The Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA) has selected “Alois Nebel,” the debut mixed animation film of director Tomáš Luňák as the country’s candidate for the “Oscar” nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
The ČFTA chose “Alois Nebel” — which has yet to be released in commercial theaters — out of 38 Czech films that premiered or will be released between October 2010 and September 30, 2011, in accordance with rules of the Academy of American Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which bestows the Oscars.
‘Alois Nebel’ trailer from Negativ Film on Vimeo (refresh your Internet browser if not visible).
Based on the Jaromír Švejdík and Jaroslav Rudiš’ graphic novel by the same, “Alois Nebel” is the story of a lonely stationmaster who lives a quiet life at a small railway station on the Czechoslovak border in Bílý Potok. “Only sometimes the fog rolls in and he hallucinates, seeing ghosts and shadows from the dark times of the World War II. One day, a silent stranger appears at the station and propels Alois on the journey to resolving his nightmares ...”
The film employs a technique called rotoscoping, in which animators trace over filmed scenes of live action, although “Alois Nebel” is done entirely in black and white. Director Tomáš Luňák says he was intrigued by the use of rotoscoping in American director Richard Linklater’s 2001 film “Waking Life.”
“Alois Nebel” was well received at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals earlier in September. It will be be released on Sept. 29 — a day before the deadline to contend for this year’s Oscar — in cinemas throughout the Czech Republic.
And the Oscar goes to …
‘Kolya’ named Best Foreign-Language Film (refresh your Internet browser if video is not visible)
The Czech films to have been nominated for the Oscar in the past two decades are Ondřej Trojan’s Želary (2004), Jan Hřebejk’s 2000 film “Divided We Fall” (Musíme si pomáhat), and Jan Svěrák’s 1996 film “Kolya” — which also went on to win the Academy Award. Svěrák’s 1991 film “The Elementary School” (Obecná škola) was also nominated for an Oscar.
Czech-born animator Jan Pinkava directed the Oscar-winning 1997 short film “Geri’s Game” and was co-director of the 2007 feature-length animated film “Ratatouille,” both of which were produced by the famous Pixar studio.
American comedian Eddie Murphy (the voice of Shrek the ogre) will host this year’s Academy Awards show on Sunday, February 26, 2012. The 84th Academy Awards ceremony will be televised live on ABC TV and in more than 200 countries worldwide.
See related article: ‘Alois Nebel’: Czech history in black & white
