Malayalam film ‘2018' is India’s official entry for the 2024 Oscar Award

The superhit Malayalam film ‘2018: Everyone's a Hero 'has been selected as India's official entry for the "Best International Feature Film" category at the 96th Academy Awards 2024 (popularly known as Oscar Awards). The 96th Academy Awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles, United States of America, on March 10, 2024.

In 2022, the Gujarati film “ Chhello Show (Last Film Show)”, directed by Pan Nalin, was India's official nominee for the 'Best International Feature Film category' at the 95th Oscar Award 2023.

Selection Committee of the Film Federation of India 

The Malayalam film ‘2018 'was selected by a 16-member committee of the Film Federation of India headed by renowned filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli. According to Girish Kasaravalli, "the film was chosen due to its relevant theme of climate change and the challenges of people in the midst of what is called development in the society."

The Film Federation of India is an apex body of film producer distributors in India.

The committee reviewed 22 films nominated to represent India at the 96th Oscar awards . It included films like Sudipto Sen's The Kerala Story, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt-starrer Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and Rani Mukherjee's Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (Hindi); Balagam (Telugu); Vaalvi and Baaplyok (Marathi); and August 16, 1947 (Tamil). However, they finally selected Tovino Thomas' superhit film ‘2018: Everyone's a Hero.

 About the film 2018: Everyone's a Hero

The 2018: Everyone's a Hero film is based on the 2018 floods which devastated Kerala. The film has been directed by Jude Anthany Joseph and stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal.

The film released in 2023  is the highest-earning Malayalam film of all time.

Indian films nominated for Oscar Award 

To date, 56 Indian films have been nominated for the 'Best International Feature Film' category at the Oscars. The first film to be nominated was Mother India (Hindi), directed by Mehboob Khan in 1957.

To date, only three Indian films, Mother India (1958), Salaam Bombay (1989) and Lagaaan (2001), have made it to the final list of nominees for the Oscar award. 

None of the Indian films has won the Best International Feature Film category award at the Oscars.

Oscar Awards won by Indians 

Academy Award or Oscar Award 

• Academy Awards, which are popularly called Oscar awards, are considered to be the most prestigious film awards in the world. 
• It is given every year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences based in California, United States of America.
• The award is given in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements.
• The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette as a trophy, officially called the "Academy Award of Merit". It is popularly referred to by its nickname, the "Oscar".
• The award was originally sculpted by  George Stanley from a design sketch by Cedric Gibbons. 
• The first award was presented in 1929.