‘881’ goes to the Oscars1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRoyston Tan’s 881 has been selected by the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) as Singapore’s official entry for the Oscar’s Best Foreign Language Film category, reports The Straits Times and Variety Asia Online.
The movie was picked from a basket of local films produced this year, including Wee Li-Lin’s Gone Shopping and Jack Neo’s Just Follow Law, and was the unanimous choice by the SFC board members.
In a local report on The Straits Times, SFC chairman Jennie Chua said: “The film presents a part of the rich and colourful street culture of Singapore which is hardly seen by the world and provides a window to showcase our unique heritage to the international audience.”
The film will be up against other high-profile Asian entries, including Lee Ang’s erotic thriller Lust, Caution, and South Korea’s Secret Sunshine by Lee Chang Dong, which went to Cannes earlier this year.
Nominations for the 80th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be announced in 22 January 2008, while the awards ceremony goes live on 24 February 2008.
881 has also recently surpassed Just Follow Law as the top-grossing local film this year, raking in over $3 million at the box office so far.
