The Australian Film Commission today announced that the feature film The Home Song Stories has qualified for Oscar consideration in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ foreign language film category at the 80th Annual Academy Awards.
The Home Song Stories was written and directed by Tony Ayres, and produced by Michael McMahon and Liz Watts for Big and Little Films and Porchlight Films. Starring Joan Chen, Qi Yuwu, Joel Lok, Irene Chen, Steven Vidler and Kerry Walker, it is the true story of Rose, a glamorous Shanghai nightclub singer, who struggles to survive in 70s Australia with two young children. The film has dialogue in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
To be eligible for consideration for the Best Foreign Language Film Award, a film must have been released in its country of origin for at least seven days and is defined by predominately non-English dialogue. Each country can submit one film for nomination consideration.
The Home Song Stories had its International Premiere at the Berlinale in February this year and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It premiered in Australia at the Adelaide Film Festival and recently collected the FIPRESCI Award at the Brisbane International Film Festival 2007.
The film has also received nine nominations for the upcoming Inside Film Awards, to be announced on 16 November 2007, and a Best Performance by an Actress nomination for Joan Chen in the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be announced on 13 November 2007.
The 80th Academy Award nominations will be announced on Tuesday 22 January 2008 with the awards presented on Sunday 24 February 2008.
[release from Avviso PR for the AFC]