After initially rejecting the eligibility of Nenad Cicin-Sain’s “Kiss the Future,” the academy has finally declared it eligible for Oscars. Produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the initial decision was that it didn’t meet the requirements; however, the change in decision has been welcomed with much happiness. The documentary branch has now permitted the movie to be pitched.
The documentary revolves around the 1990s siege of Sarajevo and the lives of the effected people. The director of the documentary commented, “There were so many people who shared their personal traumas and joys in the telling of this story.” The siege was a trauma to many of the people of Sarajevo. With their homes turned into warzones.
Nenad mentions, “I feel they deserve to have as many platforms as possible to get their story into the world. And the Academy Awards have the ability to greatly amplify a story and get it attention.” The documentary failed to fulfill the criteria of three screenings per day in a qualifying city to get considered by the documentary branch.
The ruling was however challenged by Damonand Affleck, as they mentioned that the film had a wide release, which far surpassed the Academy’s guidelines in the spirit of the art.
The movie had its initial release in 2023 at the Berlin Film Festival. As of now, the movie is available to stream on Paramount+.