France has selected Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud as its candidate for the Academy Awards, to be held in February 2008.
Since winning the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Persepolis has attracted over 1 million admissions in France, and is slated for release in a host of foreign territories in upcoming months. It will hit the screens in Germany on November 22, Italy on December 7, Japan on December 29, and the UK on February 28, 2008. Last week, Unifrance organized a series of meetings in Paris between Marjane Satrapi and European journalists.
Persepolis will be released in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics New York and Los Angeles on December 25, initially on a limited number of screens. Sony Classics CEO Michael Barker spoke of around 100 prints scheduled for release, with an English version of the film to hit US screens, featuring the voices of high profile actors including Sean Penn and Gena Rowlands.
The film is not only in the running for an Oscar in the best Foreign Language Film category, but could also pick up an Academy Award in other categories, such as Best Animated Film. The Academy is due to announce its nominations on January 22, 2008.
If the recent standing ovation offered Persepolis at the Toronto International Film Festival was any indication, we can look forward to a successful run in North America.
