Rasoulof, Sadat Reject Separate Oscar Category as Blanchett Fund — SkimNews
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- Mohammad Rasoulof rejected the idea of a standalone Oscar category for exiled filmmakers, arguing such labels could create distance rather than inclusion, and emphasized his focus on making films that bridge gaps.
- Shahrbanoo Sadat dismissed being labeled a 'displaced filmmaker' as 'a joke,' expressing discomfort with identity-based categorization even if it comes with Oscar recognition.
- Cate Blanchett co-launched the Displacement Film Fund, which gave its first five short films a Japan premiere at the Tokyo festival, with Academy qualifying screenings already held in Los Angeles and another scheduled for New York in mid-November.
- Clare Stewart noted that Rasoulof’s Oscar-nominated film 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'—backed under the new Academy rule—represented Germany, raising broader questions about how displaced filmmakers fit into national cinematic frameworks.
- The Displacement Film Fund, managed by IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund and backed by Uniqlo, Mastermind, and others, supports filmmakers who are displaced or have a record of telling displacement stories, with full creative freedom on subject and perspective.
- Yakusho Koji made a surprise appearance at a post-screening talk, praising Rasoulof’s 'The Sense of Water' as a quiet film about love and deep hurt, and called Sadat’s 'Super Afghan Gym' uplifting.
Why it matters: The rejection of a segregated Oscar category by leading exiled filmmakers signals that recognition through inclusion, not separation, is the priority—shaping how global institutions respond to displacement in art. The fund’s qualifying screenings also position these stories as competitive in mainstream awards, not just humanitarian gestures.
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