The Spanish film Sirat has made the cut in five categories for the Oscars and could surprise at the major film awards in the United States. Until the nominations are announced on January 22, Oliver Laxe's work has already made history: it is the first Spanish film to be among the finalists for nominations in five categories.
The Oscars Academy announced on Tuesday the shortlists for 12 categories of their upcoming awards; in other words, the finalists before the nomination announcement. Oliver Laxe's film, an original from Movistar Plus+, has entered up to five categories: best casting, international film, cinematography, music, and sound.
Sirat becomes the non-American film with the most shortlists, as its main rival in the European film awards, the Norwegian Valor sentimental, is in three, the same as the German Sound of Falling.
Sirat, among the favorite films for the European Film Awards
Two years ago, The Snowman by Juan Antonio Bayona, made the cut in four categories, which later resulted in two nominations.
In the case of Sirat, the nomination for Best International Film is almost certain, and there are possibilities of one or two more nominations, particularly for sound or music, which are key elements in the film.
The Best Casting category is new: it is the first time an Oscar will be awarded for the selection of actors, something significant in the case of Sirat, as except for Sergi López, the rest of the cast consists of non-professional actors.
Sirat delves into the Moroccan desert to follow the desperate search of a father, Luis (Sergi López), and his younger son, Esteban (Bruno Núñez), to find Mar, their daughter and older sister, who disappeared months ago at an illegal 'rave' in the mountains.
But that's not the only good news for Spanish cinema. There is also an animated short film preselected: The Ghost of the Quinta. This horror short film, directed by James A. Castillo and narrated by Maribel Verdú, reimagines the last years of Francisco de Goya at the Quinta del Sordo in Madrid.