INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

A page dedicated solely on the 90+ submissions entered into the Academy Awards

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS ARE OUT

DECEMBER 10, 2024

(France - Emilia Perez; Denmark - The Girl with the Needle; Italy - Vermiglio)

Emilia Perez (France) dominates the 2025 Golden Globe nominations, announced live at the Beverly Hilton on December 9th. The film garnered an impressive 10 nominations, the most of any project in film or television this year. This achievement sets a new record for a comedy or musical motion picture, surpassing last year’s frontrunner, Barbie, which earned nine nominations.

For International Feature, the following 6 films were nominated:

All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Perez (France)
The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
I'm Still Here (Brazil)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Vermiglio (Italy)

Emilia Perez was also nominated for Best Film (Musical/Comedy), Best Actress for Karla Sofia Gascon (Musical/Comedy), Best Supporting Actress (Musical/Comedy) for Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song for El Mal and Mi Camino.

Fernanda Torres was nominated for Best Actress (Drama) for I'm Still Here.

Flow (Latvia) was nominated for Best Animated Film.

For the past three years, every single submission that has been nominated at the Golden Globes has ended up being shortlisted, so this is excellent news for Emilia Perez, The Girl with the Needle, I'm Still Here, The Seed of the Sacred Fig and Vermiglio.

For the full set of nominations, please click HERE.

LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ANNOUNCE THEIR WINNERS

DECEMBER 9, 2024

(Brazil - I'm Still Here; Latvia - Flow; Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig)

The 50th Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) awards have been announced, honoring the standout films and performances of 2024. Anora claimed the top honor as Best Film, with The Brutalist earning the runner-up spot.

It was a strong showing for The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), which won Best Director and was named runner-up for Best International Feature, losing out to All We Imagine as Light.

Adding to its accolades, Flow (Latvia) secured the award for Best Animated Film.

Dahomey (Senegal) earned recognition as the runner-up for Best Documentary Film.

In acting, Fernanda Torres delivered a remarkable performance in I'm Still Here (Brazil), which was recognized as the runner-up for Best Lead Actress.

For the full set of winners, please click HERE.

EMILIA PEREZ DOMINATES THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS

DECEMBER 8, 2024

(France - Emilia Pérez)

Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez (France) claimed the top honor of Best Film at the 37th European Film Awards, also emerging as the night's biggest winner with a total of five awards:

Best Film
Best Director
Best Actress
Best Screenplay
Best Editing

Flow (Latvia) won Best Animated Film.

The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) won Best Production Design and Best Original Score.

The Devil's Bath (Austria) won Best Costume.

Armand (Norway) won for Best European Discovery.

Three Kilometres to the End of the World (Romania) won Best European University Film Award.

For the full set of winners, please click HERE.

THE FINAL SET OF FILMS WATCHED

DECEMBER 7, 2024

We've had the pleasure of now watching 86 of the 89 remarkable film submissions this year. Click below to explore each one, watch trailers, follow their social media, and dive into our in-depth reviews. These are the latest 16 films that we've watched below:

CAMEROON - KISMET
DENMARK - THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
GEORGIA - THE ANTIQUE
GERMANY - THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
GUATEMALA - RITA
INDIA - LOST LADIES
IRAN - IN THE ARMS OF THE TREE
ITALY - VERMIGLIO
MALAYSIA - ABANG ADIK
MEXICO - SUJO
MONGOLIA - IF ONLY I COULD HIBERNATE
NIGERIA - MAI MARTABA
THAILAND - HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES
TURKEY - LIFE
UNITED KINGDOM - SANTOSH
VIETNAM - PEACH BLOSSOM, PHO AND PIANO

Unfortunately, we were unable to secure screeners for the following three films despite our persistent efforts. While we plan to watch them sometime next year, they will not be included in our summaries or year-end reviews:

ARGENTINA - KILL THE JOCKEY
CROATIA - BEAUTIFUL EVENING, BEAUTIFUL DAY
INDONESIA - WOMEN FROM ROTE ISLAND

EMILIA PEREZ IS AMONGST THE TOP 10 AT THE AFI AWARDS

DECEMBER 6, 2024

(France - Emilia Pérez)

Netflix’s Emilia Pérez (France) has become one of a only a handful of predominantly non-English-language films ever to make the top 10 films list released by the American Film Institute annually since 2001 as part of the AFI Awards. It follows 2004’s Spanish-language Maria Full of France and 2007’s French-language The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

AFI’s eligibility rules declare, “Stories need not be presented in the English language if incontrovertibly American,” meaning that they include “significant creative and/or production elements from the United States,” which, in this case, presumably means American-born actresses Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez.

Joining Emilia Pérez in the top 10 films list are Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Nickel Boys, A Real Pain, Sing Sing and Wicked.

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW ANNOUNCES WINNERS FOR 2025

DECEMBER 5, 2024

(Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig)

The National Board of Review has announced their winners for the year and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany) has picked up its first win. It has been selected as the Best International Feature film of the year. The following films were also nominated:

All We Imagine as Light
The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
I'm Still Here (Brazil)
Santosh (United Kingdom)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany) - WINNER
Universal Language (Canada)

Flow (Latvia) won for Best Animated Film.

Dahomey (Senegal) was nominated for Best Documentary Film.

Thirteen out of the fifteen films nominated at these awards over the past three years have ended up being shortlisted for International Feature. This presents a significant chance now for these five films nominated to end up making the top fifteen films on December 17th. The current frontrunner Emilia Perez (France) is notably missing from the list.

For the full set of nominations, please click HERE.

FLOW IS ALONE AT THE SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS

DECEMBER 4, 2024

(Flow - Latvia)

The nominations for the 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced on Wednesday morning and the films nominated for Best International Feature were the following:

All We Imagine as Light
Black Dog
Flow (Latvia)
Green Border
Hard Truths

Flow continues to solidify its status as one of the frontrunners with this latest nomination. The other four nominees, however, are not official submissions for this year's award. India selected Lost Ladies instead of All We Imagine as Light, while China nominated The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru over Black Dog. Poland submitted The Peasants last year, bypassing Green Border, and Hard Truths is an English-language film, making it ineligible for the International Feature category.

For the full set of nominations, please click HERE.

THE NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ANNOUNCE THEIR WINNERS

DECEMBER 3, 2024

(All We Imagine as Light)

The first major critics’ awards of the season have been announced, and All We Imagine as Light has claimed the prize for Best International Feature. Despite not being selected as India’s official submission for the Oscars, Lost Ladies will represent the country this year, the film is poised to continue its strong momentum throughout awards season. With its critical acclaim and growing recognition, All We Imagine as Light stands a solid chance of earning multiple Oscar nominations.

In the Best Animated Film category, Flow (Latvia) emerged victorious. The visually stunning and emotionally resonant feature is not only a contender in the animated race but is also considered a strong contender for dual Oscar nominations, which of course includes Best International Feature.

Meanwhile, the top honor of Best Picture went to The Brutalist, further cementing its position as a heavyweight in the awards circuit this year.

For the full set of winners, please click HERE.

THE PALM SPRINGS FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS FILMS

DECEMBER 1, 2024

The Palm Springs International Film Festival has unveiled its highly anticipated lineup for 2025, featuring a curated selection of 35 official submissions for the International Feature Film category at the upcoming Academy Awards. Known for its celebration of global cinema, the festival serves as a vital platform for showcasing the artistry and diversity of storytelling from around the world.

This year's roster includes films from a variety of countries, offering a glimpse into different cultures, perspectives, and cinematic styles. The selections highlight themes ranging from political upheaval and historical drama to intimate character studies and explorations of identity, love, and resilience. Here's the list of films that will grace the festival screens this year:

Armand (Norway), Director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
Come Closer (Israel), Director Tom Nesher
Dahomey (Senegal), Director Mati Diop
Drowning Dry (Lithuania), Director Laurynas Bareiša
Emilia Pérez (France), Director Jacques Audiard
Everybody Loves Touda (Morocco), Director Nabil Ayouch
Flow (Latvia), Director Gints Zibalodis
From Ground Zero (Palestine), Anthology featuring 22 contributing directors, see website for full list
The Girl with The Needle (Denmark), Director Magnus von Horn
Grand Tour (Portugal), Director Miguel Gomes
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Thailand), Director Pat Boonnitipat
The Hungarian Dressmaker (Slovakia), Director Iveta Grófová
I’m Still Here (Brazil), Director Walter Salles
Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium), Director Leonardo Van Dijl
Kill the Jockey (Argentina), Director Luis Ortega
Kneecap (Ireland), Director Rich Peppiatt
La Suprema (Colombia), Director Felipe Holguín Caro
The Last Journey (Sweden), Director Filip Hammar & Fredrik Wikingsson
Life (Turkey), Director Zeki Demirkubuz
Lost Ladies (India), Director Kiran Rao
Meeting With Pol Pot (Cambodia), Director Rithy Panh
Memories of a Burning Body (Costa Rica), Director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss
My Late Summer (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Director Danis Tanović
Old Fox (Taiwan), Director Hsiao Ya-Chuan
Santosh (United Kingdom), Director Sandhya Suri
Saturn Return (Spain), Director Isaki Lacuesta, Pol Rodríguez
The Seed of The Sacred Fig (Germany), Director Mohammad Rasoulof
Shambhala (Nepal), Director Min Bahadur Bham
Sujo (Mexico), Director Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez
Three Kilometers to The End of The World (Romania), Director Emanuel Pârvu
Touch (Iceland), Director Baltasar Kormákur
Twilight Of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong), Director Soi Cheang
Universal Language (Canada), Director Matthew Rankin
Vermiglio (Italy), Director Maura Delpero
Waves (Czech Republic), Director Jiří Mádl

Over the past three years, an impressive 43 out of 45 films shortlisted for the Academy Awards' International Feature Film category have screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. This track record makes it highly likely that all 15 shortlisted films for this year will be featured at the festival, cementing its reputation as a premier showcase for Oscar contenders.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE RACE AND THE POTENTIAL SHORTLISTED FILMS

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

(Belgium - Julie Keeps Quiet; Costa Rica - Memories of a Burning Body; Mexico - Sujo)

With roughly 20 days before the list of 85 films are reduced down to 15, we right now feel that the following films will be shortlisted on December 17th:

BELGIUM - JULIE KEEPS QUIET
BRAZIL - I'M STILL HERE
CANADA - UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
COSTA RICA - MEMORIES OF A BURNING BODY
DENMARK - THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
FRANCE - EMILIA PEREZ
GERMANY - THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
IRELAND - KNEECAP
ITALY - VERMIGLIO
LATVIA - FLOW
MEXICO - SUJO
NORWAY - ARMAND
SENEGAL - DAHOMEY
THAILAND - HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES
UNITED KINGDOM - SANTOSH

This category is notoriously challenging to predict when it comes to the shortlist. Last year, we accurately predicted 13 out of the 15 selected films. Movies that premiere at major festivals like Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Berlin, and Toronto often have an edge in securing a spot in the final 15. However, there are always unexpected gems that manage to slip under the radar and surprise everyone.

We’ve now had the chance to watch the majority of this year’s submissions, giving us a unique opportunity to experience these films ahead of most of the public. The Academy members are currently diving into these selections as well. Based on what we’ve seen, here are the top ten films we believe have a strong shot at making the shortlist and surprising critics. These are some of the finest entries this year—exceptional works that are undoubtedly serious contenders in the race.

To continue reading, please click HERE.

ASTRA FILM AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

(Latvia - Flow; Ireland - Kneecap; Brazil - I'm Still Here)

The nominations for the 2024 Astra Films Awards have been announced and the following films were nominated for Best International Feature:

All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez (France)
Flow (Latvia)
I'm Still Here (Brazil)
Kneecap (Ireland)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)

Emilia Pérez was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Karla Sofia Gascón), Best Supporting Actress (Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana), Best Director, Best Cast Ensemble, Best Original Score, Best Original Song.

Flow was also nominated for Best Animated Feature.

These five nominated films are all in contention to be nominated at the Oscars. All We Imagine as Light is not eligible. Other missing films include The Girl With the Needle (Denmark), Vermiglio (Italy) and Dahomey (Senegal).

WHICH CONTENDERS MIGHT GET OTHER OSCAR NOMINATIONS?

