Marco Bellocchio’s Mafia Informant Drama ‘The Traitor’ Is Italy’s International Oscar Entry
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Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor will be Italy’s entry for the 2020 International Feature Film Oscar. The mafia drama tells the story of Tommaso Buscetta, a mafia informant in Sicily in the 1980s. Pierfrancesco Favino stars. The film premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
As we revealed, Sony Pictures Classics swooped on the film’s U.S. rights, and additional territories, following its Cannes screening.
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The feature grossed $5.2 million in Italy via 01 Distribution after being released in May. Next theatrical territories to release include France on November 6 (via Ad Vitam Distribution) and the U.S. on November 27. The Match Factory handles sales.
The Traitor had its North American premiere in the Masters section at this month’s Toronto Film Festival. Producers are IBC Movie, Rai Cinema, Kavac Film, Gullane Productions, Ad Vitam Production and Match Factory Productions.
Adding to the recent flurry of International Oscar submission announcements, Bangladesh has picked Nasiruddin Yousuff’s Alpha, about a rickshaw painter. Alamgir Kabir stars. Bangladesh has yet to receive an Oscar nomination. Earlier this morning, Argentina and Hong Kong named their picks.
Nominations for the 2020 Oscars will be announced January 13, with a shortlist for International Oscar category coming in December.
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