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\n\t\u201c9 Temples to Heaven<\/a>,\u201d directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse, has been chosen as Thailand<\/a>\u2018s submission for the international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards. <\/p>\n \n\tThe selection was revealed by the National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations (MPC).<\/p>\n \n\tA specialist committee assembled by MPC and drawn from across the Thai film industry \u2013 directors, producers, distributors, and theater operators \u2013 worked through 51 eligible titles before settling on a shortlist of eight. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201c9 Temples to Heaven\u201d debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The film is an ensemble drama about a Thai family\u2019s one-day pilgrimage to nine temples. It follows Sakol, who \u2013 after a fortune teller warns him his elderly mother may die soon \u2013 gathers the family for a ritual journey across Thailand\u2019s temple landscape. Produced by Kick The Machine Films and At A Time in Thailand, with international co-production from E&W Films (Singapore), petit chaos (France), Needle in the Haystack (Norway), La Fonte (China), Square One Film (Hong Kong) and Qun Films (Indonesia), the film has international sales handled by Playtime.<\/p>\n \n\tChidgasornpongse spent more than two decades as assistant director to Apichatpong Weerasethakul, working on films including \u201cTropical Malady,\u201d \u201cSyndromes and a Century,\u201d \u201cCemetery of Splendour\u201d and \u201cMemoria.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMPC\u2019s choice now advances to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which will reduce the full slate of national submissions to a shortlist of 15 films before announcing five nominees. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.<\/p>\n \n\tThailand has submitted films for the category since 1984 and has sent 33 entries in total without once reaching the nominations stage. The closest the country has come was at the 97th ceremony, when \u201cHow to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies\u201d became the first Thai film to crack the Academy\u2019s 15-film shortlist.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n