Italy has selected Familia directed by Francesco Costabile as its submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.
Based on Luigi Celeste’s memoir Non sarà sempre così, Familia tells the story of Gigi (Francesco Gheghi), a young far-right militant from a modest working-class Italian family. His childhood is marred by domestic violence inflicted by his criminal father, Franco (Francesco Di Leva). Gigi’s mother, Licia (Barbara Ronchi), tries to hold the family together. The story follows Gigi’s search for belonging, identity, and escape from his family’s trauma. Also starring in the movie are Marco Cicalese, Enrico Borello, Tecla Insolia, and Francesco De Lucia.
“Familia is a black melodrama which blends languages used in different film genres: from psychological thrillers to horror and social films,” said director Francesco Costabile.
Familia premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival where Francesco Gheghi won the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Luigi. It was nominated for eight David di Donatello Awards, including Best Actor (Gheghi), Best Actress (Ronchi), among others; Francesco Di Leva won Best Supporting Actor.
The ANICA cinema association selected Familia as Italy’s Oscar entry from among 24 candidates.
Below are the 24 candidates in alphabetical order:
Berlinguer. The Great Ambition (Berlinguer. La Grande Ambizione) by Andrea Segre
Diamonds (Diamanti) by Ferzan Özpetek
Future Diva (Diva Futura) by Giulia Louise Steigerwalt
Duse by Pietro Marcello
Elisa by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Eternal Visionary (Eterno Visionario) by Michele Placido
Family (Familia) by Francesco Costabile
Madly (Follemente) by Paolo Genovese
Outside (Fuori) by Mario Martone
Hey Joe by Claudio Giovannesi
Joachim and the Apocalypse (Il monaco che vinse l’Apocalisse) by Jordan River
The Negotiator (Il Nibbio) by Alessandro Tonda
The Boy with Pink Pants (Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa) by Margherita Ferri
The Children’s Train (Il treno dei bambini) by Cristina Comencini
The Sicilian Storyteller (L’amore che ho) by Paolo Licata
The American Backyard (L’orto americano) by Pupi Avati
Siblings (La vita da grandi) by Greta Scarano
The Tasters (Le assaggiatrici) by Silvio Soldini
The Last One for the Road (Le città di pianura) by Francesco Sossai
The Flood – The Last Days of Marie Antoinette (Le Déluge – Gli Ultimi Giorni Di Maria Antonietta) by Gianluca Jodice
Naples – New York (Napoli – New York) by Gabriele Salvatores
Samia (Non Dirmi Che Hai Paura) by Yasemin Samdereli
Below the Clouds (Sotto Le Nuvole) by Gianfranco Rosi
Trifole (Le Radici Dimenticate) by Gabriele Fabbro
Vittoria by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.