Romanian Film Center / CNC Romania has confirmed that Alexander Nanau’s well received documentary Collective Romania will be the official Oscar entry for Best International Feature.
The selection is the first time that a Romanian documentary has been officially submitted.
The film follows a team of investigative journalists who expose shocking, widespread corruption. After a fatal fire in a nightclub, the mysterious death of the owner of a powerful pharmaceutical company, and the silent resignation of a health minister – seemingly unrelated events, all within weeks – the reporter team unveils a much larger, much more explosive political scandal. Here is the trailer for the film.
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Collective, which will release Magnolia Pictures and Participant in US theaters and upon request on November 20th, plans to release Dogwoof and Participant the same day in UK and Irish cinemas that premiered in Venice last year before they the Toronto International Film Festival will premiere in North America.
It was also shown on Sundance earlier this year and was an official selection from New Directors / New Films, IDFA, True / False, CPH DOX, the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Göteborg International Film Festival, Full Frame and the Hamptons International Film Festival where it was recently named Best Documentary. The film will next be shown at the Montclair Film Festival, the Double Exposure Film Festival and the AFI Fest.
“The corruption in the hospital and the subsequent cover-up by the government in Collective took place in Romania,” said Nanau. “This is not just a local story, however. There is a universality that is even more relevant after Covid. Corruption in government is unfortunately all too well known around the world, and the need to ensure social justice and freedom of the press is more pressing than ever. These are freedoms that have been compromised worldwide recently, and it couldn’t be a more important time to bring this film to an international audience. “
Currently on the shortlist of the European Film Awards, the film was recently named Best International Documentary at It’s All True Brazil, Best Documentary Conscience Competition at Docville Belgium, Best International Documentary at DocAviv Film Festival, Best International Documentary at Zurich Film Festival and Awarded as best international documentary film, among others in Luxembourg.
The film will be released in France, Germany, Israel, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland this fall. It is also currently available in 20 countries through HBO Europe.
Pic is produced by Nanau and Bianca Oana, Bernard Michaux and Hanka Kastelicová. The film is a production by Alexander Nanau in coproduction with Samsa Film Luxembourg and HBO Europe, in which Mitteldeutsche Rundfunk (MDR), Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS), RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, YES Docu and the Sundance Documentary Fund are involved. Executive producers are Antony Root and Philippa Kowarsky.
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