The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent has won a nomination for one of the Academy Awards, alongside with 4 other films, the winner of which will be presented at the 97th Oscars, organised by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the first Croatian title nominated for an Oscar since Croatia’s independence. 

“I am overjoyed that we’ve earned the nomination, but I still find it a bit hard to believe. I will probably only fully grasp what we’ve achieved once we start packing our bags for Los Angeles. In this whole long Oscars campaign, the exceptional support of the entire cinematic community has meant so much to me. That is why I would especially like to thank all the filmmakers who wholeheartedly cheered us on, talked about our film, shared clips from the film on social media, and invited AMPAS voters to our screenings,”, said Nebojša Slijepčević on the occasion of the nominations announcement.

“With this nomination, Nebojša Slijepčević and the entire crew of the film The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent have written Croatia into the history of world cinema in golden letters. Members of the American Academy have recognised the quality and strong authorial style, as well as the importance of the topic the film tackles. I thank the Man’s team for the incredible effort and work that they have invested in the promotion of the film in the US, in very challenging and unpredictable conditions, and we are honoured to have had the opportunity to assist in this entire process”, said the Croatian Audiovisual Centre CEO, Chris Marcich.

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent qualified for an Academy Award nomination thanks to the Palme d'Or it won in Cannes, as well as the Grand Prix taken home from the Melbourne International Film Festival, and its inclusion in the selection of the Manhattan Short Film Festival. In total, 180 titles from all over the world qualified for the “nominations race” in the Live Action Short category. Earlier, Slijepčević’s short also won the European Film Award for Best Short Film. 

To date, it has screened at over 80 festivals around the globe, including the Toronto Film Festival, Manhattan Short, PÖFF Shorts in Tallinn, Stockholm Film Festival, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma and many others. In addition to being wonderfully received by film critics worldwide, it has garnered numerous successes and awards at several of these festivals, such as the Grand Prix at the Melbourne IFF, the Audience Award at the Kurzfilmtage Winterthur International Festival, Best Film at the Euro-Balkan Film Festival in Rome, Best Actor (Goran Bogdan) at the Sulmona Film Festival (SIFF), Best Cinematography (Gregor Božič) at the Bucharest Short Film Festival, and many others. It was also in the running for a César Award nomination, awarded by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques.

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent was produced by production company Antitalent, with producers Katarina Prpić and Danijel Pek. The co-producers include Katya Trichkova (Contrast Films, Bulgaria), Noëlle Lévénez (Les Films Norfolk, France), and Boštjan Virc (Studio Virc, Slovenia).

A list of all nominated films may be found here.