The Taiwanese dark comedy The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯) was among 87 submissions accepted for consideration to be shortlisted for the best foreign-language film category at next year’s Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said on Monday.
A total of 89 countries submitted a film and 87 were accepted, with two African countries — Malawi and Niger — submitting a film for the first time, the academy said.
The Great Buddha+, the first feature film directed by documentary director Huang Hsin-yao (黃信堯), tells a story that underlines the gulf between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”
It revolves around the dark secrets a nighttime security guard at a Buddha statue factory and his friend, a trash collector, stumble upon while watching dashcam recordings of the company’s boss’ sexual encounters with women.
The film drew much attention in Taiwan for its experimental forms and sharp sarcasm.
It won the top prize at last year’s Taipei Film Festival, as five Golden Horse Awards, including best adapted screenplay and best new director.
It also won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Among the other films accepted for the foreign-language category are Shoplifters by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and Burning by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 22 and the ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 24.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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