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

(Emilia Perez - France; Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig; Brazil - I'm Still Here)

Right now, with around a month to go before the list of 85 films are reduced to 15, we are predicting that the following films will be nominated for the Oscars:

BRAZIL - I'M STILL HERE
FRANCE - EMILIA PEREZ
GERMANY - THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
ITALY - VERMIGLIO
LATVIA - FLOW

Emilia Perez, directed by Jacques Audiard, has emerged as a frontrunner for Best International Feature due to its unique blend of genres, timely themes, and strong international appeal. The film, described as a "musical legal drama," revolves around themes of gender transformation, which resonate with contemporary conversations about identity. Adding to its appeal, the film features an international cast including Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez, broadening its audience reach. Critics have praised its innovative storytelling and the way it challenges traditional cinematic narratives, making it stand out in a competitive field. The film's buzz also stems from its broader Oscar campaign, with discussions positioning it as not only a contender in the International Feature category but also a potential nominee for Best Picture. This dual recognition would highlight the film's universal storytelling and artistic impact, cementing its place in the awards season conversation.

Right behind Emilia Perez is The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. The film explores a theocratic society's repressive mechanisms, offering a dark and chilling portrayal of authoritarianism and its psychological effects. It follows the story of Iman, a cleric grappling with personal and professional conflicts amidst anti-theocratic protests. The film's nuanced storytelling, coupled with Rasoulof's courage in making such a politically charged piece under restrictive conditions, has resonated deeply with critics and audiences alike. Debuting at Cannes, the film earned widespread acclaim, with critics praising its bold themes, meticulous direction, and the risks involved in bringing it to life in a challenging political environment. This combination of artistic merit and real-world relevance has placed it at the forefront of awards discussions.

To continue reading, please click HERE.

THE NEXT 20 FILMS

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

We've had the pleasure of now watching 70 of the 89 remarkable film submissions this year. Click below to explore each one, watch trailers, follow their social media, and dive into our in-depth reviews. These are the latest 20 films that we've watched below:

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY NOMINATIONS

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

(Italy - Vermiglio; Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig; Senegal - Dahomey)

The 37th European Film Awards nominations have been announced. The nominations in the key categories of Film, Director, Actor and Actress are voted by the 4,400 members of the academy.

Best Film:

Bye Bye Tiberias
Dahomey (Senegal)
Emilia Perez (France)
Flow (Latvia)
In Limbo
Living Large
No Other Land
Savages
Soundtrack to a Coup D'Etat
Sultana's Dream
The Room Next Door
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
The Substance
They Shot the Piano Player
Vermiglio (Italy)

Best Director:

Andrea Arnold - Bird
Jacques Audiard - Emilia Perez (France)
Pedro Almodovar - The Room Next Door
Mohammad Rasoulof - The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Maura Delpero - Vermiglio (Italy)

Best Actress:

Renate Reinsve - Armand (Norway)
Karla Sofia Gascon - Emilia Perez (France)
Trine Dyrholm - The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
Vic Carmen Sonne - The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
Tilda Swinton - The Room Next Door

Best Actor:

Franz Rogowski - Bird
Ralph Fiennes - Conclave
Lars Eidinger - Dying
Daniel Craig - Queer
Abou Sangare - Souleymane's Story

Dahomey (Senegal) was also nominated for Best Documentary.

Flow (Latvia) was also nominated for Best Animation.

Emilia Perez (France), The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany) were nominated for Best Screenplay.

For the full set of nominations, please click HERE.

THE NEW COUNTRIES THAT ARE BACK IN THE RACE

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

Guatemala - Rita; Cambodia - Meeting With Pol Pot; Kazakhstan - Bauryna Salu)

This year we welcome back eight new countries who didn't submit a film last year. They are the following:

ALGERIA - ALGIERS
CAMBODIA - MEETING WITH POL POT
ECUADOR - BEHIND THE MIST
GUATEMALA - RITA
HAITI - KIDNAPPING INC.**
KAZAKHSTAN - BAURYNA SALU
LEBANON - ARZE
MALTA - CASTILLO

Several countries that missed last year’s race have returned with new submissions: Algeria, Cambodia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan and Lebanon. These countries have regularly submitted films over the past couple of decades so it's great that they're back with incredible films.

Guatemala’s Rita marks the country’s fifth-ever submission, an exciting step for Guatemalan cinema. Malta also rejoins the competition with Castillo, their fourth-ever entry, signaling a growing presence in the international film scene.

Haiti’s submission would have been their third; however, it was unfortunately disqualified due to the dissolution of their national film commission in 2022, a requirement for Academy submission.

THESE COUNTRIES DID NOT SUBMIT A FILM THIS YEAR

OCTOBER 31, 2024

(Bhutan, North Macedonia, Australia)

Ten countries who submitted a film last year did not submit one this year for International Feature.

This year the following countries are out of the race:

Australia
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cuba
Luxembourg
Moldova
Namibia
North Macedonia
Saudi Arabia
Yemen

There are three countries this year whose decision not to submit a film is surprising: Luxembourg, North Macedonia and Saudi Arabia. This is the first time since 2013 that Luxembourg hasn't submitted a film, despite having the option to submit All We Imagine as Light. North Macedonia has submitted a film every year since 2017, and Saudi Arabia has done so annually since 2018.

The last time Australia didn't submit a film was in 2020. Moldova had submissions in 2022 and 2023, with a gap before that dating back to 2014. Bhutan has submitted films in 1999, 2021, and 2023. Yemen has only ever submitted films in 2016, 2018, and 2023. Cuba’s film last year was disqualified, with their previous submission in 2020. Burkina Faso has only submitted twice, so it’s not too surprising they didn’t enter a film this year. Namibia, which made its first-ever submission last year with Under the Hanging Tree, didn’t have a film to submit this year.

It's also disappointing that Azerbaijan, Kosovo, and New Zealand missed out for yet another year.

THE GOTHAM NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED

OCTOBER 30, 2024

(Italy - Vermiglio)

The Gothams have announced their nominations and they're always the start to the Oscar season. This year they have nominated the following five films:

All We Imagine as Light
Green Border
Hard Truths
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Vermiglio (Italy)

Dahomey (Senegal) was nominated for best documentary.

Vermiglio is the only film this year eligible for International Feature. Last year, The Zone of Interest and Totem were both nominated at these awards and one ended up winning the Oscar and the other was shortlisted so things are looking great for Vermiglio to start off the year.

THE UNOFFICIAL LIST HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED - 85 FILMS TO CONTEND

OCTOBER 29, 2024

(Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig; Brazil - I'm Still Here; France - Emilia Perez)

Today it has been announced that 85 films have been submitted this year for International Feature. These 85 films make up the smallest field in the category in the last nine years. Last year, there were 88 qualifying films, after the total number of eligible films had topped 90 in five of the previous six years. The record was 93, set in 2020.

The voting process for the international category was initially scheduled so that prospective voters would receive their viewing assignments on November 1. However, the emails were sent out a week early, on October 25th, organizing voters into seven groups. This change could have been intentional to give voters extra time to watch the assigned films or may have been a scheduling oversight. Either way, the early release provides voters with additional time for evaluation, which may be beneficial given the competitive nature of the category.

Each group received a list of 12 or 13 films to watch, available either on the Academy's members-only screening platform for the category or in select theaters. To have their vote count, voters must watch every film in their assigned group, though they are encouraged to explore additional films outside their group as well.

Films were not randomly assigned to groups; instead, they were carefully selected to ensure a diverse mix of regions, genres, and running times. Group 1, for example, is the only group with 13 entries, featuring a blend of five films from Europe (Albania, Estonia, Norway, Italy, and Switzerland), three from South and Central America (Bolivia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica), one from Africa (Algeria), three from Asia (Armenia, Cambodia, and Malaysia), and one from the Middle East (Iraq).

The films assigned to voters may not match the final list of qualifying films, which the Academy will release later. Occasionally, an assigned film may be deemed ineligible under the category’s rules, though, in most cases, the assigned films align with the final qualifying list.

Four films that were publicized as being their country’s submissions are missing from the list of assigned films. They are the following: The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru (China), My Sweet Land (Jordan), The Door is There (Uruguay) and Kidnapping Inc. (Haiti).”

Please take a look at all the submissions HERE.

THE FINAL TWO SUBMISSIONS ARE ANNOUNCED

OCTOBER 28, 2024

(Guatemala - Rita; Nigeria - Mai Martaba)

Guatemala and Nigeria are the last two countries to announce their films for this year. This brings up the final total to 89 films.

Guatemala has chosen the film Rita. This is Jayro Bustamante's fourth feature film. This is also the third time that he has represented Guatemala for the Oscars following Ixcanul in 2015, La Llorona in 2020 (which was shortlisted) and now Rita in 2024. The film had its world premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 25th, 2024. It was released in theatres in Guatemala in August 2024. Shudder has picked up distribution across the USA and it'll be released on their platform on November 22nd, 2024. The film is about Rita, a 13 year old girl, who runs away from her abusive father to the big city. She finds solace until she's placed in a safe house run by the State. Rita and her cellmates plots an escape that ends in a shocking act of violence.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Nigeria is back and they have submitted Mai Martaba. The film is directed by multi-award-winning film producer and broadcaster, Prince Daniel Aboki. The film was in production for two and a half years with a cast of 500 people. It's Kannywood's most expensive movie. The film was released in theatres across Nigeria in July 2024. The film takes place in Jallaba, where the trade boom is crumbling due to internal conflict among the ruling clans. A new dynasty promises stability, shattered by a king's heir choice - his daughter. Princess, rival, and a deposed clan clash for the throne. Who will rule and can Jallaba survive?

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

A NEW SUBMISSION - LEBANON CHOOSES ARZE

OCTOBER 25, 2024

(Lebanon - Arze)

With days before The Academy announces the official submissions, Lebanon has released the news on their selection for this year. This brings the total number of films up to 87.

Lebanon has chosen Arze. The film is about Arze, a single mother, who takes her teenage son on a journey across sectarian Beirut in search of their stolen scooter, their only source of livelihood. This is director Mira Shaib's directorial feature film debut. Film production was delayed due to the mass protests in Beirut and later by the pandemic, but shooting eventually took place at the end of 2022. Arze had its world premiere at the Beijing International Film Festival, followed by a North American debut at the Tribeca Festival. It has since screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Asian World Film Festival, Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal, and the Lebanese Film Festivals in Paris and Australia. It was released across theatres in Lebanon on August 2024. Ambiant Light handles international sales on the film.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE NEXT 20 FILMS

OCTOBER 17, 2024

We've now been fortunate to watch 50 outstanding film submissions so far this year. Click below to explore each one, watch trailers, connect with their social media, and read our in-depth reviews.

THE BEST FILMS NOT SUBMITTED THIS YEAR

OCTOBER 13, 2024

One of the most exciting, yet stressful, times of the year is seeing which film will be submitted by each country. Every country can only submit one film each year, so there will always be fantastic films that will miss out on being part of the International Feature category at the Oscars. This year is no exception. And we're not saying that the film chosen was the wrong one, but only that these films are sadly not in the race. This is the list of the best 15 films (one film maximum per country) that we've selected:

All We Imagine as Light - India
No Other Land - Palestine
Crossing - Sweden
All Shall Be Well - Hong Kong
April - Georgia
Evil Does Not Exist - Japan
My Favourite Cake - Iran
Dying - Germany
The Count of Monte-Cristo - France
When the Light Breaks - Iceland
Savages - Switzerland
Sons - Denmark
The Other Way Around - Spain
Motel Destino - Brazil
Hesitation Wound - Turkey

SOUTH AFRICA AND SINGAPORE ANNOUNCE THEIR FILMS

OCTOBER 12, 2024

(South Africa - Old Righteous Blues; Singapore - La Luna)

We are now up to 86 submissions as Singapore and South Africa have announced their films.

Singapore has picked the film La Luna. The film marks director Raihan Halim’s second feature film after Banting in 2014, which was Singapore’s first Malay film since the 1970s. La Luna made its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival and participated in the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival. It was the closing film of the International Film Festival in Rotterdam. It was released in cinemas across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in November 2023. The film takes place in the sleepy, religious and passionless town of Kampong Bras Basah which has suddenly been awoken with the arrival of a lingerie shop called La Luna. But while the villagers slowly begin to welcome the shop owner with open arms, the iron-fisted religious leader of the village is hell-bent on driving the shop out of town at all costs.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And South Africa has decided to go with Old Righteous Blues. The film is about a young man who is forced to confront his limitations and face the ghosts of the past in order to unite a fractured community and realize his dream of leading his town's Christmas Choir Band to former glory. Old Righteous Blues is the second feature film from director Muneera Sallies. The film had its world premiere at South Africa’s Silwerskerm Film Festival in 2023, where it won 11 awards. The film went on to screen at the Romford Film Festival in the UK and Panther City Film Festival in Forth Worth in 2024. The film was released in theatres across South Africa in June 2024. The film is distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution and was pre-sold to Afrikaans-language television KykNET.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE FESTIVALS AND LETTERBOXD AND OUR PROJECTED TOP 15

OCTOBER 6, 2024

While we wait for The Academy to officially announce the films eligible for International Feature, which will be released end of October, let's start analyzing the 84 films that have been announced so far and let's create our first projected top 15 shortlisted set of films.

