A committee formed by the Ministério da Cultura just announced that they chose Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus (Cinema, Aspirin, and Vultures) as Brazil's submission for Best Foreign Film in the 2007 Academy Awards. (I quickly wrote about the prizes Marcelo Gomes' film won at the 29th Mostra BR de Cinema last year.) The committee was comprised of Orlando Senna, Andrucha Waddington, Carolina Kotscho, Ilda Santiago, Jorge Bodansky, Moisés Augusto, Ricardo Mirando, and Sandra Werneck.

Brazil's submission last year was the blockbuster 2 Filhos de Francisco (my article for indieWIRE), and if the Ministério da Cultura had chosen the most financially successful of the 14 candidates again this year, the submission would have been Zuzu Angel.

Personally I think the Ministério got it right with Cinema, Aspirina e Urubus. It's a lovely film with striking artistic vision. Whether or not it will be nominated is anyone's guess, but at least it is a strong and deserving candidate.