"Wolf Totem" is no longer China's entry to the Best Foreign Film Award after being disqualified on a technicality. (Photo : Reuters)
A technicality in the rules of the Academy Awards has prevented "Wolf Totem" from becoming China's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Award after the film was determined to not have enough Chinese participation.
In a last-minute change, China has selected the romantic comedy "Go Away Mr. Tumor," a story about a cartoonist who battles cancer. The film grossed over 500 million yuan in the Chinese box office.
According to China Film News, the organizers at the Academy Awards informed the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), the country's film regulator, that the ratio of Chinese nationals in the creative team of "Wolf Totem" did not meet the minimum eligibility standard.
"Wolf Totem," directed by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, is a co-production between China and France. Aside from Annaud, American film music composer James Horner, among others, is also part of the production.
Part of the rules for the Best Foreign Language Film Award states that "the submitting country must certify that creative control of the motion picture was largely in the hands of citizens or residents of that country."
While the SAPPRFT did not officially announce that "Wolf Totem" would be the official entry to the Academy Awards, it was a highly likely contender, with several media reports, including one by the Hollywood Reporter, claiming it was all set to be the entry.
Another possible contender was Jia Zhangke's "Mountains May Depart," after the film's producers announced that they were bidding to become China's entry for the award. However, this bid was later determined to be unsuccessful.
A Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film to the Academy Awards has only ever been nominated twice. The first was "Ju Dou," directed by Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengjiang, while the second one was "Hero," also directed by Zhang.
