European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse For some foreign films out of sight Means out of vote by Hillel Italie the associated press if you can to be bothered to guess whether children of nature the of or one of the other nominees will win the Academy award for Best foreign language film done to feel so bad. Neither can most Oscar voters. The Academy of motion picture arts and sciences has just under 5,000 members and insiders believe less than 1,000 end up voting in the foreign language category. Foreign films always have had a relatively minor following within the Academy but this year the system itself could add to the problem. The Only Way to be eligible to vote is by seeing All five nominations. Only one of the chosen films Hong Kong a raise the red lantern was released in the United states before the deadline to apply for a ballot. That Means Academy members will have to attend screenings in order to see All the films. The vast majority of members live in los Angeles. The Academy shows each film twice in a theater that has a capacity of about 1,100. In other words even if All the screenings Are full a which they rarely Are a a Large number of members would be unable to vote. Extra screenings Are often set up by a distributor or a publicist but Many think just a Small percentage of people show up. A i feel it is an outrage the Academy has such limited Access to seeing these films a said Tom Bernard a consultant and former vice president of marketing for Orion classics the distributor of raise the red lantern. A i think this award is an award that has responsibility to the Industry. A film can do a lot of extra business it if wins and i think the Academy is limiting the True test of what is the Best of these five a it May Well be less than 1,000 who vote a said Fay Kanin chairman of the Academy a foreign language film award committee. A i would say the Academy is a reflection of the United states. Nobody likes dubbed films and Reading subtitles is something Cinema viewers Arentt used other nominees for the foreign language category Are Mediterraneo an italian comedy that was to be released by Miramar just after the voting deadline and the elementary school a czechoslovakian drama. The elementary school the of and ch/7-Dren of nature do not have . Distributors. How films become eligible for nomination has varied since the foreign language category was started in 1956. At one time Only movies already released in los Angeles could be selected. Later Only films not released in los Angeles were eligible the fear being they would have an unfair advantage. Now . Release has no bearing on the nominations. Under the rules of the Academy countries Are allowed to nominate one film each to be screened by a committee that selects the final five. Thirty four countries offered movies this year on the one hand this May be the fairest method. Countries such As Czechoslovakia and Iceland which submitted children of nature rarely get their films seen in the United states and Are Given an equal shot at the Academy awards. On the other hand Are the Best films reaching Oscar voters Many of the foreign language releases come from France with Madame Bovary and la Belle noise use among the movies not submitted. Does that mean a French filmmaker should be penalized because he or she happens to work in a country that produces a greater number of pictures Marco Hofschneider stars in Europa Europa which failed to land a German nomination for an Oscar. A a you a have to add a lot More movies and its just too herculean a Job a Kanin said. A next year i would assume that with the various countries breaking up into Sovereign states Many of whom will submit films we will already have to be screening probably 10 or 12 More. A and a bests is a relative word. It is True Many Good films fall through the cracks but we just feel that this is a process that has worked the Best for local politics also can interfere. In 1985, Akira Kurosawa made the epic ran one of the most acclaimed films of the year. But when the director failed to show up at the Tokyo film festival offended Japan Academy officials submitted a different movie. This year the German Academy refused to submit the acclaimed Europa Europa. It is widely believed the country was embarrassed by the films Story of a jewish Man who poses As a nazi. A every year we look at All the selection committees in the countries and we do Send a letter asking that on those committees that there be creative filmmakers not just bureaucrats a Kanin said. A we have gotten responses from some countries this year but not from Germany. We know the makeup of that committee and we know the preponderance of them were exhibitors and distributors and not creative people. The Academy is not a Static organization and we do try to make oscars on to tuesday an 7 05 . Get delayed seb 4 . Live ebs Turkey 5 . Live Rota Spain tv4 4 . Live tv3 7 05 . Delayed Iceland Channel 6 2 live Channel 5 8 . Delayed video of oscars makes sure you done to forge by Bob Thomas the associated press if you re seeking a nostalgia trip its All there on the new video Oscar s greatest moments 1971-1991. Well almost. Expect ably missing is one of the Academy of motion picture arts and sciences biggest embarrassments 1989�?Ts splashy Allan Carr musical number in which Snow White was portrayed in a manner that caused the Walt Disney co. To sue. Also missing is four time Winner Katharine Hepburn a Only appearance at the oscars. In 1974, she appeared onstage in pantsuit and clogs to present the Thalberg award to her longtime producer Lawrence Weingarten. After the thunderous ovation she cracked that she was Happy nobody called out a a it a about and there could have been an interesting contrast in Ages in 1973 John Houseman and Tatum of Neal. Plus there were emotional wins of George Burns in 1975 and Haing Ngor in 1984. Holding the show together is Karl Malden who would be a Good Choice As Host narrator even if he weren to president of the Academy. He gives the show the same conviction As he does Selling travel Erst checks. But did he have to move from room to room of a mansion wearing different outfits a the single most emotional moment of our history a says Malden of Charlie chaplins return in 1972. It is no exaggeration. No other event matches the appearance of the aged Star the greatest in film history returning for the accolade after 30 years of exile in Europe. Too bad the clip was t extended to include chaplins donning of his Derby and the serenade by stars singing smile. No doubt about it Oscar has had great moments. The next two editions delving further into the less familiar past should be even More 29, 1992 sunday a Page
