The Academy Awards take place on 10 March – will these Arab films walk away with an Oscar?
Being nominated for an academy award by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is one of the highest honours for those in the film industry and the 96th edition of the annual celebration is coming up in March 2024.
Ahead of the awards, The Academy has released its shortlists across 10 categories, which includes three Arab features. In the Documentary Feature and International Feature categories is Four Daughters by Oscar-nominated Kaouther Ben Hania. The Tunisian film stars Hend Sabry and explores themes of rebellion and motherhood.
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Last Song from Kabul, a short film by Oscar-winning director Kevin MacDonald, is shortlisted in the Documentary Short Subject category and follows the journey of female orphans in Afghanistan as they flee to Portugal when their music school in Kabul is shut down, in an effort to rebuild their lives and rediscover the power of music.
Asmae El Moudir’s film, The Mother of All Lies, made its debut at Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard award for best director. The Moroccan film is shortlisted at the 96th Oscars in the International Feature category and tells the story of a woman on a journey of self-discovery as she seeks to discover her hidden family history.
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With the months-long SAG-AFRA strike of 2023 bringing press for upcoming releases to a halt, many of the films included will seem unfamiliar. However, Barbie and Oppenheimer, two of the biggest blockbusters from 2023, are likely to walk away with plenty of Oscars. The official list of nominees will be announced on 23 January and MOJEH suggests binge-watching the contenders so you can be up to speed come 10 March. See the shortlisted films here
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