September 28, 2007–Today is the deadline for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' foreign-language entries.
Submissions must be in by 5 p.m. Monday. A committee then meets to go over the entries and will consider their eligibility; the list of submissions will be announced mid-November. The rules just state that a film must be “predominantly” in a language other than English.
“The Band's Visit,” Israel's entry for the foreign-language Oscar may face problems since about 50% of its dialogue is in English, which would make it inadmissible under Academy guidelines.
Director Eran Koliris' film, about an Egyptian music band that get stranded in an Israeli village won the Israeli Academy's Ophir Prize for best film, which made it the country's entry for foreign-language Oscar. The picture is getting support from some powerful Israeli film execs.
“It's not like the producers sat down and did this to make a bundle of money. Speaking English is a natural situation, it's the only way we can talk with our neighbors in Egypt,” said Israeli film fund head Katriel Schory. “The Israeli Film Academy voiced its decision, and it was an absolute landslide for 'Band's Visit.' I hope the American Academy respects the choice of the Israeli Academy.”