Over the past two years, 27 of the 30 shortlisted films debuted in the following film festivals: Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Telluride or Toronto. This statistic is incredibly important to remember because exposure and being recognized early on is very important in order to stand out when there are so many films in contention.

This year, these films have debuted at these six festivals:

Sundance Film Festival

Kneecap - Ireland
Sujo - Mexico
Reinas - Switzerland
Kidnapping Inc. - Haiti
And So It Begins - Philippines

Berlin Film Festival:

Dahomey - Senegal
Memories of a Burning Body - Costa Rica
The Devil's Bath - Austria
Shambhala - Nepal
Family Time - Finland (2023)

To continue reading, please click HERE.

A FILM IS OUT, A FILM IS CHANGED, AND A FILM IS BACK

OCTOBER 5, 2024

(Tajikistan - Melody; Haiti - Kidnapping Inc.; Venezuela - Back to Life)

Tajikistan last year submitted the film Melody but it didn't appear as part of the official list of submissions by The Academy because it didn't enter on time due to missing certain requirements. This year they have entered on time, and they have met all the eligibility requirements. This is Behrouz Sebt Rasoul's second feature film. Melody premiered internationally at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 24, 2023. The film has garnered significant recognition on the international stage, participating in several prestigious film festivals including the 21st Chennai International Film Festival, the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival in Iran and the 24th Keswick Film Festival in London. At the 23rd Imagine India Film Festival in Madrid, Spain, the film achieved remarkable success, winning several awards including Best Director of Photography, Best Music Design, and Best Original Music. The film is about Melody who teaches music at a children cancer centre for thirty children, who are going to have a party at the end of autumn. Melody is to compose a piece using the sounds of thirty different birds.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Venezuela's selection committee originally submitted Children of Las Brisas by Marianela Maldonado. The Academy ruled the film ineligible because it was shown on a streaming platform prior to its release in theaters, so Venezuela has now submitted Back to Life by Luis Carlos Hueck and Alfredo Hueck. The film takes place in 1996, when Ricardo returns home to Caracas after a year of exchange in New York. On a trip through the beautiful coasts of Venezuela, after reconnecting with his friends, Ricardo suffers a strong pain that transforms his life and that of his family forever. Back to Life is the latest film from brothers Luis Carlos and Alfredo Hueck, following up to their hit Papita, Mani, Toston. The film debuted in theatres across Venezuela in December 2023, before playing at the Miami International Film Festival and the AFI Latin American Film Festival.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Haiti tried to submit the film Kidnapping Inc., but unfortunately The Academy refused its entry because the country currently doesn't have a film commission. It disassembled in 2022 and it hasn't been brought back. The film already was in the news because during production, the team’s convoy was stopped by gunmen one night as cast and crew were returning from a location shoot. Three crew members were abducted, setting off frantic negotiations with local gangs, who were demanding a ransom of $1 million per hostage. The incident would soon draw in the President of the Dominican Republic, where two of the hostages were from. Eventually, the Prime Minister of Haiti intervened to free the three men. Hopefully it can be re-submitted next year. Tasked with what appears to be a simple abduction for hire, the film is about two hapless kidnappers who find out that it's anything but and end up in the middle of a political conspiracy.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

PARAGUAY AND CAMEROON ANNOUNCE THEIR FILMS

OCTOBER 4, 2024

(Paraguay - The Last; Cameroon - Kismet)

Two more countries have announced their films now so we're around ten films away from having every single film submitted for this year.

Paraguay has submitted the documentary The Last. The film is about the vast Gran Chaco natural region in Paraguay which is under serious threat from large-scale deforestation and wildfires. Filmmaker Sebastian Pena Escobar travels with the German entomologist Ulf Drechsel and the Paraguayan ornithologist Jota Escobar to this vulnerable, flammable area, which looks like an apocalyptic landscape with red dirt roads and dry thorny trees. This is the directorial feature debut for Sebastian Pena Escobar. The film had its worldwide debut at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam in November 2023. It has played in Germany and Poland as well before debuting in theatres across Paraguay in September 2024. Escobar recently won the Student Jury Prize at the 33rd Biarritz Latin Festival in France. He also won the Best Documentary Award at the 26th Punta del Este International Film Festival in Uruguay.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Cameroon has announced that Kismet will be their film for this year. Ngang Romanus is back with his latest film. This is the second time he's been submitted by Cameroon after his directorial debut Hidden Dreams in 2021. Amidst the backdrop of intercultural differences and religious tensions over land disputes, the film is about Wambo, a 25 year old Christian woman, who defies societal norms and prejudices by falling in love with Ibrahim, a Muslim man. Their relationship blossoms, but it also thrusts Wambo into the role of a reluctant mediator between conflicting factions.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THREE CONTENDERS ANNOUNCE A DAY AFTER THE DEADLINE

OCTOBER 3, 2024

(Malaysia - Abang Adik; Bosnia and Herzegovina - My Late Summer; Thailand - How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies)

Three countries announced their films publicly a day after the deadline has passed. We now have 80 official submissions and these latest three films are definitely contenders this year.

Thailand has submitted fan favourite How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. Directed by Pat Boonnitipat, the film skipped all film festivals and debuted across theatres in Thailand in April 2024. It has become a box office hit across Asia, with the global box office currently reaching $50M. The film was released in theatres in Canada and USA on September 13th, 2024. International sales are handled by Nelson Mok of Mokster Films. The film is about M, a university dropout low on money and luck, who volunteers to take care of his terminally ill grandmother, in the hope of pocketing an inheritance. This film has some of the best ratings out of all submissions so far this year.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Danis Tanovic is back with his latest film My Late Summer. He is the most acclaimed director from Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is his fifth time being submitted for the Oscars. He won the Oscar for No Man's Land in 2002. He was also shortlisted in 2013 for An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker. He was further submitted for Cirkus Columbia in 2010 and Death in Sarajevo in 2016. My Late Summer is now his latest film. The film had its worldwide debut at the Sarajevo Film Festival in August 2024 and it's also played at the Vancouver and Warsaw Film Festivals. It was released across theatres in Croatia in October 2024. Arriving on an island, the film is about a young woman who embarks on a journey to discover her identity and place in the world. Her experiences on the island unravel a tapestry of past events, bringing hidden truths to light. As the situation grows increasingly complex, she is driven towards a profound reconciliation and acceptance, starting with herself and gradually encompassing those around her.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Malaysia has picked another huge contender in Abang Adik. The film is the directorial debut for Jin Ong. The film had its worldwide debut at the Fribourg International Film Festival in March 2023. It has since played in dozens of film festivals before its release in theatres across Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore in December 2023. The movie won the Best Film at the Asia New York Film Festival, the Golden Mulberry Audience Award, the Black Dragon Critics' Prize, and the White Mulberry Award for Best First Feature at the 25th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. Taiwanese actor Kang-Ren Wu also won the Best Leading Actor in the Golden Horse Award, considered the equivalent of the Academy Awards in the Chinese-speaking world. Abang Adik is also a box office hit, achieving record-breaking screenings. The film is about Abang and Adi who are undocumented orphans living in present-day Malaysia. While the older brother, a deaf mute, has resigned himself to a life of poverty, his younger sibling burns with indignation. A brutal accident upsets the fragile balance of their relationship.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED - 77 SUBMISSIONS SO FAR

OCTOBER 2, 2024

(Bangladesh - The Wrestler)

The deadline has passed now and we finish, at the moment, with 77 submissions. This is the exact same amount of films as last year, at this time, before it reached 92 (four films got disqualified bringing it down to 88). We should still have another 10-15 films that did submit to The Academy before the deadline but they haven't announced it publicly, as we're notably missing Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, Guatemala, Malaysia, Moldova, Nigeria, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand, among others.

Bangladesh is the last film though to be submitted publicly and they've picked The Wrestler. The film is about Moju, an elderly man living in a fishing village in Bangladesh, who devotes himself to physical training. Boli, a traditional sport in Bangladesh, is a type of wrestling, and Moju declares war on Dopor, the Boli champion who lives in the village. The villagers laugh at Moju, saying he is crazy, and Moju's son, Shafu, tries to lock him up and prevent him from competing, but there is no way to avoid a match between Moju and Dopor. The Wrestler is the debut feature film for director Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury. The film had its worldwide debut at the Busan International Film Festival in October 2023. The Wrestler won best film in the New Currents section. It has since played at the Shanghai Film Festival.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

The official list of submissions will be announced by The Academy around the end of October, or beginning of November.

TWO MORE FILMS ENTER BEFORE THE DEADLINE

OCTOBER 1, 2024

(China - The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru; Tunisia - Take My Breath)

With the official deadline tomorrow at 5pm PT, two more films have submitted their films, bringing it up to 76 submissions. Last year, 77 films were announced before the deadline, with another 15 films being officially made public in October. There were 92 films for the International Feature category last year, but 4 films were disqualified, bringing it down to 88. This year should have around the same number.

Tunisia has selected Take My Breath. The film is the third feature film from director Nada Mezni Hafaiedh. The film had its world premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival in 2023. It later debuted in theatres across Tunisia in October 2023. Mad Solutions picked up world sales rights for the feature. Take My Breath is about Shams. When Shams' intersex identity is exposed, the young seamstress' tranquil life unravels. Engaged in a steamy love triangle and targeted by an obsessive attacker, they escape to the capital city. Taking refuge with their lover's mystic cousin, they grapple with their complex sense of self.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

China has picked the documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru. This film is the directorial debut for Fang Li. He was originally a geophysicist and marine technical expert, and later engaged in film. In 2014, when he was supervising Han Han's work No Future, he accidentally heard local fishermen tell the story of the Lisbon Maru. From the time he learned about this, he led a team to explore and to find the shipwreck. "After finding the ship, I want to find people related to the ship and want to know their stories and what they have experienced 82 years ago. This is how the story was dug up. Now, it's time to tell them to more people," Fang Li said. The film made its worldwide debut at the BFI London Film Festival in August 2023, before heading to the Shanghai Film Festival in June 2024. It has since debuted in theatres across China.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE FIRST SET OF 30 FILMS

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

We've been fortunate to watch 30 outstanding film submissions so far. Click below to explore each one, watch trailers, connect with their social media, and read our in-depth reviews. Every film has been truly exceptional.

CANNES HIT FOR MONGOLIA AND AN ANIMATED FILM FOR PAKISTAN

SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

(Pakistan - The Glassworker; Mongolia - If Only I Could Hibernate)

We have now reached 74 submissions with two more contenders being announced with Pakistan and Mongolia.

The Glassworker is the second animated film to be submitted this year. The film is about a young Vincent and his father Tomas who run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an impending war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young, talented, violinist daughter, Alliz, shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son. This is the directorial debut for Usman Riaz. The film had its worldwide debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2024. And it followed with a release across theatres in Pakistan in July 2024. The Glassworker is the first animated film to be submitted for the country. Usman Riaz described the project as a decade-long labor of passion and perseverance, with the film representing the creativity and talent emerging from Pakistan. Usman Riaz stated that the movie is comprised of 1,477 cuts and 2,500 individual drawings. A total of 250 people worked on the film including national and international cast and crew.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Mongolia has selected their Cannes hit If Only I Could Hibernate. This is the first feature film for director Zoljargal Purevdash after her work on several short films. If Only I Could Hibernate made history at the Cannes Film Festival by becoming the first Mongolian film shown in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, where it made its worldwide debut in May 2023. It has since played in dozens of film festivals around the world before being released in theatres. The film is about Ulzii, a teenager from a poor neighbourhood in Ulaanbaatar, who is is determined to win a science-physics competition to get a scholarship. His illiterate mother finds a job in the countryside, leaving him and his brother and sister in the middle of winter. Ulzii wanders around at night looking for things to burn for heat while preparing for the national competition.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

VENICE WINNER CHOSEN BY ITALY

SEPTEMBER 28, 2024

(Italy - Vermiglio)

Italy has made their decision and they have selected Vermiglio, over eighteen other films, which included Gianni Amelio's Battleground, Francesca Comencini’s The Time It Takes, as well as Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope. The film is the second feature film from Maura Delpero. Delpero previously distinguished herself with her debut fiction Maternal. The film made its worldwide debut at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. The film has since screened in Toronto, São Paulo, London, Chicago and the Hamptons International Film Festivals. Sideshow and Janus Films scooped up North American rights to the film in the wake of its Venice win. The film takes place in 1944, Vermiglio, in a remote mountain village. The arrival of Pietro, a deserter, into the family of the local teacher, and his love for the teacher's eldest daughter, will change the course of everyone's life.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

TWO DOCUMENTARIES ARE SUBMITTED

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

(Jordan - My Sweet Land; Philippines - And So It Begins)

We have two more documentaries entering the race now, with Jordan and Philippines announcing their submissions. We are up to eight documentaries being part of this category so far.

