At this time of the year, all eyes are on the Oscars. In less than a month, the final nominations for the prestigious awards will be declared. On December 21, The Academy announced shortlists in 10 categories: Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound, and Visual Effects.
India's official entry to the Oscars, Chhello Show/Last Film Show, has advanced to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category. It will be competing with films like Argentina, 1985, Corsage, Close, Return to Seoul, Holy Spider, Saint Omer, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Quiet Girl, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, The Blue Caftan, Joyland, EO, Decision to Leave and Cairo Conspiracy to make it to the final nominations list.
On the other hand, one of India's most celebrated films, RRR, has also made it to the list. The song, Naatu Naatu has been shortlisted for Oscars 2023 in the Original Song category. It will be competing with songs like Time from Amsterdam, Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) from Avatar: The Way of Water, Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, This Is A Life from Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ciao Papa from Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Til You’re Home from A Man Called Otto, My Mind & Me from Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Good Afternoon from Spirited, Applause from Tell It like a Woman, Stand Up from Till, Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, Dust & Ash from The Voice of Dust and Ash, Carolina from Where the Crawdads Sing and New Body Rhumba from White Noise to bag the final nomination.
Producer Guneet Monga's The Elephant Whisperers got shortlisted in the Documentary Short Film category. It will be competing with films like American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton, Anastasia, Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison, As Far as They Can Run, The Elephant Whisperers, The Flagmakers, Happiness Is £4 Million, Haulout, Holding Moses, How Do You Measure a Year?, The Martha Mitchell Effect, Nuisance Bear, Shut Up and Paint, Stranger at the Gate and 38 at the Garden.
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards are expected to be announced on January 24, 2023. The main ceremony will be held on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
(Source: The Academy Twitter)