Nominees for Film not in the English Language

04 January 08

The nominations for the Film Not in the English Language Award, to be presented at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2008, have been announced.

The following five films have been nominated for the Academy's Film Not in the English Language Award (in alphabetical order).

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ( IMDB )
The Kite Runner ( IMDB )
The Lives of Others ( IMDB )
Lust, Caution ( IMDB )
La Vie en Rose ( IMDB )

For the very first time, Chapter voting has been introduced for this Award. A Chapter is comprised of Academy voting members with expertise in a specific area of the film industry, so that the people who vote initially are those with professional knowledge of the category in question.

The newly-formed Film Not in the English Language Chapter has been voting over the past month and the five films listed here came out on top. The Academy membership at large will now view the five films in contention and vote to decide the winner.

Nominations for this year's Orange Rising Star Award will be announced on Tuesday 8 January and the nominations in all other categories will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday 16 January. All winners will be announced during the Film Awards ceremony on Sunday 10 February at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden.

Finola Dwyer, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee said “We are delighted to be able to announce the contenders for this award, chosen by BAFTA members who watch a large number of foreign language films and who have a great interest in world cinema.”

The early announcement of the nominees for the award underlines the Academy's deep commitment to identifying and rewarding excellence across the board, from the best in British film to outstanding achievement in World cinema.