Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' is PH's Oscar entry

Acclaimed filmmaker Lav Diaz's historical epic drama 'Magellan' has been selected as the Philippines' official submission to the 98th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film category.

The Film Academy of the Philippines chose 'Magellan' based on criteria including aesthetic and technical excellence, embodiment of Filipino value and culture, international appeal, and the producer's capability to mount an extensive campaign.

The nearly three-hour film, which premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival in May, stars award-winning Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal and explores Ferdinand Magellan's final months leading up to his death in 1521.

It was partly shot in the Philippines, specifically in Sampaloc, Quezon, as well as in Spain and Portugal.

Director Lav Diaz compared the long and arduous journey of making 'Magellan' to the struggles of the Philippines, revealing that he almost died from tuberculosis during the shoot.

Diaz hopes Filipinos will watch the film, stating that the nation must remember its past for a better future.

The film's nationwide premiere is set for September 10.

This marks Diaz's second film selected as the Philippines' Oscars entry, after his 2013 drama 'Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan.'