My Sweet Land has been chosen by Jordan. The film is Sareen Hairabedian's debut feature, following her documentary short We Are Not Done Yet, which was made for HBO. The film had its worldwide debut at the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival this year. It has since placed in a number of festivals including the Amman International Film Festival in July, where it won the Jury Award for Best Feature Documentary and the FIPRESCI Award for Best Feature Length Arab Documentary. The documentary is about 11 year old Vrej, whose life in his homeland Artsakh is like a paradise, but when war starts again, can he carry a nation's hopes on his young shoulders?

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And the Philippines has picked the latest documentary from director Ramona S. Diaz. Admist the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, the film is about a quirky people's movement which rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy. And So It Begins is a companion film to A Thousand Cuts that tackles CEO Maria Ressa’s fight against disinformation and for press freedom. The film made its worldwide debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024, while A Thousand Cuts also premiered in the same festival in 2020. It has since played in dozens of film festivals around the world. The film debuted in theatres across the Philippines in August 2024.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY ANNOUNCE THEIR TOP 45 FILMS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

This morning the European Film Academy Board finalized their list of their top 45 films of the year. On November 5th the nominations will be announced with the award ceremony taking place on December 7th.

The following films are official Oscar submitted films and part of the top 45 films by the European Film Academy:
The Devil's Bath - Austria
Julie Keeps Quiet - Belgium
The Girl with the Needle - Denmark
Emilia Perez - France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig - Germany
Kneecap - Ireland
Vermiglio - Italy
Armand - Norway
Grand Tour - Portugal
Three Kilometres to the End of the World - Romania
Life - Turkey

This film was nominated under Best Documentary:
Dahomey - Senegal

This film was nominated under Best Animated:
Flow - Latvia

This film could still be selected this year:
The Village Next to Paradise (Somalia)

There are only two omissions that we expected to get nominated:
Touch - Iceland
Saturn Returns - Spain

Waves (Czechia), Reinas (Switzerland), Santosh (United Kingdom) and Under the Volcano (Poland) missed the eligibility window.

To read more about the shortlisted films, please click HERE.

TWO MORE CONTENDERS ENTER THE RACE: REINAS AND SANTOSH

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

(United Kingdom - Santosh; Switzerland - Reinas)

This year is proving to be extremely competitive with so many excellent films being submitted.

Switzerland has submitted their frontrunner Reinas. The film is director Klaudia Reynicke's third feature film following Love Me Tender and The Nest. Reinas had its worldwide debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and then made its European premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix of the Generation K-Plus International Jury. The film went on to receive a warm welcome from Swiss audiences over the summer, when it made its local premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, winning the Piazza Grande Audience Award. The film is an autobiographically inspired story. Outsider Pictures Distribution will release the film in the U.S. and Puerto Rico on November 29, at the same time as a release in Canada by Films We Like. Surrounded by social and political chaos in Lima during the summer of 1992, the film is about Lucia, Aurora, and their mother, Elena, who plan to leave and seek opportunities in the United States. Their farewell involves reconnecting with their estranged father, Carlos, adding turbulence to the regrets, hopes, and fears of their emotional departure.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And the winner from last year, the United Kingdom, has selected another top contender in Santosh. The film is about a government scheme which sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband's job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low-caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma. Santosh marks Sandhya Suri’s narrative feature debut after her breakout documentary, I For India in 2005, and her short drama The Field, which won best international short in Toronto in 2018 and picked up a 2019 BAFTA nomination. Santosh had its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section this year, where it was quickly snatched up for North America by Metrograph Pictures. It has since played in Toronto, London and Chicago International Film Festivals.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

VENICE HIT FOR ARGENTINA, SAN SEBASTIAN HIT FOR KAZAKHSTAN

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

(Argentina - Kill the Jockey; Kazakhstan - Bauryna Salu)

Argentina and Kazakhstan both selected film festival favourites, as they're the latest two countries to submit their films.

Kill the Jockey is the official submission for Argentina. The film is about Remo, whose self-destructive behaviour overshadows his talent. Abril, an upcoming jockey is pregnant by Remo and has to decide between child or continuing the race. They both race for Sirena, a businessman who saved Remo's life in the past. Kill the Jockey is the latest film from acclaimed director Luis Ortega. This is also the second time he has represented Argentina at the Oscars, following El Angel in 2018. El Angel was the winner of multiple Argentinian Academy Awards, and Ortega is regarded as one of the country’s brightest filmmaking talents. Kill the Jockey made its worldwide debut at the Venice Film Festival, followed by the Toronto and San Sebastián Film Festivals. Protagonist Pictures handles international sales on the film from Rei Pictures, El Despacho, Infinity Hill, Exile, and Warner Music Entertainment. The film will debut in theatres across Argentina at the end of September.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Kazakstan has chosen Bauryna Salu as their submission, after skipping last season. Bauryna Salu had its world premiere in the New Directors sidebar of San Sebastian in 2023. The film was the stand-out at Kazakhstan’s national film honors, the Tulpars, winning best film. This is director Askhat Kuchencherekov's debut feature. The director drew on his own experiences growing up with his grandparents under the Bauryna Salu tradition for the film, which gives a rare insight into rural life in Kazakhstan. Kuchinchirekov has worked as an assistant director to award-winning director Sergey Dvortsevoy, with also appearing as an actor in the latter’s films Tulpan (2008) and Ayka (2019). Ayka was shortlisted by The Academy. Wide Management is handling international sales on the feature. Following an old nomadic tradition "bauryna salu," the film is about Yersultan who was given at birth to his grandmother so that she could raise him. He grew up with resentment and disconnection with his parents. When he turns 12, his grandmother dies and he has to move back with the family he barely knows.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

TWO HITS AND A MISS?

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

(Mexico - Sujo; India - Laapataa Ladies; Brazil - I'm Still Here)

We have now reached 63 submissions with Brazil, Mexico and India selecting their films for the year.

Brazil has picked their strongest candidate and potential Oscar nominee in I'm Still Here. The film takes place in Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, during the dictatorship, when former deputy Rubens Paiva was taken from his home by soldiers to be interrogated. He was never found again. The search for truth lasts 30 long years. And when the answers begin to appear, Eunice Paiva feels the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The film is written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega and directed by Walter Salles. The film is an adaptation of Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s autobiographical book about his mother, Eunice Paiva. The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim, with unanimous praise towards Fernanda Torres' performance. It was the winner of the Best Screenplay award. The film also screened at the Toronto, New York and San Sebastián Film Festivals. Sony Pictures Classics will handle distribution of the film in North America.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Mexico looks to continue their streak for being shortlisted, with I'm No Longer Here, Prayers for the Stolen, Bardo and Totem all having made the final top 15 from 2020-2023. Sujo has a very strong chance to continue this amazing run for Mexico. The film takes place when a cartel gunman is killed, leaving behind Sujo, his beloved 4 year old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life in the isolated Mexican countryside. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father's destiny may be inescapable. The film marks the second feature from directors Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez after Identifying Features, which was the winner of the 2020 Sundance World Cinema Dramatic audience award and special jury award for best screenplay. Sujo had its worldwide debut in Sundance where it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Drama. It has since played in San Sebastian’s Horizontes Latinos Film Festival. It is scheduled to be released in theatres on November 29th. Alpha Violet represents worldwide rights to Sujo.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

India though did not submit the Oscar and Cannes winner. Instead they have chosen Laapataa Ladies. The Hindi-language film, Laapataa Ladies, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, beat out Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, which had been considered the frontrunner for the Oscar slot, after its rapturous reception in Cannes, where it won the festival’s Grand Jury Prize. Laapataa Ladies was released in theatres in March 2024. Yash Raj Films picked up international distribution rights to the film, which bowed on Netflix after its local theatrical release. The film is set in 2001, somewhere in rural India, where two young brides get accidentally swapped on a train. In the ensuing chaos, they each encounter a host of colourful characters, resulting in hilarious and unexpected consequences.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

WE HAVE REACHED 60 SUBMISSIONS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

(Iran - In the Arms of the Tree)

In the Arms of the Tree has become the 60th submission for the season, so we're now roughly 2/3 done with all the announcements.

The submission process for Iran is overseen by the Farabi Cinema Foundation, which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The Foundation is responsible for ensuring that the chosen film complies with the guidelines imposed by the government, including adherence to censorship laws and the mandatory hijab requirement for actresses. These regulations have long governed the selection process for Iran’s official Academy Award submissions. This has resulted in many Iranian filmmakers to work outside the official system, due to censorship and other restrictions, or protests against such authoritarian clampdowns. This is why films like The Seed of the Sacred Fig (which was chosen by Germany) and My Favourite Cake are not eligible for submission.

In the Arms of the Tree is directed by Babak Lotfi Khajepasha and its his second feature film following Light Blue. It had its world premiere at Iran’s Fajr Film Festival in February 2023 where it received the Crystal Simorgh Award for Best Screenplay. It also played at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2024. The film takes place during a life crisis of Kimia and Farid, who have been married for twelve years. This crisis destroys the world of their children.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THREE MORE FILMS ARE IN WITH POLAND, ALBANIA AND MONTENEGRO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

(Albania - Waterdrop; Poland - Under the Volcano; Montenegro - Supermarket)

We have now reached 59 submissions with the latest countries announcing their films being Poland, Albania and Montenegro.

Poland has decided to choose Under the Volcano this year. The film is about a Ukrainian family of four who is spending the last day of their vacation on the island of Tenerife. They do not know yet that the next day, their flight to Kyiv will be canceled and Russian bombs will start falling on their country. Under the Volcano is the follow up film for director Damian Kocur after his first film Bread and Salt. The script was written by Damian Kocur and Marta Konarzewska. Under the Volcano premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September followed by a screening at the Polish Films in Gdynia. Salaud Morisset acquired international distribution rights to the film in August 2024.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Waterdrop is the official submission for Albania. It is the latest film from director Robert Budina. This is the second time that he's also representing Albania at the Oscars, with his previous film being Agon in 2013. The film made its worldwide debut in theatres across the country in September 2024, and it'll screen at the Warsaw International Film Festival in October 2024. The film is about Aida, a strong 45 year old woman, who has built a successful career in a system that often requires compromises. But what happens when the system she served turns against her?

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Montenegro has picked the film Supermarket. It is the second feature film for director Nemanja Becanovic after The Ascent. This the first time that Becanovic will be representing Montenegro for the Oscars. The film made its worldwide debut at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November 2023. The film takes place in a supermarket. After it closes its doors, the hordes of buyers leave the place step by step and the shiny and colourful corridors remain quiet and alone, with no one to seduce. No one? A man is hiding out, appearing when everyone is gone, making this flashy landscape his kingdom. He enjoys the products on offer, samples various flavours and makes himself at home, but gradually begins to suspect he is being watched,

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

HONG KONG AND VENEZUELA ENTER THE RACE

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

(Venezuela - Children of Las Brisas; Hong Kong - Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In)

The latest two countries to announce their submissions are Hong King and Venezuela.

Hong Kong has decided to bypass their critically acclaimed film All Shall Be Well for their blockbuster hit Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. The film is based on Andy Seto’s Chinese comic City of Darkness. Directed by Soi Cheang, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled in has grossed close to $100 million at the global box office when it debuted in theatres in early May 2024. This is the second highest grossing domestic film of all time in Hong Kong. The film also played out-of-competition as a midnight screening at the Cannes Film Festival in the same month. Cheang has also directed action films Limbo, The Monkey Man, Mad Fate, Dog Bite Dog and Accident but this is the first time that one of his films has been selected as Hong Kong’s Oscar submission. The film takes place in 1980s Hong Kong, where troubled youth Chan Lok-kwun accidentally enters the notorious Kowloon Walled City. Lok-kwun, a refugee from the mainland, struggles to survive by participating in underground fighting rings.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Venezuela has picked the documentary Children of Las Brisas. The film takes place in Valencia, Venezuela, amidst a backdrop of poverty, murder and corruption, where the El Sistema youth orchestra offers children hope and opportunity to pursue a life of art in spite of the harshness of the society around them. Yet the country's spiralling collapse and political repression threatens the musicians' dreams of a better life. Filmed over nine years, Children of Las Brisas is the directorial debut for Marianela Maldonado. The film had its world premiere at the Sheffield Film Festival in 2022 and has since been featured at numerous international film festivals. It made its U.S. national broadcast on PBS’ Independent Lens series in January 2023. It was released in theatres across Venezuela in May 2024.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

SCANDINAVIA DAY: DENMARK, NORWAY AND SWEDEN ANNOUNCE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

(Sweden - The Last Journey; Norway - Armand; Denmark - The Girl with the Needle)

We are now up to 55 submissions after a trio of Scandinavian films announce their picks for the year.

