Chile’s Film Academy announced its selection of “The Meltdown” (“El deshielo”) directed by Manuela Martelli as the country’s official submission for the Best International Feature category at the 2027 Academy Awards ceremony. The film, which had its world premiere at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard strand earlier in the year, represents Martelli’s follow-up to her previous drama “Chile, 1976.”
The selection reflects notable developments within Chile’s film industry, according to Gabriel Díaz, president of the Chilean Academy. Díaz noted that among the films considered for submission, women directed half of them for the first time in the country’s Oscar selection history. She characterized this distribution as evidence of an industry undergoing modernization and healthy evolution. All submitted films received state support, and the majority were structured as international co-productions, a factor Díaz highlighted for generating economic multiplier effects across multiple sectors of the national economy.
“The Meltdown” is a multilateral production involving parties from Chile, the United States, Mexico, and Spain. The ensemble cast includes Maya O’Rourke in her film debut, alongside Paulina Urrutia, Mauricio Pešutić, Paula Zúñiga, Marcela Salinas, and Lautaro Cantillana. The narrative centers on a nine-year-old character at her family’s ski resort who encounters disturbing events that create internal conflict regarding her loyalties. Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical distribution in the United States.
Díaz used the occasion to advocate for increased support to Chile’s audiovisual sector, which has experienced significant budget reductions. The Audiovisual Investment Support Fund faced a 64% cut, while the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage saw an overall 9% reduction to its budget for the following year. Díaz called on the ministry to “strengthen the Audiovisual Fund, without censorship or prejudice.”
The film now proceeds through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selection process, which will reduce the full submission slate to 15 finalists before announcing five nominees and ultimately selecting five winners. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI