Mexico has selected the highly rated Alfonso Cuarón film “Roma” as its submission for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at 2019’s Academy Awards.
One route has already opened up for Venice film festival award winner “Roma” on the road to the Oscars.
Alfonso Cuarón’s semi-autobiographical tale about growing up in 1970s Mexico City has been chosen by his mother country for consideration at the 91st Academy Awards.
If successful in gaining a nomination, “Roma” would be the fourth Cuarón film to do so.
“Y Tu Mamá También” was nominated for the 2003 Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and “Children of Men” for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing in 2007.
“Gravity” won Best Director and Best Film Editing, and was in the running for Best Picture.
Each, like “Roma,” was directed, produced, edited, and co-written by Cuarón.
“Roma” debuted at the Venice International Film Festival in August 2018, and received the festival’s top prize. It is already among the favorites for Best Picture at the February 2019 Academy Awards.
Screenings at Telluride and Toronto followed: Peter Farrelly drama “Green Book” won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, where “Roma” landed second place.
Further showings at festivals in Hamburg, New York, the Hamptons, Mill Valley, London and Copenhagen are scheduled between now and mid-October.
General release is set for December 14, both in theaters and through Netflix.
Other submissions to the Oscars’ Best Foreign Film category include Gallego and Guerra’s “Birds of Passage” (Colombia) and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” (Japan).