Denmark picked their frontrunner The Girl with the Needle. The film debuted in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and is Magnus von Horn’s first Danish-language feature. His Swedish-produced feature debut, The Here After, premiered in Directors’ Fortnight in 2015, while his second feature film, the Polish-produced Sweat, was part of the official program of the Covid-canceled Cannes in 2020. The film will have its theatrical premiere in New York and Los Angeles on December 6 via Mubi. The Match Factory holds world sales rights. The Girl with the Needle was chosen from a shortlist of three films that also included Echo of You by Zara Zerny and Sons by Gustav Möller. The film is about Karoline, a young factory worker, who finds herself abandoned and pregnant while striving to climb out of poverty in post World War I Copenhagen. Amidst her struggles, she meets Dagmar, a charismatic woman running a hidden adoption agency within a candy store, helping poor mothers in finding foster homes for their unwanted children.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Norway also picked their obvious choice this year in Armand. The film is about Armand, a 6 year old boy, who is accused of crossing boundaries against his best friend at elementary school. While no one knows what actually happened between the two boys, the incident triggers a series of events, forcing parents and school staff into a captivating battle of redemption where madness, desire and obsession arise. Armand is the feature directorial debut of Halfdan Ullmann Tondel, grandson of Norwegian actress Liv Ullman and Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2024, and it won the Camera d'Or, which is awarded for the best first feature film. It is scheduled to be theatrically released in Norway on September 27, 2024. North American distribution rights were acquired by IFC Films in June 2024. Armand beat out Quisling's Last Days and Sex to become Norway's Oscar candidate.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And the surprise this morning came from Sweden selecting their blockbuster hit The Last Journey over the critically acclaimed film Crossing from director Levan Akin. The Last Journey is the second feature film from directors Fredrik Wikingsson and Filip Hammar. And it's their first documentary. The film had its Swedish cinema premiere on March 1 through Nordisk Film. The documentary film is the most viewed documentary in Swedish cinemas ever with over 400,000 moviegoers. The film is about Lars Hammar's retirement which didn't go as planned. Instead of a new beginning with travels and experiences, Lars has turned more and more passive to his wife and son Filip's dismay. Filip gets an idea: to take his rugged old father on a journey to his beloved France and let him revisit his most beloved places.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

FRONTRUNNER FOR FRANCE? SPAIN AND INDONESIA ALSO SUBMIT

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

(France - Emilia Pérez; Spain - Saturn Return; Indonesia - Women From Rote Island)

The film France chooses is always one of the most anticipated moments during the submission phase. With so many films and so many options, it's always a very difficult decision. This morning it was announced that Emilia Pérez was the winner over The Count of Monte Cristo, All We Imagine as Light and Misericordia. Emilia Pérez is about Rita, an underrated lawyer working for a large law firm more interested in getting criminals out of jail than bringing them to justice, who is hired by the leader of a criminal organization. Director Jacques Audiard won the Palme d’Or with Dheepan, and this is now the second time he has represented France at the Oscars, as he was previously nominated for A Prophet starring Tahar Rahim in 2009. Emilia Pérez premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it earned its four actresses – Gascón, Saldaña, Gomez, and Adriana Paz – a collective Best Actress award, and it also clinched the jury prize. Pathé released the film theatrically in France on August 21, drawing some 735,000 spectators for a gross of roughly $5.9M. It will receive a limited release in the U.S. ahead of a November 13 launch on Netflix.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Spain also announced their film today. They have picked Saturn Return. Directed by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez, Saturn Return premiered at the Malaga Film Festival, winning prizes for best director, best editing and best Spanish film. It has been making the festival rounds, screening at the Seattle Film Festival, the Guadalajara Film Festival, and the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema. It was released theatrically in Spain in May 2024. Lacuesta’s previous features include The Next Skin (2016), Between Two Waters (2018) and One Year, One Night (2022). Rodríguez directed the 2016 film Quatretondeta. The film takes place at the end of the 90s, where Granada is in the middle of a cultural boom. Los Planetas, the cult Spanish rock band, is about to break up. Mario, a young music-loving student, is the privileged witness of this imminent break-up. Plunged into the heart of their tensions, he will play a role in the mythical history of this group.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Indonesia has selected Woman From Rote Island. The film is written and directed by Jeremias Nyangoen in his feature directorial debut. The film had its world premiere at the 28th Busan International Film Festival on October 7, 2023. It also received four awards at the 2023 Indonesian Film Festival including Best Picture and Best Director. The film was released in theatres across Indonesia and Malaysia at the beginning of 2024, and has since screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. The film takes place nine days after the death of Abraham. He has not been buried, in order to fulfill Abraham's last message: "There's no funeral before Martha returns." The return of Martha from Sabah, Malaysia is of course a special joy for the family, especially Orpha, her mother, and Bertha, her sister. However, after two years abroad, Martha is severely depressed due to the rape she experienced while working as a labourer on a palm oil plantation.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

TWO SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES SELECT THEIR FILMS

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

(Bolivia - Own Hand; Colombia - La Suprema)

We've reached roughly the halfway mark with 45 films now official contenders for International Feature.

Colombia has picked La Suprema. The film is directed by Felipe Holguín Caro, who is also a Colombian writer. His many credits include several short fictional films like Manana and Salvador and short documentaries like Made in Colombia: Mucho Perro and La Cachera. He's also directed two documentaries: Transforming Realities and Dream Creators. La Suprema is his debut narrative feature. The film made its worldwide debut at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2023 and was released in Colombian theatres in May 2024. La Suprema won best film at the Huelva Latin American Film Festival. The film is about a town erased from the maps where there is not even electricity. A teenage girl who lives in this place dreams of being a boxer. When she learns that her uncle will box for the world title and the event will be broadcast live on television, she and the community will go out of their way to watch the fight, while fighting for her dignity and against oblivion.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Bolivia has selected Own Hand. It is the latest film from director Rodrigo Patiño. This is the second time that he's been submitted by Bolivia following The Goalkeeper in 2018. The film is based on the award-winning chronicle Tribes of the Inquisition by journalist Roberto Navia. The film is making its worldwide debut on September 19 across Bolivia. Own Hand is about a prosecutor, a father and his son who fight to survive and seek justice in the midst of a mob-driven lynching in a Bolivian town, exposing the dangerous consequences of vigilante justice.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THREE MORE FILMS ARE ANNOUNCED WITH ISRAEL, EGYPT AND FINLAND

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

(Israel - Come Closer; Egypt - Flight 404; Finland - Family Time)

We're now up to 43 submissions with the Ophir winner being submitted for Israel, along with Egypt and Finland.

Come Closer is the winner of best picture at the Ophir Awards making it the automatic submission for the Oscars for Israel. Tom Nesher also won the directing award, and Lia Elalouf won for best actress. It is the directorial debut for Nesher. It had its world premiere on June 6, 2024, at the 23rd Tribeca Festival, then screened on July 22, 2024, at the 41st Jerusalem Film Festival. It is scheduled to be released commercially on September 19, 2024, in Israeli theaters. The film is about Eden. When her beloved brother dies, her grief takes a dangerous turn as she discovers his secret girlfriend. With stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack, this poignant drama explores the depths of love, loss and obsession.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Egypt has selected their blockbuster hit Flight 404. This is the latest film from director Hani Khalifa. The film had its worldwide debut in Egypt on January 25. Flight 404 has scored more than 450,000 admissions across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, breaking Egyptian box office records for a female-led film and proceeding to top box office charts in Saudi for four consecutive weeks, according to distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment. The film is about Ghada, who a few days before she travels to Mecca to perform Hajj, she faces an emergency which forces her to reach out to people from her tainted past with whom she had cut off contact in order to collect a large sum of money. So, as she collects the money, will she manage to go to Mecca, or get tangled up in the past's webs?

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Finland has submitted the excellent film Family Time. The film takes place during Christmas time where the entire family has gathered. Everything goes on as it did the previous Christmases, with grandpa drinking too much and grandma trying to keep everyone in the mood. After the Christmas holidays, everyone returns to their own homes until it's time to gather again, this time for a funeral. Family Time is written and directed by Tia Kouvo in her feature directorial debut. It's based on Kouvo's 2018 short film of the same name. The film had its world premiere in the Encounters section of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023. It went on to sweep Finland’s Academy Awards taking best film, best director and best screenplay.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

WE HAVE REACHED 40 SUBMISSIONS: ICELAND, GEORGIA AND ECUADOR ARE IN

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

(Georgia - The Antique; Ecuador - Behind the Mist; Iceland - Touch)

We have now reached 40 submissions as Iceland, Georgia and Ecuador are the latest countries to announce their films.

Director Baltasar Kormakur is back with his latest film Touch. This is the fifth time he has been submitted by Iceland following The Sea in 2002, Jar City in 2007, White Night Wedding in 2008, The Deep in 2012 (which was shortlisted) and now Touch in 2024. The film made its worldwide debut in Iceland in May 2024, before being released in theatres across North America in July. The film is now available to stream on VOD. Soon after the break of the pandemic and realizing that his clock is ticking, the film is about Kristofer who gets the urge to embark on a journey to try and find out what really happened when his Japanese girlfriend mysteriously vanished without a trace from London fifty years earlier. This film will be a contender this year.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Georgia had two excellent films to pick from this year, including Dea Kulumbegashvili’s drama April, but they chose The Antique. The film is the second feature film from director Rusudan Glurjidze. The selection comes just two weeks after the feature was caught up in an unexpected legal battle at the Venice Film Festival when an emergency decree issued on behalf of Russian and Croatian producers led to the temporary suspension of its screening in the parallel Giornate degli Autori section. A lawyer acting for the Giornate degli Autori filed a counterclaim and was able to overturn the decree at the eleventh hour, allowing the film to have its world premiere in the section on September 6. The film is about a young Georgian man named Lado who is involved in smuggling antique furniture from Georgia to Russia. Medea, Lado's girlfriend, buys herself an apartment in St. Petersburg's historic centre. At the time of the unlawful deportation of thousands of Georgians from Russia, Lado is caught and deported.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Ecuador is back in the race after skipping the season last year. Behind the Mist is a 3D documentary co-written, co-produced and directed by Sebastian Cordero. It's the third time that he's been submitted by Ecuador, following Chronicles in 2004, Such is Life in the Tropics in 2016 and now Behind the Mist in 2024. It had its world premiere on October 6, 2023, at the 22nd International Documentary Film Festival Encounters of Other Cinema, then screened on December 3, 2023, at the Festival Ecuador Cine Aventura. It was commercially released on January 25, 2024, in Ecuadorian theaters. The film is about a well-known filmmaker who follows a famous mountain climber to Nepal, documenting the journey. Conversations about their lives lead to philosophical reflections, as the mountain challenges their motives. As days go by, the higher altitude and the depletion of oxygen will raise their debate to interior and transcendental territories, putting at stake their trajectories and their egos when facing the mountain and its millenary depth.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

BERLIN WINNER DAHOMEY CHOSEN BY SENEGAL

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

(Senegal - Dahomey)

French-Senegalese director Mati Diop's latest film Dahomey, which earned the Golden Bear prize at the Berlin Film Festival, has been chosen to represent Senegal. This is the second time Diop has been submitted by Senegal. Her previous film, Atlantics was shortlisted by The Academy in 2019. The feature documentary had its world premiere in Berlin and will also screen at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, before hitting theatres on October 25th. It's been acquired by Mubi. The film takes place in November 2021, where 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey are about to leave Paris to return to their country of origin, the present day Republic of Benin. Along with thousands of others, these artifacts were plundered by French colonial troops in 1892. But what attitude to adopt to these ancestors' homecoming in a country that had to forge ahead in their absence? This film should be a contender to be shortlisted later this year.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

CANNES HIT CHOSEN FOR BELGIUM, WHILE GREECE PICKS AFTER CONTROVERSY

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

(Greece - Murderess; Belgium - Julie Keeps Quiet)

We have now reached 35 submissions as Belgium and Greece are the latest countries to make their selections.

