Oscar contenders to open on Wednesday

final contender list is Biutiful which opens in theatre in New York, in Los Angeles to qualify Oscar consideration.

LOS ANGELES: Days after Oscar ballots were sent out, the final three awards contenders are set to open in theatres on Wednesday with Another Year, Biutiful and Blue Valentine.

Another Year has been written and directed by British filmmaker Mike Leigh and is set to open in six theaters in New York and Los Angeles for its debut in the US. The film stars actors including Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville. Blue Valentine is another contender that will hit four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The emotional drama toiling film, starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams has made headlines for earning a commercially poisonous NC-17 rating for explicit sexual scenes, but the tag was reduced to a less-restrictive R rating on appeal.

The final contender for the list is Biutiful which opens in one theatre in New York and one in Los Angeles to qualify for Oscar consideration. The Javier Bardem film is an award winning film with an international fan following that officially opens in a limited run on January 28 next year.

After a long downturn in the indie market, business has been picking up, with films such as Black Swan and The Fighter crossing over to the mainstream.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2010.