Ma’ Rosa at the Oscars? Possibly—The Hollywood Reporter

Can Ma ‘Rosa bring Philippines its first Oscar?

MANILA, Philippines—Can Brillante Mendoza’s 2016 drama Ma’ Rosa make it to the Oscars? The Hollywood Reporter thinks so.

Awards analyst Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter predicted that Ma ‘Rosa will be shortlisted for the Best Foreign Film category of the most-coveted Academy Awards.

Ma’ Rosa, the Philippines’ official entry to the 2017 Oscars, tackles the prevalence of small-scale drug-dealing in the Philippines. It stars veteran actress Jacklyn Jose as Rosa Reyes, a sari-sari store owner who moonlights with her husband Nestor (Julio Diaz) as drug dealers in an impoverished neighborhood in Manila.

Jaclyn Jose’s stunning performance as Rosa won her the 2016 Cannes Best Actress Award. Jose defeated fellow nominees, Hollywood actresses Charlize Theron for The Last Face and Marion Cotillard for Mal de Pierres (From the Land of the Moon). She was the first Filipino to win a Cannes Best Actress Award.

Ma’ Rosa also stars Baron Geisler, Jomari Angeles, Neil Ryan Sese, Mercedes Cabral, Andi Guck-Eigenmann, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Felix Roco, Mon Confiado, Allan Paule, Ruby Ruiz, and Maria Isabel Lopez.

Among the foreign movies included in Fienberg’s projected shortlist for the Best Foreign Film category were: Toni Erdmann (Germany), The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Finland), Fire at Sea (Italy) Elle (France), A Man Called Ove (Sweden), Land of Mine (Denmark), Julieta (Spain), and The Idol (Palestine).

The Philippines has been submitting entries for the Foreign Film category of the Academy Awards since 1953 but has never been nominated.

Can Ma ‘Rosa bring Philippines its first Oscar?