As expected, Belgium has selected their hit Julie Keeps Quiet. The film is Leonardo Van Dijl’s feature debut which premiered in Cannes’ Critics’ Week, winning both the Prix Sacd and the Prix Fondation Gan. Since then, Julie Keeps Quiet has also been invited to the Karlovy Vary, Melbourne, and Sarajevo Film Festivals, and appeared in Poland's New Horizons Festival. The film had its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Julie Keeps Quiet has been shortlisted for the European Film Awards and will have its Belgian premiere at Film Fest Gent. Tennis player Naomi Osaka is now an executive producer of the film. Julie Keeps Quiet is about a star player at an elite tennis academy named Julie. Her life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club's players are encouraged to speak up. But Julie decides to keep quiet.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

There was unfortunately a lot of problems with Greece's selection this year. But despite all of that, Murderess is getting excellent reviews and is a great pick nevertheless. Greece's selection process was highly controversial beginning when the initial selection committee was replaced by the Greek Culture Ministry in August 2024. The ministry denied any members had been officially chosen and blamed an overzealous internal employee for the mix-up. In protest, all but one of the more than 20 films submitted for consideration were withdrawn by their filmmakers and a few members of the newly formed committee resigned. The Greek Culture Ministry said, despite the resignations, a quorum for voting was met, and Murderess, the only film not withdrawn from consideration, would be the Greek submission. The film is set in the early 20th century on a dystopian Greek Island. Hadoula, a widow who lost her husband, Ioannis Fragkos, at a young age, is a woman who has learned how to survive in a male-dominated and extremely patriarchal society. Hadoula carries a difficult burden within her. Like a baton passed on to her from her mother, and the generations before her, she is meant to accept the belittling and degradation of women.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

NEPAL, NETHERLANDS AND PANAMA ANNOUNCE THEIR FILMS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

(Panama - Wake Up Mama; Netherlands - Memory Lane; Nepal - Shambhala)

Another day, and another set of incredible films have been announced. Today it's Nepal, Netherlands and Panama.

Nepal has chosen one of the top rated films of the year in Shambhala. Directed by Min Bahadur Bham, Shambhala is the first South Asian film to be selected in Berlinale’s competition lineup after three decades, where it had its world premiere. Bham is best known for his feature debut, Kalo Pothi, which won a prize at Venice Critics’ Week in 2015. He previously directed Bansulli, which was Nepal’s first selection at the Venice Film Festival in 2012. The film was also featured in the Features section of the Sydney Film Festival and in the Horizons section at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. It was also showcased at Piazza Grande in the Locarno Film Festival. The film is set in a Himalayan polyandrous village in Nepal, where newly married and pregnant Pema tries to make the best of her new life. But soon, her first husband Tashi vanishes on the trade route to Lhasa. Accompanied by her monk de facto husband, Karma, she embarks on a journey into the unforgiving wilderness to find him.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Netherlands has also selected another contender in Memory Lane. The film is about Jaap and Maartje, who have been together almost 50 years. Grumpy old Jaap is no longer interested in doing much, but Maartje, despite her occasional confusion, is still keen to embrace everything life has to offer. When the couple receive a letter from an old holiday friend, Maartje manages to convince her reluctant husband to visit him in Southern Europe. Memory Lane is the third feature film from director Jelle de Jonge. The film was released in Dutch cinemas in March 2024 by Dutch FilmWorks, and drew more than 100.000 viewers within two weeks, and was awarded with a Golden Film. The film did very well in Dutch theatres and attracted over 250.000 visitors. In the USA, the film has screened at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Panama has selected Wake Up Mama. This is the latest film from Arianne Benedetti and this is her second time being submitted for Panama after previously representing them in 2017 with Beyond Brotherhood. She wrote, directed, produced and stars in the film, which also stars her real-life daughter Mila Romedetti and Erick Elías. The film is about Ali, who decides to move to a small town in the mountains with her little daughter Sofia after her devastating separation from her husband. Weeks later, she will be immersed in the mysterious atmosphere of the place and then have an accident and realize that her daughter has disappeared.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

WE'VE REACHED 30 SUBMISSIONS AS PORTUGAL, SERBIA AND SLOVENIA ARE IN

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

(Slovenia - Family Therapy; Portugal - Grand Tour; Serbia - Russian Consul)

We have reached exactly 30 submissions now with the latest countries announcing their films for International Feature.

We have a huge contender submitted today as Portugal has picked Grand Tour. Grand Tour is the latest film from acclaimed director Miguel Gomes. The film premiered on May 22, 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section. Miguel Gomes won Best Director. Mubi acquired distribution rights to the film in North America. The film takes place in 1917 Burma (now Myanmar), where a British diplomat is set to marry his fiancee but after a last minute panic, he escapes to Singapore, sending her on what evolves into a chase across Asia. Portugal has never been nominated before. Is this the year?

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Slovenia has picked a familiar face in choosing Family Therapy. This marks the third official submission for director Sonja Prosenc for Slovenia. She's been submitted in 2015 for The Tree, 2019 for History of Love and now in 2024 for Family Therapy. The film had its world premiere at Tribeca in the international narrative competition and went on to screen at Sarajevo where it won the arthouse cinema award. Prosenc also received the Živko Nikolić Award for Special Contribution to Cinematic Expression at the Herceg Novi, Montenegro Film Festival. In this black comedy drama, we meet a seemingly perfect family consisting of Olivia, Alexander and their daughter Agata. With the arrival of 25 year old Julian in their home, their lives are turned upside down and their dysfunctional relationships are revealed.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Serbia has picked Russian Consul. This is the latest film from Miroslav Lekić and it's the second time he's been submitted for Serbia. His previous film was Labyrinth in 2002. The film debuted at the Belgrade International Film Festival in March 3, 2024 and subsequently it was released in theatres across the country. Paulina Manov has been receiving praise for her performance in the film. It takes place in the year 1973, where there's turmoil between Kosovo Serbs and Albanians in the autonomous province of Kosovo. The film is a story that describes the beginning of the crisis in Kosovo.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THREE OF THE BEST REVIEWED FILMS OF THE YEAR ARE ANNOUNCED

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

(Peru - Yana-Wara; Hungary - Semmelweis; Czechia - Waves)

We have three more official submissions today, with Peru, Czechia and Hungary all announcing their films.

Yana-Wara has been submitted by Peru and it has one of the best reviews of the year. The film was written and co-directed by Óscar Catacora along with Tito Catacora. It is the posthumous work of Óscar Catacora, following his death on November 26, 2021. The film made its world-wide debut at the Lima Film Festival in 2023, followed by the Málaga Film Festival in March 2024. The film managed to capture the attention of both the public and critics at said festival and at the APRECI Awards. The film addresses deep themes, such as the Aymara worldview and the denunciation of social problems, such as machismo and sexual violence. The film takes place in the communal justice system where they accuse Don Evaristo, 80 years old, of the murder of his granddaughter Yana-Wara, 13 years old. During the hearing, everyone learns the tragic story of this young girl.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Czechia also submitted their clear frontrunner Waves. The film is the third feature film for actor/director Jiri Madl. Mádl's previous films were To See the Sea and On the Roof, both of which garnered Czech Lion nominations. As an actor, Madl won the Czech Lion award for his role in the film Droneman in 2020. The film is based on a true story set during the Prague Spring. It centres around a group of journalists who are determined to keep independent news running during the Soviet invasion. The historical thriller won the audience award at Karlovy Vary, where it had its world premiere. The film is the story of two brothers whose cinematic fate intersects with real events surrounding a group of correspondents of the international editorial office of Czechoslovak Radio in the period 1967-1968. The prototypes for the film characters were real members of the then Editorial Board of International Life, headed by Milan Weiner.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Hungary bypassed the European FIlm Academy nominee Without Air for their massive blockbuster hit Semmelweis. Set in 19th century Vienna, Ignác Semmelweis, a short-tempered but passionate doctor, delivers babies and carries out autopsies on a daily basis while looking for the cause of puerperal fever, the mysterious epidemic that decimates patients in the hospital. The film is the third feature film for director Lajos Koltai. Koltai was nominated for an Oscar for the cinematography of 2001’s Malena. The film, sold by NFI World Sales, has become the highest grossing Hungarian movie in theaters in five years, attracting more than 350,000 viewers and grossing more than $2 million since its November 2023 release.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

TWO CONTENDERS SUBMIT THEIR FILMS TODAY: COSTA RICA AND UKRAINE

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

(Costa Rica - Memories of a Burning Body; Ukraine - La Palisiada)

Two more countries have announced their films today bringing up the total to 24 submissions. Today it was Costa Rica and Ukraine.

We listed Memories of a Burning Body as one of the early contenders earlier this year and today it's officially a submission. It's the latest film from acclaimed director Antonella Sudasassi. This is her second time to be submitted for Costa Rica, following The Awakening of the Ants in 2019. The film won the audience award at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, where it made its worldwide debut. The film has been used as an educational and reflective tool at events such as the UN Population Fund for World Sexual Health Day. The film is about repression and taboos that have shaped the image of womanhood for Ana (68 years old), Patricia (69 years old) and Mayela (71 years old). Their stories poetically combine to form a kaleidoscope of memories, secrets and longing that are incarnated by another woman's body.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Ukraine last year was one of the top fifteen shortlisted films of the year, and it also won the Oscar for best documentary for 20 Days in Mariupol. This year they have chosen La Palisiada. The film is about two old friends, a police detective and a forensic psychiatrist, who investigate a murder of their colleague. La Palisiada is director Philip Sotnychenko's feature film debut. The film's creators describe its genre as post-Soviet noir. It's set in Ukraine in 1996, a few months before the signing of Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights, which abolished the death penalty. Special technology was used that combines retro film footage with modern digital technology. The film had its world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival, where it was presented in the main competition and won the FIPRESCI Award. The Ukrainian premiere took place on October 12 during the Kyiv Critics' Week.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

MOROCCO AND ESTONIA ENTER THE RACE

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

(Morocco - Everybody Loves Touda; Estonia - 8 Views of Lake Biwa)

We have now surpassed 20 submissions as Morocco and Estonia have submitted their films for the season.

Morocco has submitted the smash hit Everybody Loves Touda. The film is the sixth submission for the Oscars for acclaimed director Nabil Ayouch. His previous five films that represented Morocco are Mektoub (1998), Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (2000), Horses of God (2013), Razzia (2017), and Casablanca Beats (2021). Along with Nabil Ayouch, Maryam Touzani also wrote the screenplay for Everybody Loves Touda. She directed the films Adam (2019) and The Blue Caftan (2022). The film made its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The film is about Touda, a sheikha who performs in dingy bars to make ends meet. But Touda has a passion. She struggles for her art to be recognized in order to ensure a better future for her deaf and mute son Yassine.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

And Estonia has chosen 8 Views of Lake Biwa over the European Film Academy nominee The Invisible Fight. 8 Views of Lake Biwa is based on the book of the same name published by the German Japanophile Max Dauthendy in 1911. The director-screenwriter of the film is Marko Raat. The film premiered in the competition program at the Rotterdam Film Festival in the beginning of 2024, and stars Elina Masing and Tiina Tauraite. The film takes place on the shimmering shores of Europe's otherworldly edge, where two teenage girls, Hanake and her best friend are discussing their first love interest while gazing out at yachts sailing to Kyoto. But the magic is fading in their isolated fishing village as they're dealing with a recent disaster. It becomes clear that intimacy alone won't help them process their loss.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

IT'S YASHA AND LEONID BREZHNEV FOR ARMENIA

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

(Armenia - Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev)

Director Edgar Baghdasaryan is back after being submitted for Armenia in 2019 for Lengthy Night. His latest film is Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev. The film was the winner of five Anahit Awards in 2024, including best director, best actor for Mais Sarkisyan and best screenplay. The film has been released in theatres across Armenia after debuting at the Golden Apricot Film Festival in July 2024. The film is about Yasha who recently retired after serving many years at a factory, with a highlight of his career being a delegate of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1976. Yet his future is left unknown when he emerges in new realities that he finds difficult to accept. The world has changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, yet he tries to hold on to what once was.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

SOUTH KOREA CHOOSES BOX OFFICE HIT 12.12: THE DAY

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

(South Korea - 12.12: The Day)

South Korea narrowed down their list to 15 films back in early August, which included Exhuma and I, the Executioner, but this morning they announced that the winner was 12.12: The Day. The film is a 2023 South Korean historical drama film directed by Kim Sung-soo and starring Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-Sung, and Lee Sung-min. The film was released theatrically on November 22nd, 2023 across South Korea, three days after International Men's Day. The film has grossed over $97 million USD making it the fouth-highest grossing Korean film of all time. 12.12: The Day takes place after the assassination of President Park, where martial law has been declared. A coup d'état bursts out by Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwang and a private band of officers following him. Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-shin fights against Chun Doo-gwang to stop him. The conflict between the two grows while military leaders are holding their decision. The film is now available on video on demand.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

OSCAR NOMINEE MARIA BAKALOVA'S FILM TRIUMPH CHOSEN FOR BULGARIA

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

(Bulgaria - Triumph)

Bulgaria has chosen Triumph as their selection this year over Cannes favourite The Shameless. The film is a military satire inspired by wild real-life events from the 1990s when, in the chaotic aftermath of the fall of communism, a task force comprised of high-ranking Bulgarian army officers and psychics embarked on a top-secret military operation in the small village of Tsarichina to dig up an elusive alien artifact that would change the course of history and make Bulgaria great again. Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov have been submitted twice before for their films Glory in 2017 and for The Father in 2020. Triumph is now their third official submission for Bulgaria. It will also be the last part of Grozeva and Valchanov's "newspaper clippings" trilogy based on articles published in the local press, after The Lesson and Glory. The screenplay was written by Decho Taralezhkov, Kristina Grozeva, and Petar Valchanov. Starring Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova, the film will debut at the Toronto Film Festival.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE DEADLINE IS LESS THAN ONE MONTH AWAY

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

(Latvia - Flow; Ireland - Kneecap; Austria - The Devil's Bath)

August has come and gone and we're now in September. So far, we've had 16 submissions. Last year, at this time, we had 13 submissions so we're roughly following the same pace. That means that in the next 30 days we should have around 75 more films announced. The deadline to submit a film is October 2nd.

