Brazil has chosen Kleber Mendonça Filho’s documentary Pictures of Ghosts as its entry to the Best International Feature Film class of the 2024 Academy Awards.
Mixing archive and up to date footage, the deeply private work revisits the director’s hometown of Recife by means of the cinemas he as soon as frequented.
The movie world premiered as a Special Screening at Cannes in May and has simply made its North American premiere in Toronto, earlier than heading to New York.
Grasshopper Films acquired U.S. rights this summer season. Paris-based Urban gross sales handles worldwide gross sales.
The Brazilian Cinema Academy chosen the movie on Tuesday from a brief record which additionally included Guto Parente’s A Strange Path, Sergio de Carvalho’s Alien Nights, Eduardo Albergaria’s Nosso Sonho, Carolina Markowicz’s Toll and Claudio Borrelli’s Vultures.
The choice was made by a 23-member committee, chaired by distributor and exhibitor Ilda Santiago.
Mendonça Filho thanked the academy for choosing the movie in a media publish, re-enacting his taking the decision on the cellphone as he stroked his cat.
“Thank you for all the good vibes we have received,” he wrote.
The director beforehand represented Brazil in 2012 with Neighbouring Sounds (Som ao Redor).
“I’ll replicate Emilie’s quotes: ‘“’Happy and honored for the nomination, 10 years after Som ao Redor,’” he wrote, referring to long-term producer Emilie Lesclaux.
“The film is enjoying a lot of international exposure and is at the end of its third release in Brazil and Portugal, with screenings still full,” he added. “We will work to ensure it is seen as much as possible.”
Pictures of Ghosts had its Brazilian premiere on August 14 in Recife and was launched in the remainder of the nation on August 24 by Vitrine Filmes.