The Brazilian film I’m Still Here / Ainda Estou Aqui received three Academy Award nominations this morning, making history as the second Latin American film to earn a nomination for Best Motion Picture, following Alfonso Cuarón's Roma in 2019, and the first Portuguese-language film to do so. The film's star, Fernanda Torres, was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, while the film also secured a nomination for Best International Feature.
Torres follows in the footsteps of her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated for Best Actress in 1999 for Central Station, also directed by Walter Salles. This marks Brazil’s fifth nomination for Best International Feature.
Also starring Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro, and Maeve Jinkings, the film tells the poignant true story of the Paiva family and their five children. Set in 1970s Rio de Janeiro during the military dictatorship, the narrative centers on former deputy Rubens Paiva, who was forcibly taken from his home by soldiers for interrogation and never seen again. The family's decades-long search for truth was complicated by Eunice Paiva, his wife, beginning to show the first signs of Alzheimer's disease just as answers started to emerge.
Afro-Latino performer Colman Domingo received his second consecutive Oscar nomination for his role in Sing Sing, following last year’s nomination for his portrayal of Bayard Rustin in the film Rustin.
Two Latina performers will compete for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Dominican-American Zoë Saldaña for her performance in Emilia Pérez and Monica Barbaro, of Mexican descent, for her role as Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
American cinematographer Ed Lachman earned an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography for his work on Maria, directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín. This marks Lachman’s second nomination for a Larraín film, following El Conde last year.
The winners of the 97th Academy Awards will be announced during a televised ceremony on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.