The 2017 Oscars shun Hispanic films

The 89th Academy Awards have turned their back on Hispanic films.

Of the 85 submissions admitted for review this year, 14 were made in a Spanish-speaking country – including Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico.

Neither Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Julieta’ nor Neruda, by Chilean director Pablo Larraín, managed to get preselected as a finalist in the Foreign Language Film category, even though they had both been considered strong candidates.

Chile’s Pablo Larraín still has a chance to get nominated for another film, ‘Jackie’

Both films had been critically acclaimed in Hollywood.

The Spanish-Uruguayan co-production Migas de pan also failed to get shortlisted on a year when Academy officials favored movies made primarily in more northern latitudes.

The nine finalists are Germany’s Toni Erdmann, Denmark’s Land of Mine, Norway’s The King’s Choice, Sweden’s A Man Called Ove, Russia’s Paradise, Australia’s Tanna, Canada’s It’s Only the End of the World, Iran’s The Salesman, and Switzerland’s My Life as a Zucchini.

Five final nominees will be selected from this group and announced on January 24. The Oscars will be handed out on February 26.

Chile’s Pablo Larraín still has a chance to get nominated for another film, Jackie, which represents his English-language debut. Pundits believe that actress Natalie Portman could receive an Oscar for her work in this movie.

English version by Susana Urra.