The 2017 Oscars shun Hispanic films

The 89th Academy Awards have turned their back on Hispanic films.

Of the 85 submissions admitted for review this year, 14 were made in a Spanish-speaking country ¨C including Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico.

Neither Pedro Almod¨®var¡¯s ¡®Julieta¡¯ nor Neruda, by Chilean director Pablo Larra¨ªn, managed to get preselected as a finalist in the Foreign Language Film category, even though they had both been considered strong candidates.

Chile¡¯s Pablo Larra¨ªn still has a chance to get nominated for another film, ¡®Jackie¡¯

Both films had been critically acclaimed in Hollywood.

The Spanish-Uruguayan co-production Migas de pan also failed to get shortlisted on a year when Academy officials favored movies made primarily in more northern latitudes.

The nine finalists are Germany¡¯s Toni Erdmann, Denmark¡¯s Land of Mine, Norway¡¯s The King¡¯s Choice, Sweden¡¯s A Man Called Ove, Russia¡¯s Paradise, Australia¡¯s Tanna, Canada¡¯s It¡¯s Only the End of the World, Iran¡¯s The Salesman, and Switzerland¡¯s My Life as a Zucchini.

Five final nominees will be selected from this group and announced on January 24. The Oscars will be handed out on February 26.

Chile¡¯s Pablo Larra¨ªn still has a chance to get nominated for another film, Jackie, which represents his English-language debut. Pundits believe that actress Natalie Portman could receive an Oscar for her work in this movie.

English version by Susana Urra.