After news broke last month that the Academy rejected an appeal by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and other creators of the documentary “Kiss the Future” to a ruling that the documentary was ineligible to compete for an Oscar, the United States (U.S.)media have learned that the Academy has reversed the decision and granted the right to be considered for the upcoming 97th Academy Awards.
Variety magazine has learned exclusively that the Academy has granted the documentary the right to be considered for the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, after the Academy’s Documentary Division’s Executive Committee initially deemed the documentary ineligible, citing a failure to meet the Academy’s required daily screenings.
In a procedural review, the Academy Awards Committee re-evaluated “Kiss the Future” as part of its commitment to fair play in the nomination process. The committee thus overturned the original decision, citing the film’s release on more than 100 screens in multiple markets as evidence of broad intent, consistent with the Academy’s goals.
The reversal underscores a standing precedent within the Academy, where initial eligibility decisions can be reversed to ensure the spirit of the Oscars’ mission is respected.
Directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain and also produced by Sarah Anthony, “Kiss the Future” explores the resilience of the citizens of Sarajevo during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), with a special focus on the band U2’s involvement in raising global awareness of their plight.
Now officially part of the Oscar race, the film joins other high-profile contenders like Netflix’s “Daughters” and Mubi’s “Dahomey.” There are currently 90 documentaries uploaded to the Academy Screening Room, the online portal for AMPAS members to view official competitors, and the number is expected to grow significantly over the next few weeks. Some of these include Apple’s “Girls State” and Netflix’s “Martha.”
Affleck and Damon won their first Oscars for writing the original screenplay for the successful drama Good Will Hunting (1997). Affleck won his second Oscar as a producer for the political thriller “Argo” (2012), which he also directed. Under the pair’s production company Artists Equity, the film marks the company’s first documentary, continuing to support projects that highlight global human rights issues.
The film about wartime Sarajevo premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023 and was released theatrically by AMC Theaters in February 2024.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in March and the final nominations will be announced in January, N1 reports.
E.Dz.
