Italian director Matteo Garrone is hoping his feature film Io Capitano (I Captain) will be distributed in US movie theaters and considered for the Best International Film category at the 96th Academy Awards.

Io Capitano won a Silver Lion award for best director at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.

New York applauds movie, two African protagonists in the US

"In two weeks, we will have confirmation of whether the film has been bought in the US," the director told ANSA last week, speaking about the distribution of the movie during a press briefing at the Italian consulate in New York.

The screening in New York was followed by a standing ovation, applause and tears.

Garrone attended with the two protagonists, Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall, as well as Mamadou Kouassi, the youth whose story inspired the movie.

Seydou is enjoying fame, although his dream is not to work in the movies, but to become a soccer player. Moustapha, on the other hand, appears to have realized all his dreams for the time being -- becoming an actor and visiting the US.

"We Africans also have dreams," he said.

'This movie will touch their hearts'

The director said he is confident the film will be successful in the US, which is struggling with the numbers of migrants coming from Latin America.

"This movie will touch their hearts," he said. "The public can relate easily here, they are all migrants," he told ANSA.

The movie is an Italian and Belgian co-production by Archimede, Rai Cinema, Tarantula, Pathé and Logical Content Ventures. It is distributed by 01 and still in movie theaters in Italy, three months after its release.