Ecuador became the first country to announce its contender for the 94th Academy Awards, officially opening the season for best international feature. The South American country through the over 50 members of the Academia de las Artes Audiovisuales y Cinematográficas del Ecuador has selected Submersible / Sumergible, the second feature film by Alfredo León León and starring Colombian actress Natalia Reyes—star of Terminator: Dark Fate and Birds of Passage.
The provocative thriller, which had its U.S. premiere at last year’s AFI Latin American Film Festival, finds a young girl bound and gagged in the cargo hold of a sinking handmade drug-smuggling submarine. The three crew members are forced to open the forbidden cargo cabin to distribute the weight and save the ship. The boat, barely big enough for three to begin with, becomes a steaming powder cake of fears, desires and greed.
This marks the tenth time that Ecuador has selected an Oscar candidate, with no shortlisted or nominated candidates yet. The 94th edition of the Academy Awards will take place March 27, 2022.
Watch the trailer:
