BY SACHIN KUMAR
DOHA: Qatar has helped Mauritania get its first Oscar nomination. Mauritanian film Timbuktu, which received financial support from Doha Film Institute (DFI), has got a nomination for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ by beating films from 78 countries.
It is also for the first time a DFI funded film has gone thus far in the race for the Academy Awards.
Experts say Timbuktu’s nomination will have a positive impact on Arab and African cinema industry. “It is a breakthrough in many ways — it is the first Oscar nomination for Mauritania and the first time a film has ever been submitted from the African nation,” Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of DFI told The Peninsula.
“There is no doubt that this will have a positive impact on the film industry of Mauritania and Africa and it has the potential to renew interest in African cinema in general. The nomination is also cause for celebration among Arab filmmakers everywhere,” said Fatma Al Remaihi.
For 87th Academy Awards, 83 countries had submitted entries in the foreign-language film category. Of these, five nominees for the Oscars were announced last week. The winner will be announced in the awards ceremony on February 22 in Hollywood, USA. Timbuktu is competing with director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (Russia) Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida (Poland) Zaza Urushadze’s Tangerines (Estonia) and Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales (Argentina). The DFI is helping talents in the Arab world to realise filmmaking aspirations and filmmakers are also approaching the institute for support.
“Since 2011 we have supported more than 200 projects through our grants programme which include films from Qatar and the Mena (the Middle East and North Africa) region and selected international projects,” said Fatma.
“We are open to all types of projects and are looking for original, innovative works that bring something new to the cinematic landscape.
“We support projects with a strong directorial vision that are challenging, creative and thought-provoking,” she added.
Timbuktu, directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, deftly handles the complex subject matter which is timely and thought-provoking.
It has had a successful festival journey beginning with Cannes in 2014 where it premiered in the main competition and gained momentum, resonating with audiences and critics around the world.
The Peninsula
