Philippines Selects Lav Diaz’s Magellan for 98th Oscars Best International Feature

Lav Diaz's historical epic "Magellan" has been selected as the Philippines' official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. The film, starring Gael García Bernal as Ferdinand Magellan, offers a critical and poetic portrayal of the explorer's final months, challenging traditional heroic narratives by depicting him as a man confronting his own oblivion. Shot across the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain, "Magellan" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and will also screen at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals before its Philippine theatrical release on September 10. The Film Academy of the Philippines chose the film based on its aesthetic and technical excellence, cultural embodiment, international appeal, and the producer's capacity to campaign effectively for Oscar consideration. To support the Oscar campaign, the Film Development Council of the Philippines is providing financial assistance, and the film has partnered with Cinetic Marketing, known for handling acclaimed international features. "Magellan" has already secured distribution deals for worldwide and North American markets and aims to present an uncompromising, post-colonial perspective on history.