The migration-themed Italian movie Io Capitano directed by Matteo Garrone is up for an Oscar for Best International Film, organisers announced on Tuesday. Based on the real-life story of the perilous journey of two young Senagalese men from Dakar to Italy, Garrone's film is up against four other Oscar hopefuls: Perfect Days (Japan), Society of the Snow (Spain), The Teacher’s Lounge (Germany) and The Zone of Interest (UK).

Garrone's critically-acclaimed movie, which stars Moustapha Fall and Seydou Sarr, was recently nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Film - non-English language category but lost out to Anatomy of a Fall. The Rome director, 55, is celebrated for diverse films including Gomorrah (2008), Tale of Tales (2015), Dogman (2018) and Pinocchio (2019).