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OSCARS 2017 Netherlands

Tonio steps into the Oscars race

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- Oscar nominee Paula van der Oest tries her luck in Hollywood again with a story based on real-life events, inspired by the book by Dutch author A F Th van der Heijden

Tonio steps into the Oscars race
Tonio by Paula van der Oest

The mourning drama Tonio [+see also:
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 by Dutch director Paula van der Oest has been chosen as the official Netherlands entry for the Academy Award in the Best Foreign-language Film category.

Written by Hugo HeinenTonio is based on the bestselling novel by Dutch author A F Th van der Heijden. It focuses on the true story of the accident that claimed the life of the writer's only son, 21-year-old Tonio, played by actor Chris Peters.

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The tragedy altered the lives of Tonio’s parents (played by Pierre Bokma and Rifka Lodeizen), who watched their only son pass away in intensive care. They are reminded of him by everything around and inside them, as Tonio's life has left a legacy of phantom pain for his parents, who mourn and struggle to prevent their own lives from being dragged into a downward spiral of sorrow.

Tonio was produced by Alain de LevitaSytze van der Laan and Sabine Brian for NL Film Production, in co-production with Dutch outfits NTR and Nanook Entertainment, and Belgium’s Zilvermeer Productions. Dutch Features Global Entertainment manages the international sales.

Two of van der Oest’s previous films have also entered the Oscar race. In 2014, Lucia de B. [+see also:
film review
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film profile
]
 was chosen as the Dutch entry, and in 2002 Zus & Zo got a nomination but lost out to Denys Arcand’s The Barbarian Invasions [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 (Canada).

Furthermore, the Netherlands has also submitted Ena Sendijarevic’s Import in the Live Action Short Film Category and Digna van der Put’s Parade for the Animated Short Film category.

The nominations for the Academy Awards will be unveiled on 24 January 2017, and the 89th ceremony is scheduled for 26 February.

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