We've been busy updating all of the current submissions. They can be found HERE.

At the moment, some films are already available on demand, like The Devil's Bath (Austria) and Old Fox (Taiwan). Kneecap (Ireland) is right now playing in select theatres. And The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), Flow (Latvia), Universal Language (Canada) and In Her Place (Chile) are all scheduled to be released in theatres in the upcoming months.

We're also been updating our tracker. It can be found HERE. Based on the current submissions, it feels like The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), Kneecap (Ireland), Flow (Latvia), Universal Language (Canada) and Three Kilometres to the End of the World (Romania) are the current frontrunners. But that can all change.

We're super excited to see which other films will now be submitted. Please stay tuned as more and more will be announced every day.

CANNES WINNER IS CHOSEN BY ROMANIA

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

(Romania - Three Kilometres to the End of the World)

Romania has picked Three Kilometres to the End of the World as their submission for this year. The film is about Adi who is spending the summer in his home village in Danube Delta. One night he is brutally attacked on the street. The next day his world is turned upside down. His parents no longer look at him as they did, and the seeming tranquility of the village starts to crack. An accomplished actor, and now making his third feature behind the camera, director Emmanuel Pârvu's latest film features Bogdan Dumitrache, Laura Vasiliu, and Ciprian Chiujdea. The film made its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was the winner of the Queer Palm.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

JAPAN PICKS VENICE HIT CLOUD

AUGUST 30, 2024

(Japan - Cloud)

We thought that Japan would've chosen Evil Does Not Exist, but instead Cloud will be their film for this year. The Japanese Academy probably wanted to submit a newer film, since Evil Does Not Exist debuted back in 2023, and with excellent reviews coming out for Cloud, it looks like they made a good decision. The director, Kurosawa Kiyoshi, previously won the Cannes Film Festival's Silver Lion for best director with Wife of a Spy in 2020. He has also won the Un Certain Regard jury prize at Cannes for Tokyo Sonata in 2008, as well as the Un Certain Regard award for best director for Journey to the Shore in 2015. Cloud made its worldwide debut at the Venice Film Festival, and it continues to Toronto next. The film is about Ryosuke Yoshii, an ordinary person, who supports himself by reselling things on the internet. He carelessly earns grudges by people around him and, in the end, he is dragged into a desperate struggle that risks his life.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

IRAQ AND TURKEY ANNOUNCE THEIR SUBMISSIONS

AUGUST 29, 2024

(Iraq - Baghdad Messi; Turkey - Life)

When the European Film Academy announced their first set of films, we knew that Turkey would have a difficult decision to make in choosing either Hesitation Wound or Life, and this morning they chose the latter. Life is the latest film from acclaimed director Zeki Demirkubuz, who is also a screenwriter, producer and film editor. The film made its worldwide debut at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in November 2023. The film is about Hicran, who runs away from home when she is forced into an engagement with Riza. Riza, who thinks that Hicran doesn't want to be with him, doesn't care at first. But when it begins to bother him, he decides to confront the situation and embarks on a long search for her in Istanbul.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Iraq also announced today that their film for the year is Baghdad Messi. The film is the newest feature from director Sahim Omar Kalifa. It's interesting to note, that two of Khalifa’s short films have been shortlisted for the Live Action category at the Oscars already, including Baghdad Messi in 2014 and Bad Hunter in 2016. The short film from 2014 is now a feature film and the submission for Iraq for this year. The film debuted at the Oostende Film Festival in January 2023. It also won Best Feature at the Arpa International Film Festival. The film is about Hamoudi, an 11 year old boy with a passion for soccer and an ultimate dream to one day reach the level of his idol Lionel Messi. The day Hamoudi is caught in a horrific suicide attempt, he wakes up severely injured in a hospital. As his parents struggle to keep the family safe, Hamoudi is determined to fight for his shattered dream.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

MAITE ALBERDI IS BACK WITH IN HER PLACE - CHILE'S SUBMISSION

AUGUST 28, 2024

(Chile - In Her Place)

Acclaimed director Maite Alberdi has been nominated for two Oscars for The Mole Agent and The Eternal Memory. Her latest film, In Her Place, is the Chilean entry for the Oscars and it's a film adaptation of “Las Homicidas,” an essay by the Chilean writer Alia Trabucco Zerán. Director Maite Alberdi delves into the true story of María Carolina Geel, a national writer who shot and killed her lover at the Crillon Hotel in 1955. Maria Carolina Geel begins to captivate Mercedes, a shy secretary working for the judge assigned to defend the accused. The film will be available in theatres in Chile in September. It will also compete at the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival and will arrive on Netflix on October 11.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

TWO CANNES HITS ARE SUBMITTED FOR CANADA AND CAMBODIA

AUGUST 27, 2024

(Canada - Universal Language; Cambodia - Meeting with Pol Pot)

Canada and Cambodia are the two latest countries to submit their films for International Feature.

Matthew Rankin’s movie, Universal Language has been selected to represent Canada. It sees the co-writer/director play himself alongside a Farsi and French speaking cast in an alternate universe where Winnipeg, Quebec and Tehran converge as one. The film premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the directors' fortnight audience award. The film takes place in Winnipeg, where Nazgol and Hossein try to help a classmate recover an Iranian banknote. At the same time, Matthew Rankin quits his job in Montreal to be closer to his family in Winnipeg, where he meets Massoud, a tour guide who also takes care of Rankin's mother. The film has debuted to rave reviews, with an 80 on Metacritic and it could be a surprise contender this year.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Director Rithy Panh is a French-Cambodian director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, writer and actor and his latest film is Meeting with Pol Pot, the official submission for Cambodia. The film made its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and has since been released in theatres across France and Cambodia. The film is about three French journalists who are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime's leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. After not submitting a film last year, it's great to have Cambodia back in the race.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

LITHUANIA AND KYRGYZSTAN ENTER THE RACE

AUGUST 24, 2024

(Kyrgyzstan - Heaven is Beneath Mother's Feet; Lithuania - Drowning Dry)

We are now up to eight submissions with Lithuania and Kyrgyzstan announcing their films for this year.

Lithuanian director Laurynas Bareisa is back after being submitted in 2022 for his excellent film Pilgrims. His newest film is Drowning Dry. At the Locarno Film Festival in August 2024, which was the world premiere for the film, it won best director in the international competition and best performance award for the film’s four leads: Gelmine Glemzaite, Agne Kaktaite, Giedrius Kiela, and Paulius Markevicius. The film is about Juste and Ernesta, two sisters, who head to their summer country house with their families. After a tragic accident, their lives are forever changed.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

Kyrgyzstan also announced their selection. They have picked Heaven is Beneath Mother's Feet. This is the latest film from Ruslan Akun, who has already directed eight previous films, including Finding Mother, but this is his first official submission. Starring Emil Esenaliev and Anarkul Nazarkulova, the film made its worldwide debut in Bishkek in March 2024, followed by release dates in Kazakhstan and Russia. The film is the story of 35 year old Adil. He lives in a small village with his 75 year old mother, Raikhan Apa, who always tells Adil that the Almighty loves him in a special way, and therefore he will go straight to Heaven. But Adil doesn't want to go to Heaven without his mother, so he decides to take his mother on foot to the holy city of Mecca.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE CURRENT FRONTRUNNER: GERMANY SELECTS THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

AUGUST 23, 2024

(Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig)

Germany has made their selection over a list of thirteen shortlisted films. They have selected The Seed of the Sacred Fig over other contenders like Dying and Hollywoodgate. This is the latest film from Mohammad Rasoulof. He is best known for films such as Goodbye, which won the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, and There Is No Evil, which scooped the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020. Starring Misagh Zare, Soheila Golestani, and Setareh Maleki, the The Seed of the Sacred Fig premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, winning the special jury prize and Fipresci award, before going on to win the audience award at Sydney in June 2024. The film is about Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step, social norms and the rules of family life are being suspended. Neon will release the film in theatres on November 27th. As of right now, this is the current frontrunner to win best International Feature.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

A DOCUMENTARY FILM SUBMITTED BY URUGUAY

AUGUST 22, 2024

(Uruguay - The Door is There)

The first documentary has been submitted as Uruguay has chosen The Door is There. The film is about the portrait of the birth of a friendship between two men, while one helps the other to die. The film is about the acceptance of pain, the sense of humour and the commitment to family and friends. The Door is There is the directorial debut for Facundo Ponce de León and Juan Ponce de León. It was a nominee for best documentary at the Cinema Writers Circle Awards in Spain and it had its world premiere at the Malaga Film Festival in March 2023.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE RACE

AUGUST 16, 2024

(The Seed of the Sacred Fig)

The deadline to submit a movie this year is October 2nd, 2024, which means there are 47 days left now for a country to enter a film. Last year there were 92 submissions, and 88 of them were deemed eligible. Most countries have set end of August dates for filmmakers to submit their films into consideration, and soon after, each country will be announcing their picks. Right now four films have been officially announced: The Devil's Bath (Austria), Kneecap (Ireland), Flow (Latvia) and Old Fox (Taiwan).

A few countries have already released their shortlisted films. Chile has narrowed down their list to six films. France will announce three to five films in September, which should include The Count of Monte-Cristo, Souleymane's Story and Misericordia. Germany has announced thirteen films including Dying, Hollywoodgate, and The Seed of the Sacred Fig. Each film would be an excellent choice. India will announce their pick on September 27th. Will All We Imagine as Light be selected? Indonesia will select their film on September 11th. Israel has announced their nominations for the Ophir Awards, and the winner for best picture will be their submission. Netherlands has narrowed down their films to eight, including Hardcore Never Dies. Portugal has picked five films this year including Cannes winner Grand Tour. Romania will announce their winner on September 2nd. South Korea has fifteen films this year for consideration including Exhuma, I, the Executioner and 12.12: The Day. Spain will announce a shortlist of three finalists on September 4th. Will it be The Other Way Around, The Rye Horn and Un Amor?

There are so many question marks this season. Will current fan favourite All We Imagine as Light be selected for India? Will the Cannes hit The Seed of the Sacred Fig be picked for Germany, despite it being Iranian? Will Denmark pick The Girl With the Needle? Will Japan pick Evil Does Not Exist? Emilia Perez could win this year but will Mexico, or even France, select it? Palestine has a frontrunner in No Other Land. But will it be their submission? Will Sweden pick Crossing? Will Ukraine pick Porcelain War? Will Hong Kong pick All Shall Be Well? There are so many great films, and there are so many decisions still to come.

Let's see what's going to happen next. But the season is just beginning. Stay tuned.

TAIWAN ENTERS GOLDEN HORSE WINNER OLD FOX

AUGUST 15, 2024

(Taiwan - Old Fox)

We have our fourth submission and Taiwan has chosen Old Fox, the Golden Horse Award winner from 2023 as their submission for this year. Old Fox is the fifth feature film from director Hsiao Ya-chuan. Starring Bai Run-yin, Kuan-Ting Liu, award winning Akio Chen, and Eugenie Liu, the film is set in the late 1980s, and it's about an 11 year old boy who befriends his landlord, nicknamed Old Fox. He slowly begins to learn from him how to survive in a rapidly changing world, as well as other things his poor father would never be able to teach him. The film had its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2023. Old Fox is now available everywhere on video on demand.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY ANNOUNCE THEIR FIRST SET OF FILMS

AUGUST 14, 2024

This morning the European Film Academy Board chose 29 films as the first part of the Academy's Feature Film Selection for 2024. On November 5th the nominations will be announced with the award ceremony taking place on December 7th.

Let's take a look at the films that have been shortlisted:

Official Submissions:
Kneecap (Ireland)
The Devil's Bath (Austria)

Likely Submissions:
When the Light Breaks (Iceland)
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
The Village Next to Paradise (Somalia)
Grand Tour (Portugal)
Crossing (Sweden)
Armand (Norway)
Three Kilometres to the End of the World (Romania)
Without Air (Hungary)
The Invisible Fight (Estonia)
Emilia Perez (Mexico)
Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium)
The Shameless (Bulgaria)
Arcadia (Greece)

France has three films announced today that can be submitted: The Count of Monte-Cristo, Souleymane's Story, Misericordia.
Spain has three films that can also be submitted: The Other Way Around, The Rye Horn, Un Amor.
Germany has two films battling it out this year: Dying, The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Turkey also has two films that could be submitted: Hesitation Wound, Life.

