25/01/2011

For the third time in his career, Rachid Bouchareb is among the nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar with Outside the Law [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Meanwhile, Sylvain Chomet has been nominated for a second time in the Best Animated Feature category with The Illusionist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sylvain Chomet
film profile].

After Dust of Life in 1996 and Days of Glory [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile] in 2007, Bouchareb will once again vie for the famous statuette (to be awarded on February 27, 2011) with Outside the Law, which is representing Algeria although it is a majority French co-production. Unveiled in competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival (see review), Outside the Law was produced by France (59% investment), Algeria (21%), Tunisia (10%) and Belgium (10%).

Initiated by Tessalit Productions, the film was mainly co-produced by France 2 Cinéma and France 3 Cinéma. It received an advance on receipts from the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC), and pre-acquisitions from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma. StudioCanal is handling international sales.

Twice nominated in 2004 with Belleville Rendez-Vous [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song), Chomet will compete with The Illusionist for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, against Dragons and Toy Story 3. This UK/French co-production unveiled as a special screening at Berlin was co-produced by France 3 Cinéma and Pathé. The latter also managed international sales.

Finally, Denis Villeneuve’s Scorched [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Canada/France) has been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Alexandre Desplat for The King’s Speech in the Best Original Score category and Bastien Dubois’s Madagascar, A Journey Diary for Best Animated Short Film.

(Translated from French)