Malayalam film '2018: Everyone is a Hero', directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, was India's official entry in the International feature film category at the 2024 Academy Awards. But the film failed to make it to the final 15 of the prestigious competition. 

Jude took to his social media platform to thank all his well-wishers and penned a heartfelt note. He expressed that this has been a journey that "he will cherish for a lifetime".

In an Instagram post, the director said: "Greetings, everyone. The Oscar shortlist has been unveiled, and regrettably, our film “2018- Everyone Is A Hero” did not secure a spot among the final 15 films out of the 88 international language films from across the globe. I sincerely apologize to all my well-wishers and supporters for disappointing you all. 

Nevertheless, the opportunity to represent India in this competition has been a dream-like journey that I will cherish for a lifetime. Being the highest-grossing film and the official Indian entry to the Oscars is a rare achievement in any filmmaker’s career. I am grateful to God for choosing me for this extraordinary journey. My heartfelt thanks go to the producers, technicians, artists, and the audience for their tremendous support for our film. A special expression of gratitude to the Film Federation Of India, particularly Sir Ravi Kottarakkara, for their boundless support, and love, and for selecting our film as India’s official entry. I express my gratitude to all the Indian filmmakers who supported me on this journey, with special thanks to Pan Nalin, Sidharth Roy Kapoor, Guneet Monga, Rintu Thomas, Ashutosh Gowarikar sir, Resul Pookkutty sir, Anurag Kashyap, Rajamouli sir, Senthi sir and many more. :) I express my gratitude to all my supporters in Los Angeles and eagerly anticipate the meetings that we have already scheduled.
I extend my best wishes to all the finalists, with a special mention to Sol, my dear friend and the producer of the Armenian film. The inception of the next dream begins today, as the Oscars await, and I am poised to be present. Until we meet, dear Oscar. ❤️❤️❤️"

The movie revolves around the 2018 Kerala Floods and portrays the emotional distress of the people of Kerala during the devastating calamity. The movie starring Tovino Thomas became the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, surpassing the 200 crore milestone at the box office.