The film was chosen by a selection committee set up by ANICA from a long list of 21 submissions, beating out other acclaimed flicks such as Happy as Lazzaro by Alice Rohrwacher, The Place by Paolo Genovese, and On My Skin by Alessio Cremonini.
“I thank the commission for choosing Dogman and giving us this great opportunity of which we are very proud,” Garrone said.
“We know well that the selection is only the first step and that there is a long road ahead of us. But we are happy to start this new journey.”
The crime thriller is currently screening in Australia for the Lavazza Italian Film Festival, which described it as “a hugely compelling, based-on-fact tale of a gentle dog lover driven to take a stand against a local bully”.
It’s set in a derelict suburb in the southern Italian city of Naples and stars Marcello Fonte, who plays the owner of a dog-grooming business.
Based on a true story, the film is inspired by the gruesome murder of former boxer Giancarlo Ricci at the hands of Pietro De Negri, which shook Italy in 1988 .
Marcello Fonte’s extraordinary performance in the film was awarded Best Actor at Cannes.
Italy holds the record for most foreign language Oscar wins with 14 (including three honorary prizes) over 31 nominated films.
The Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22, 2019, ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony on February 24, 2019.
