Oscars: Argentina Selects 'Heroic Losers' for International Feature Film Category

Sebastian Borenzstein's film is based on a novel by Eduardo Sacheri, author of the original story for Argentina's Oscar winner 'The Secret in Their Eyes.'

The Argentine Film Academy on Monday announced that Heroic Losers, directed by Sebastian Borensztein (Chinese Take-Away, Koblic), will be the country's submission for consideration in the international feature film Oscar category.

A heist dramedy set during the country's 2001 financial debacle, the film is a Robin Hood-esque story about a group of rural town neighbors — led by former soccer player Fermin (Ricardo Darin) — who must band together to get their money back after a shady lawyer and a corrupt bank executive swindle the cash they had managed to put together to reactivate an agricultural cooperative.

The story is an adaptation of La noche de la usina, a novel by Eduardo Sacheri, who also wrote the original story for Argentina's latest Oscar winner The Secret in Their Eyes.

Produced by Darin's own company Kenya Films with K&S (Wild Tales, El Angel) and Spain's MOD, Heroic Losers is currently the top local release in Argentina, ranking fourth in overall box office ($4.3 million) and attendance (1.3 million tickets), behind Toy Story 4, Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King.

Heroic Losers had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and is currently playing at San Sebastian, with international sales being handled by Film Factory.

Besides Juan Jose Campanella's Secret in Their Eyes — which prompted a Hollywood remake starring Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor — Argentina also won the category in 1985, with Luis Puenzo's The Official Story.

The 92nd Academy Awards are set to take place Feb. 9, 2020.