The movie beat out a shortlist of 18 Italian contenders including Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope at a meeting on Tuesday of the selection committee in Rome.
Vermiglio, which won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, takes its title from a mountain village in the Italian Alps, which was home to the director’s family for generations.
The drama begins in 1944 with the arrival of a soldier that changes the life of the village teacher and his whole family after his eldest daughter falls in love with him.
The movie will compete for the final shortlist that will include the 15 best international feature films selected by the Academy, which will be released on December 17.
The nominations will be announced on January 17, 2025, while the Oscars ceremony will be held on March 2.
Responding to the news on Tuesday, Delpero described herself as an “outsider”.
“Together with Vermigilio, there will be marvellous films from all over the world” vying for a nomination and “it is hard to say how it will end,” she noted.
The director added however that she was “moving forward knowing I have worked hard, I’m calm and have a lot of positive feedback from the public”.
She also thanked Sorrentino for “the generosity of his words” after he complimented her for the achievement.
ANSA
