Singapore has selected the noirish A Land Imagined for submission in the international feature film category at the Oscars.
The Yeo Siew Hua-directed thriller stars Peter Yu, Luna Kwok and Liu Xiaoyi and follows the case of a missing Chinese construction worker and the cop assigned to his case.
A Land Imagined was produced by Akanga Film Asia and has picked up a slew of awards on the international circuit, including the Golden Leopard at Locarno. It was also picked up for streaming on Netflix.
“A Land Imagined is a tribute to Singapore and those who helped to build this migrant nation, so we are thrilled that it will represent our country on a stage as big as the Oscars,” Yeo said in a statement released by the Singapore Film Commission (SFC).
SFC director Joachim Ng described A Land Imagined as a “deep and insightful film that delves into themes such as the social integration of migrant laborers.”
“The film has won critical acclaim at many film festivals, and is a great example of a made-with-Singapore film that has the potential to win audiences around the world,” he said.
Singapore is yet to pick up a nomination for what was previously known as the best foreign film. The island nation first submitted an entry in 1959 and then has done so continuously since 2005.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominations for the international feature film Oscar on Jan. 13. The winner will be announced on Oscar night in Los Angeles on Feb. 9.
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