Oscars International Feature Race: The Asia Pacific Contenders1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAsia has its work cut out living up to 2020’s Academy Awards success with Parasite, directed by South Korea’s Bong Joon Ho. The movie won not only best international feature film, but also best picture, director and original screenplay in the main categories.
For the 2021 Oscars, the region has fielded many strong contenders for the international feature category, but none with Parasite’s obvious high profile and marketing muscle. It also hasn’t helped that Cannes Film Festival, traditionally the first leg of the Oscars marathon (Parasite’s race began when it scooped the Palme d’Or in 2019), was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, what may help some of Asia’s submissions is that the region was less badly hit by Covid-19 than most other parts of the world — and many territories kept cinemas open and festival screenings running. While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dropped the theatrical release requirement in this pandemic-hit year, a well-publicised rollout in cinemas can help to raise a film’s visibility.
Image Credit: Giraffe Pictures
