Movies
India’s Marathi film ‘Court’ out of Oscar race
MUMBAI: The National Award winning Marathi film Court, which was India’s official entry to the Oscars, is out of the Best Foreign-Language Film category for the upcoming 88th Academy Awards.
Nine features will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards. A total of 80 films had originally been considered in the category.
The nine films that have made the cut for the Best Foreign-Language Film category are as follows:Belgium’s The Brand New Testament directed by Jaco Van Dormael; Colombia’s Embrace of the Serpent directed by Ciro Guerra; Denmark’s A War directed by Tobias Lindholm; Finland’s The Fencer directed by Klaus Härö; France’s Mustang directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven; Germany’sLabyrinth of Lies directed by Giulio Ricciarelli; Hungary’s Son of Saul directed by László Nemes; Ireland’s Viva directed by Paddy Breathnach and Jordan’s Theeb directed by Naji Abu Nowar.
Foreign Language Film nominations for 2015 are being determined in two phases.
The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based Academy members, screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and 14 December. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.
The shortlist will be winnowed down to the category’s five nominees by specially invited committees in New York, Los Angeles and London. They will spend 8 January through 10 January, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on 14 January, 2016 at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Movies
NFDC to release Malayalam film Achappa’s Album nationwide on April 24
Time-travel family drama blends humour and emotion across generations
NEW DELHI: National Film Development Corporation, under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is set to bring its latest Malayalam feature Achappa’s Album to theatres across India on April 24, 2026.
Positioned as a family fantasy with a comedic and emotional core, the film centres on a time-travel twist that sees a father and son unexpectedly swap lives. What follows is a reflective yet light-hearted look at generational perspectives, life choices and the timeless urge to revisit the past.
Directed by Deepti Pillay Sivan and written by Sanjeev Sivan, Anirban Bhattacharya and Umesh Nair, the film leans on a simple premise to explore deeper emotional terrain.
Speaking about the film, director Deepti Pillay Sivan said, “The film explores deep human relationships through a simple yet engaging time-travel narrative. We are grateful for NFDC’s pivotal support in bringing this story to the silver screen.”
The film features a diverse ensemble cast led by veteran Mohan Agashe, alongside Anjana Appukuttan, Aadinath Kothare, Priyanka Nair and Sidhanshu Sanjeev Sivan. Behind the camera, the project is backed by a seasoned crew including cinematographer Manoj Pillai, editor Sreekar Prasad and composer Gulraj Singh.
Highlighting the organisation’s vision, National Film Development Corporation managing director Prakash Magdum said, “This film reflects our commitment to nurturing unique voices in Indian cinema. By combining an imaginative concept with emotional depth, Achappa’s Album has the potential to resonate with audiences across all generations.”
With its mix of fantasy, humour and heartfelt storytelling, Achappa’s Album looks set to offer a refreshing cinematic ride, one that travels through time while staying rooted in family bonds.
