Director Jude Anthany Joseph pens heartfelt note as Malayalam film 2018 misses Oscars 2024 shortlist

The Oscars 2024 shortlist has been revealed, and unfortunately, the Malayalam film 2018 - Everyone Is A Hero, India's official entry for the awards, did not secure a spot among the final 15 films out of the 88 international language films in contention. Director Jude Anthany Joseph took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt note, expressing gratitude and apologising to those who might feel disappointed.

In the Instagram post, Joseph wrote, "I sincerely apologise to all my well-wishers and supporters for disappointing you all." Despite this setback, he expressed gratitude for the rare achievement of representing India at the Oscars and acknowledged the immense support from various quarters.

"Nevertheless, the opportunity to represent India in this competition has been a dream-like journey that I will cherish for a lifetime. Being the highest-grossing film and the official Indian entry to the Oscars is a rare achievement in any filmmaker’s career. I am grateful to God for choosing me for this extraordinary journey.My heartfelt thanks go to the producers, technicians, artists, and the audience for their tremendous support for our film," he continued.

"A special expression of gratitude to the Film Federation Of India, particularly Sir Ravi Kottarakkara, for their boundless support, love, and for selecting our film as India’s official entry. I express my gratitude to all the Indian filmmakers who supported me on this journey, with special thanks to Pan Nalin, Sidharth Roy Kapoor, Guneet Monga, Rintu Thomas, Ashutosh Gowarikar sir, Resul Pookkutty sir, Anurag Kashyap, Rajamouli sir, Senthi sir and many more. I express my gratitude to all my supporters in Los Angeles and eagerly anticipate the meetings that we have already scheduled."

Despite the disappointment, fans flooded the comments section with uplifting messages. One fan praised, "You took a Malayalam Movie this far... that itself is a great journey. Hats off to you and the team." Another emphasised the film's impact, stating, "There's nothing to be sorry about, sir! The movie coming this far itself is a big achievement."

2018 is an epic survival drama based on the devastating 2018 Kerala floods, co-written by Jude Anthany Joseph and Akhil P. Dharmajan. Starring Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain, and Lal, the film made a significant mark on audiences worldwide and was released in May of this year.