“The Garden” finalist for Oscars

The nominees for the 2009 Oscars were announced this morning from Hollywood.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is an odds-on favorite to win numerous honors after receiving 13 nominations, though close behind is “Slumdog Millionaire” with ten nominations. Those two movies were chosen in the best film category along with “Milk”, “The Reader” and “Frost/Nixon”.

Spaniard Penélope Cruz was selected in the best supporting actress category for her role in the Woody Allen-directed film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". She’ll likely face stiff competition from the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Marisa Tomei, and Amy Adams, however.

Latin American films were shutout of the best foreign language film category. Mexican film "Arráncame la Vida" ("Tear This Heart Out") was the only Latin American movie chosen to the Oscars shortlist though it was not selected as a finalist.

One very pleasant surprise was the selection of “The Garden” in the top documentary feature category. The film examines the proposed razing of a community garden in South Central Los Angeles. According to the film’s official website:

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers.

Image- epicurious.com
Online Sources- BBC News, CNN, AP, Small State, NPR, Black Valley Films