Ignas Jonynas’ debut feature ‘The Gambler’ was announced as Lithuanian submission for the Academy Award nomination as Best Foreign-Language Film

Ignas Jonynas’ debut feature ‘The Gambler’ was today announced as Lithuanian submission for the Academy Award nomination as Best Foreign-Language Film.

‘The Gambler‘ is a stylish thriller about an ambulance driver whose addiction to gambling leads him to play a dangerous game with patients’ lives. On the one hand he’s the best and brightest paramedic in his company. On the other he’s a voracious gambler. Soon he finds himself with increasingly mounting debts and decides that an illegal game related to his work will be his only way out.

The film has premiered last year in San Sebastian’s Kutxa-New Directors section and successfully travelled more than 30 festivals. The film will be domestically released on the 24th of September. It has been sold Italy, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sales agent of the film – ‘Wide Management Enterprise’.

‘The Gambler’ is a Lithuanian-Latvian co-production, produced by Studio Uljana Kim (LT) and Locomotive Productions (LV). The film was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Latvian Film Centre, Eurimages, MEDIA Programme.

The deadline for submitting films for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is 1 October. The five nominees selected by the Academy will be announced on 15 January by the selection committee. Then the active and distinguished members of the Academy who have seen all five nominees will cast their vote. The award ceremony will take place on 22 February 2015.