Catalan director J.A. Bayona shortlisted for four Oscar nominations   

'Society of the Snow' by Catalan film director J.A. Bayona has been shortlisted for the Oscars in the categories Best International Feature Film, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects.  

“I am so happy and proud of this historic accomplishment in Spanish cinema,” said Bayona about the news on Thursday night at a screening of the movie in Barcelona, before thanking the team behind the film.

The film tells the story of what has been called the Miracle of the Andes, where over a dozen passengers of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 survived for 72 days in the Valle de las Lágrimas valley between Chile and Argentina in October 1972. Overall, 29 passengers out of the 45 who traveled survived, and only 16 of them were able to make it back home. 

The movie was presented at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and the director received a 10 minute standing ovation. 

Bayona, who is well known for his previous feature films such as 'Lo Imposible,' 'A Monster Calls,' and 'The Orphanage,' tells the story of the "wish to survive" against a world that has completely abandoned them.

The movie was recorded in the Catalan city of Terrassa, in Spain's Sierra Nevada mountains, and in the Andes mountains. 

The final Oscar nominations will be announced on January 23 and the awards ceremony will be held on March 10, 2024 

Listen to the podcast below, including an interview with Bayona on the red carpet at the 2023 Gaudí Awards.