs 200 crore.
Aside from Amerikatsi, Perfect Days from Japan, The Zone of Interest from the UK, Fallen Leaves from Finland, Society of the Snow from Spain, and The Monk and the Gun from Bhutan are on the shortlist for the 96th Academy Awards' Best International Feature category.
The Promised Land by Denmark, The Taste of Things by France, The Teachers' Lounge by Germany, Godland by Iceland, Io Capitano by Italy, Totem by Mexico, The Mother of All Lies by Morocco, Four Daughters by Tunisia, and 20 Days in Mariupol by Ukraine have also made the shortlist.
In the history of the Best International Feature category, only three Indian movies have ever made it to the final nominations. They are Lagaan (2011), Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Mother India (1957). Pan Nalin's Last Film Show made it onto the shortlist last year.
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