Not Eligible:
The Substance
Kinds of Kindness
Bird
There's Still Tomorrow - it was eligible last year for Italy

Please note that further titles will be announced in September.

To read more about the shortlisted films, please click HERE.

LATVIA CHOOSES ANIMATED CANNES FILM FLOW

AUGUST 12, 2024

(Latvia - Flow)

We have our third submission and to no surprise, Latvia has selected the Cannes hit Flow as their film for International Feature. The film is the second animated feature film from director Gints Zilbalodis. The film is about Cat, a solitary animal, whose home is devastated by a great flood. He finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival and it won four prizes at the Annecy Awards, including winning the Audience Award. Picked up by Janus and Sideshow, Flow is getting excellent reviews since its premiere.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

THE SEASON BEGINS - IRELAND AND AUSTRIA ANNOUNCE THEIR FILMS

AUGUST 2, 2024

(Ireland - Kneecap; Austria - The Devil's Bath)

Ireland has became the first country to announce their submission for this year's 97th Academy Awards. They have chosen Kneecap. The film is written and directed by Rich Peppiatt and stars the members of the West Belfast rap trio Kneecap: Moglai Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Provai, alongside Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender. The film is set in Belfast in 2019, and it revolves around a hip hop group who rap in their native Irish language, which leads to a movement to save their mother tongue. The film debuted to rave reviews at this year's Sundance Film Festival and the film is now in theatres, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. Ireland was nominated in 2022 for A Quiet Girl.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

A few hours later, Austria selected The Devil's Bath as their submission for this year. The film, starring Anja Plaschg, premiered at this years Berlin Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear for Best Cinematography. Set during the 18th century in an isolated village in the deep forest, the film is about Agnes, who marries her loved one but soon realizes she is trapped in a relationship with a disinterested husband and a controlling mother-in-law. Struggling with isolation and despair, she begins to descend down a dark and disturbing path. The Devil's Bath is the third feature for Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, after the award-winning Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge. The film has been acquired by Shudder and is now available everywhere on video on demand.

For more information on the film, please click HERE.

FOUR MORE POTENTIAL CONTENDERS

AUGUST 1, 2024

(Japan - Evil Does Not Exist; Ireland - Kneecap; Mexico - Emilia Perez)

Now that we've hit August, the first official submission should be announced very soon. But before we delve head on into the films that'll be contenders for this year's International Feature category, let's take a look at four other films that we've ignored so far, but if chosen they should be in the running to win the top prize.

Emilia Perez won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and the actresses all won for best acting. We originally thought that the film was English and Spanish, but we've come to learn that it's in fact mostly in Spanish, making it an automatic contender. Most critics have the film potentially being nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress for Karla Sofia Gascon, and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana. The film could be submitted for France, but we have hopes that Mexico will be the one to submit it this year.

Speaking of France, a film we completely missed at this year's Cannes Film Festival is The Count of Monte-Cristo. Reviews were extremely positive for the film after its debut but it seemed to slip under our radar. Now we see that the film has an incredible score of 4.2 on Letterboxd and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It suddenly feels like this film is the one to beat now for France.

Evil Does Not Exist was a film that debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews. When it wasn't chosen for Japan last year, we thought that the film had lost its chance to be a part of the International Feature category. Now, we realize that the film was released in Japan in 2024 so it is in fact eligible for this year. Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi won the Oscar for Drive My Car, so this film will be a contender if chosen.

And Ireland is back in the race this year with Kneecap. We originally also thought that this film was predominantly in English, but as it turns out it's mostly in Irish Gaelic. With Michael Fassbender as part of the cast, and with an impressive Metacritic score of 81, this film will bring Ireland back as a contender again after A Quiet Girl was nominated back in 2022.

THE HALFWAY MARK

JULY 1, 2024

(Sweden - Crossing; Denmark - The Girl with the Needle; Palestine - No Other Land)

We’ve now reached the halfway mark and so we’re around 30 days or so from the first official submission being announced. Last year Switzerland announced their film Thunder on August 4th. The International Feature category this year is poised to be yet another incredible year of films from all around the world.

Usually by now, we'd have a good indication of who is potentially the frontrunner. This year has started out a little differently. There seems to be a lot of films starting out with excellent reviews, but none of them have received the kind of reception that The Zone of Interest received last year, or Drive My Car, Another Round, Parasite and Roma in previous years. This is setting up to be an exciting race, as we're unsure as to who will win, let alone be nominated.

As of right now, there seems to be a lot of buzz coming out of the Cannes Film Festival for numerous films including The Girl with the Needle (Denmark), When the Light Breaks (Iceland), and All We Imagine as Light (India). And then we have Dying (Germany), All Shall Be Well (Hong Kong), No Other Land (Palestine), and Crossing (Sweden) who debuted earlier. We're also unsure which film France, Italy, Spain and Japan will submit as well.

If we had to choose five films right now as potential nominees we would have to go with the following:

The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
Dying (Germany)
All We Imagine as Light (India)
No Other Land (Palestine)
Crossing (Sweden)

Last year we only predicted one correctly: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom). We also predicted The Taste of Things (France), which was shortlisted, Monster (they submitted Oscar nominated Perfect Days instead), La Chimera (they submitted Oscar nominated The Captain instead), and About Dry Grasses (Turkey). Let's see how we do this year.

THE CANNES 2024 FILM FESTIVAL WRAP-UP

MAY 25, 2024

(Portugal - Grand Tour; India - All We Image as Light)

Awards for the in competition films of the 77th Cannes Film Festival were announced live in Cannes at the Grand Palais theater today where Sean Baker's Anora won the Palme d’Or, the top prize of the festival. Baker is the first American filmmaker to take the win since Terrence Malik won in 2011 for The Tree of Life. Here are all the winners:

Palme d’Or: Anora by Sean Baker
Grand Prize: All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia
Jury Prize: Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard
Director: Grand Tour by Miguel Gomes
Actor: Jesse Plemons for Kinds of Kindness
Actress: Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz for Emilia Perez
Screenplay: The Substance by Coralie Fargeat
Special Prize: The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof

Last year, 6 of the top 15 shortlisted films debuted at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, and the year before it was 9. Let's take a look at which films could be contenders this year.

To continue reading, please click HERE.

SO WHO ARE THE EARLY CONTENDERS FOR 2024?

MAY 9, 2024

As we continue on with the 2024 season, let's take a look at the first set of films that have already received very strong reviews. There haven't been any official submissions yet, as countries will start to announce their choices around August, but let's take a look at the ten films so far that could be contenders if they're officially submitted:

Memories of a Burning Body (Costa Rica)
Sons (Denmark)
Pepe (Dominican Republic)
Dying (Germany)
All Shall Be Well (Hong Kong)
Sujo (Mexico)
No Other Land (Palestine)
Dahomey (Senegal)
Crossing (Sweden)
Who Do I Belong To (Tunisia)

Last year, we correctly predicted just one official submission: 20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine). The film ended up being shortlisted and it was also an Oscar winner for Best Documentary. Let's hope we do better this year, but it's extremely hard to predict this early on.

Our attention now shifts towards the Cannes Film Festival, which begins on May 14th. Last year, 6 of the 15 shortlisted films debuted at the festival in France.

KEY DATES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE 97TH ACADEMY AWARDS

MAY 1, 2024

The 97th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2025. The show will air live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

The key date for the International Feature category will be on October 2, 2024. All films eligible for best International Feature must be submitted before that date. The next announcement will be on December 17, 2024. This is when the 90+ submissions will get reduced down to 15. The nominations will be announced on January 17, 2025. This is when the final 15 will go down to the 5 nominees for the 97th Academy Awards.

International Feature Film Deadline: October 2, 2024
Oscar Shortlists Announcement: December 17, 2024
Nominations voting begins: January 8, 2025
Nominations voting ends: January 12, 2025
Oscar Nominations Announcement: January 17, 2025
Finals voting begins: February 11, 2025
Finals voting ends 5 p.m. PT: February 18, 2025
96th Oscars: March 2, 2025

There is one change with International Feature this year. The new eligibility period for films being submitted for International Feature is from November 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. This means that the film must have played in their respective country in theatres during that time.

THE 88 SUBMISSIONS FOR 2023

APRIL 30, 2024

(Lithuania - Slow)

With only 15 films making the shortlist, there will always be a lot of amazing submissions that just miss out. We think and hope that The Academy will increase the shortlisted list to 20 films, especially as more and more International films are being recognized at the Oscars.

Here's the list of our favourite 10 films that missed out on being shortlisted:

Shayda (Australia)
Vera (Austria)
Excursion (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Blaga's Lessons (Bulgaria)
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Estonia)
In the Shadow of Beirut (Ireland)
Seven Blessings (Israel)
Slow (Lithuania)
The Missing (Philippines)
Opponent (Sweden)

All of the remaining submissions can be seen HERE.

It was a phenomenal year of films and we're now looking ahead to see which films we will fall in love with in 2024. The first set of submissions will be announced in early August.

AND WHO ELSE MADE THE SHORTLISTED TOP 15?

APRIL 25, 2024

(Ukraine - 20 Days in Mariupol)

On December 21, 2023, along with the five films mentioned previously, these 10 films also made the shortlist, which made up the top 15 films for the 2023 International Feature category:

Amerikatsi (Armenia)
The Monk and the Gun (Bhutan)
The Promised Land (Denmark)
Fallen Leaves (Finland)
The Taste of Things (France)
Godland (Iceland)
Totem (Mexico)
The Mother of All Lies (Morocco)
Four Daughters (Tunisia)
20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine)

There isn't a weak film amongst these 10 films and it's one of the strongest line-ups that The Academy has ever chosen. All of these films, except for The Mother of All Lies, are right now playing in select theatres and/or video on demand.

LET'S HAVE A QUICK RE-CAP ON LAST SEASON

APRIL 19, 2024

(United Kingdom - The Zone of Interest)

Since it's the "off-season" right now, and as we anxiously wait for the Cannes Film Festival to begin, let's re-visit the films that were nominated last year at the Oscars for International Feature:

Io Capitano (Italy)
Perfect Days (Japan)
Society of the Snow (Spain)
The Teachers' Lounge (Germany)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) - WINNER

The Zone of Interest also won the Oscar for Best Sound. The film was further nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Four Daughters (Tunisia) was nominated in the same category.

Society of the Snow (Spain) was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

All seven films are available now on video on demand.

ELIGIBILITY? HOW DOES IT WORK?

APRIL 14, 2024

The International Feature category for the Academy Awards can be a little bit of a complicated process, but here’s an easy way to see how it works.

Every year, all 197 countries around the world have the ability to submit one movie of its choice to the Oscars under International Feature. Last year, in 2023, 88 countries submitted a film. The movie has to be released within their own country between January 1st and December 31st on the same calendar year. The film has to be predominantly in a non English language, so Canada, Ireland, Australia can submit a movie, but they need to be in French, Gaelic, Persian etc.

The deadline to submit a movie is usually around October 1st. This is a very nerve wracking part of the season as countries like Italy, France and Spain have tons of amazing films to choose from so it’s always interesting to see which one they end up picking.

After the deadline has passed, all submitted films are then seen by an executive committee who then choose the top 15 best films of the year and the list is announced around mid-December. From there, those 15 shortlisted films are then reduced again to the final 5 by members of the Academy, and they're announced on the morning of the Oscar nominations. From there, the winner is then announced at the Oscars.

WELCOME TO OUR THIRD YEAR - A SITE DEDICATED SOLELY ON THE INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SUBMISSIONS FOR THE OSCARS

APRIL 10, 2024

(Jonathan Glazer - The Zone of Interest)

We're now slowly getting ready to start with the new season for International Feature. All of our news and stories from last season can be found under the news tab or by clicking HERE.

I’ve been following the Oscar race for around 16 years now but my passion for the International Feature category started 7 years ago. I began watching around 30 of the submissions and I was overwhelmed by the amount of amazing films I saw that year. The following year I watched 50 of them. And in the past five years I’ve managed to watch each and every submission. These films are all so unique and remarkable and astounding works that should be celebrated and seen by everyone who's a movie fan.

This website is dedicated to the 90+ films that are submitted to the International Feature category every year for the Academy Awards. It will feature information on each film, including trailers, release dates, film festival dates, reviews, predictions, our own film festival and more. This will make it easy for all movie fans to find the information needed for any film that they want to watch. So let's get started with the new season.