What until recently was an option is now a confirmed reality, and that is that La Sociedad de la Nieve / "Society of the Snow", Juan Antonio Bayona's latest film, will compete at the Oscars 2024 with two nominations, a Spanish filmmakers' milestone that only Pedro Almodóvar had previously achieved. The Catalan director's film is up for the award in the categories of best international film and best make-up and hairdressing, and it is the first time that the Barcelona-born filmmaker has had an option to get his hands on one of the prized statuettes. Interestingly for his chances, the competition faced by his telling of the true story of the 1973 Andes air crash survivors will not include Anatomy of a Fall, which already won recognition at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, but despite a swag of Oscar nominations is not up for the international film prize. It will be in a ceremony in which Oppenheimer and Poor Things are the hot favourites with 13 and 11 nomination respectively, with a slightly deflated Barbie who had to settle for 9 nominations in a ceremony that this year will be held on the 10th March.
As well as the two Oscar nominations for the director who learned his craft at Catalonia's ESCAC film school, local cinema has a third nomination at the 2024 Oscars: Pablo Berger's Robot Dreams, a Catalan production that has already won the Best Animated Film prize from the European Film Academy, and is now in the running for the equivalent award in Los Angeles, in a film that follows the adventures of a lonely dog who decides to buy a robot to keep him company. On the other hand, Pedro Almodóvar, who was regarded as a favourite to make the cut in the category of Best Short Fiction Film, did not get past the short list in the end with his Strange Way of Life, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal.
Who is 'Society of the Snow' up against?
Bayona and company are competing in two categories at the 2024 Oscars: Best International Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling, meaning that the Catalan filmmaker has equalled Pedro Almodóvar's achievement of two nominations at the same ceremony, which the Spaniard did for both Hable con ella and Madres paralelas. As an international film, 'Society of the Snow" is competing with Io Capitano (Italy), Perfect Days (Japan), The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany) and The Zone of Interest (UK). For the make-up and hairdressing Oscar, the other nominations are Golda, Maestro, Oppenheimer, and Poor Things.