'Pop Aye' is Singapore's pick for Foreign-Language Oscar Contention

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Kristen Tan’s "Pop Aye" has been selected as Singapore’s national entry for the 90th Academy Awards foreign-language category.

The film has won four awards so far including the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting at the Sundance Film Festival, according to The Straits Times, the Singapore-based English newspaper.

"Love it or doubt it, every filmmaker in the world pays attention to the Oscars – to have a shot at representing Singapore with my debut feature feels to me a powerful and humbling experience. With Bong the elephant as our lucky charm, I can't wait to see how far he would take us through the Oscar race," Tan said on Monday.

The film is set entirely in Thailand and tells the story of a poor architect, played by Thaneth Warakulnukroh, who is reunited with his childhood elephant. In search of their old home, they go on a road trip down memory lane across the countryside.

“’Pop Aye" is a story of self-discovery, beautifully told by a Singapore team, including director-writer Kirsten Tan, producers Lai Weijie and Huang Wenhong, and executive producer Anthony Chen. The film has resonated with audiences both at home and internationally,” said Joachim Ng, director of the Singapore Film Commission.

The film has been released in North America, France, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand. On the festival circuit it will next screen in Zurich, London, Busan and Tokyo.

The final five nominees for the 90th Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category will be announced in March, 2018.