Russia’s Foreign-Language Oscar Race Entry’s Release Postponed

The local release of Leviafan (Leviathan), Russia’s foreign-language Oscar race entry and Cannes winner, has been postponed from  to February 2015, distributor A Company said Wednesday.

Alexander van Dulmen, A Company’s CEO, was quoted by proficinema.ru as saying that the company decided to use a model employed by the film’s U.S. distributor, Sony Classics, which has successfully released several festival hits during the February award season.

According to van Dulmen, the film’s festival awards, viewers’ positive reaction and international press attention should contribute to Leviathan’s successful release both in Russia and internationally.

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The original date for the Russian release was Nov. 13.

Directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev, Leviathan earned the best script award at Cannes this year and went on to collect awards at festivals in Germany and Serbia.

Germany, South Korea and Denmark are also pushing back the release of Leviathan to the Oscar season.

The film’s North American premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival, after which it was screened at the Telluride Film Festival.

Sony Classics has scheduled Leviathan‘s North American release for Dec. 31.

Soon after collecting the award at Cannes, the film stirred controversy at home as a law banning profanity in movies came into force on July 1 and there were fears that Leviathan might not get a distribution license in Russia. Eventually, it did obtain a distribution license, but it will have to be re-cut for its Russian release.

Another controversy surrounding Leviathan broke out last month when the Russian Oscar Committee named the film as the country’s entry in the foreign-language Oscar race. Producers of a competing film claimed that Oscar regulations were violated but no actions were taken.