Phl’s ‘Transit’ not part of 2014 Oscar’s foreign film category shortlist

MANILA, Philippines – “Transit” did not make it in the shortlist of the 2014 Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category.

The nine shortlisted entries for the Oscars best foreign film category were announced on Friday. December 20 (U.S. Time).

The film, directed by Hannah Espia and was named Best Film in the New Breed category of the 2013 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, was chosen as the Philippines’ official entry to the Oscars for next year over more popular films such as Brillante Mendoza’s “Thy Womb” and Erik Matti’s “On The Job.”

RELATED: Transit is PHL’s entry for 86th Oscars

“Transit” had to face tough competition in its said category—including films from acclaimed directors such as Wong Kar-Wai (“The Grandmaster”) and talked-about films such as Australia’s “The Rocket” and Italy’s “The Great Beauty.”

It starred Irma Adlawan and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, who both won acting awards for their roles in the film in the 2013 Cinemalaya film fest.

The nine shortlisted films for the 2014 Oscars Best Foreign Language Film category are: “The Broken Circle Breakdown” (Belgium),” An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia and Herzegovina), “The Missing Picture” (Cambodia), “The Hunt” (Denmark), “Two Lives” (Germany), “The Grandmaster” (Hong Kong), “The Notebook” (Hungary), “The Great Beauty” (Italy), and “Omar” (Palestine).

RELATED: UK, Singapore send Philippine-themed films to Oscars

Meanwhile, two other “Philippine-themed” Oscar entries were also shut out in the shortlist—Anthony Chen’s “Ilo Ilo,” a Singaporean film about a boy and his Filipina nanny starring Angeli Bayani, and British director Sean Ellis’ “Metro Manila,” which starred Filipino actors Jake Macapagal, Althea Vega, and John Arcilla.

The five finalists in the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards will be announced January next year, while the Oscars 2014 awarding ceremony is scheduled for March 2, 2014.