Naatu Naatu of RRR, Chhello Show, All That Breathes in the running for the 2023 Oscars: Details

Three Indian films are among several shortlists for the 2023 Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday. The energetic dance song “Naatu Naatu,” from SS Rajamouli’s action-packed RRR affair, is up for a spot in the Best Original Song category. India’s international feature entry this year is Chhello Show/The Last Film Show directed by Pan Nalin, which takes on Joyland, a first-ever nomination for Pakistan. AMPAS has unveiled the shortlists for the 2023 Oscars in 10 categories, with nominations narrowed down to five or six, with all other nominees to be revealed on January 24, 2023. The 95th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 12. . , 2023.

The third Indian film to be mentioned is All That Breathes, a documentary by Shaunak Sen shot in New Delhi that explores two brothers who dedicate their lives to caring for injured birds. All That Breathes was also shortlisted in the Best Documentary Feature category. It is among the top 15 films to make the Academy’s list, having survived stiff competition against 143 others. All That Breathes has yet to get an Indian release.

Films from 92 countries and regions were eligible for the shortlist of international feature films, having met a “minimum viewing requirement” to be able to vote. During the nominations round, members of the Academy will have to watch all 15 films before deciding on their nominations for the big Oscars event.

Set against the backdrop of a Gujarati village, Chhello Show explores the childhood innocence of a nine-year-old boy, who is captivated by the magic of cinema for a summer, inspiring him to create his own – oblivious to the heartbreaking times ahead. The film is currently available to watch on Netflix in the Gujarati language, alongside a Hindi dub.

India’s neighbor Pakistan also has an entry in the international feature film list – Joyland. In it, a patriarchal family’s dreams of having a baby boy are shattered, when their youngest son falls in love with a transgender starlet. Joyland is the first Pakistani film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. It was released in mid-November in Pakistan, but has yet to find a date in India.

Here are the shortlists for the International Feature, Original Song and Documentary Feature in their entirety – in alphabetical order.

List of 2023 Oscars International Feature Film Finalists

1. Argentina, Argentina, 1985
2. Austria, bodice
3. Belgium, Close
4. Cambodia, back to Seoul
5. Denmark, Holy Spider
6. France, Saint Omer
7. Germany, all calm on the Western Front
8. India, last cinema session
9. Ireland, the quiet girl
10. Mexico, Bardo, false chronicle of a handful of truths
11. Morocco, The Blue Caftan
12. Pakistan, Joyland
13. Poland, EO
14. South Korea, decision to leave
15. Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy

Oscars 2023 Music Selection (Original Song)

1. “Time to amsterdam
2. “Nothing’s Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from Avatar: The Way of Water
3. “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
4. “It’s a life” from Everything everywhere at once
5. “Ciao Papa” from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
6. “Until You’re Home” from A Man Called Otto
7. RRR’s “Naatu Naatu”
8. “My Mind and Me” by Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me
9. “Good Afternoon” from Spirited
10. “Applause” from Tell It like a Woman
11. “Get Up” by Till
12. “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick
13. “Dust & Ash” from The Voice of Dust and Ash
14. “Caroline” from Where the Crawdads Sing
15. “New Body Rhumba” by White Noise

List of documentary feature film finalists at the Oscars 2023

1. anything that breathes
2. All the beauty and bloodshed
3. bad ax
4. Children of the mist
5. Descending
6. fire of love
7. Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a journey, a song
8. hidden letters
9. A house made of shards
10. The Janes
11. Last return flight
12. Lunar Reverie
13. Navalny
14. Retrograde
15. The territory

The other seven Oscars 2023 shortlists announced on Wednesday include Documentary Short, Makeup & Hair, Music (Original Score), Animated Short, Live Action Short, Sound & Visual Effects . Major competitors include All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Don’t Worry Darling, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro, No, The Banshees of Inisherin and Top Gun: Maverick. Additionally, Matt Reeves’ The Batman was shortlisted in three categories: visual effects, sound, and makeup and hair.

Nominees for all other categories for the 2023 Oscars will be announced directly on January 24, 2023.

---