Lav Diaz’s “Magellan” was selected for submission into the Philippine International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards revealed by the Philippine Film Academy.
The historic drama, which documented the final months of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan’s life before his death on Mactan Island, defeated six other local candidates for the slot. A selection committee consisting of experts in the Philippine film industry evaluated submissions based on aesthetic and technical excellence, the embodied Philippine values and culture, international appeal, and the campaign capabilities of producers.
Starring Falè Garcia Bernal alongside Filipino performers Aljay Babon, Ronnie Lazarus, Bon Cabrera and Hazel Orencio, Magellan presents what Diaz calls “an uncompromising perspective on history.” Rather than portraying the nominal explorer as a heroic figure, the film portrays him as a man who “facing his own forgetfulness,” challenging a romantic colonial tale.
Filmed in the Philippines, Portugal and Spain, the productions bowed at the Cannes Film Festival. Produced by Paul Soriano and Mark Victor alongside line producer Bianca Trinidad, the film has assembled distribution partners such as Luxbox Films for global sales and North American distributor Janus Films.
The choice was revealed at the opening of the Philippine Film Industry Month celebration at Red Carpet Cinema at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong city, marking the beginning of the Oscar campaign season.
For the Oscar campaign, “Mazellan” joined Cinetic Marketing, the agency behind the international feature winners “Parasite” and “Drive My Car.” The film is scheduled to be screened at both the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival before it opened at the Philippine Theatre on September 10th.
Variety praised the film’s “greatly mounted, politically rigorous work, which confronts viewers who want a drastic biographical turmoil with a traditional colonial perspective, and thoroughly and violently dismantles the romantic legacy that follows the Portuguese navigator of the same name.”
“The Philippine Film Academy is extremely excited to announce Lav Diaz’s ‘Magellan’ as the official entry in the best international feature film category at the 98th Academy Awards,” said film director Paolo Villaluna, who has recently been appointed director of the Film Academy. “I know that Magellan’s Oscar journey is just beginning and that I am ready to support the film. They work closely to navigate the complexities of the Oscar campaign and provide government support when necessary to ensure that their vision is shared with the world. ”
The Oscar International feature summary will be announced on December 16th, with the last five candidates announced on January 22nd.
