Nikhil Chinapa reached out to Vivek Agnihotri on Twitter to inquire about the potential of his film The Kashmir Files to make it to the Oscars. The director had posted a poster on the social media platform with a caption claiming it to be an ‘Official Contender From India’.
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Nikhil Chinapa asked Vivek Agnihotri about the status of his film The Kashmir Files in relation to the upcoming Oscars on Twitter. On Tuesday, the filmmaker posted a poster of the film labelled with the title ‘Official Contender From India’. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) had recently revealed a list of 301 films which were eligible for the Oscars this year, with a few Indian films included. Out of these, four Indian films were officially shortlisted and are in the running in their respective categories – RRR, Last Film Show (Chhello Show), All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers.
SOurce: Google
Nikhil, a former VJ, took to Twitter to inquire of Vivek Agnihotri, “What is an official ‘contender’?” after Vivek had posted the poster of The Kashmir Files with the Oscars logo earlier on Tuesday and commented, “Thanks for your love, support and blessings. This is the year of Indian Cinema. #Oscars2023.” The poster declared that the movie was an ‘Official Contender From India’.
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Others also expressed their doubts about Vivek Agnihotri celebration of being on the eligibility list. “What is the distinction between being an ‘official contender’ and an ‘official entry’?,” questioned one person. Another commented, “Why is ‘contender’ in small print and ‘Oscars’ in large letters? Are you trying to make people think it made it to the shortlist when it hasn’t?” A third asked, “Is being a contender really something to be proud of?”
Source: Google, Vivek Agnihotri
The Oscars eligibility rules as published on its official website stipulate that feature films released between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, in at least one of the six US metropolitan areas of Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta, and with a running time of more than 40 minutes, must complete a minimum of seven consecutive days in the same theater in order to be eligible for consideration at the 95th Academy Awards.
Apart from The Kashmir Files, other Indian films that have met the basic criteria for eligibility are RRR, Kantara, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Me Vasantrao, Tuzhya Sathi Kahi Hi, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Iravin Nizhal, and Vikrant Rona. The Last Film Show has been chosen by India as its official entry in the Best International Feature Film category.
On Monday, Hansal Mehta made a sarcastic comment about Vivek Agnihotri’s tweet that his movie The Kashmir Files was shortlisted for the Oscars in 2023. The final nominees for the Academy Awards will be proclaimed on Tuesday, January 24.