INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

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

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS ANNOUNCE NOMINATIONS

DECEMBER 5, 2023

The nominations for the 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced on Tuesday morning and the films nominated for best International Feature were the following:

Best International Film:

Anatomy of a Fall
Godland (Iceland)
Mami Wata (Nigeria)
Totem (Mexico)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

And for best documentary, Four Daughters (Tunisia), Bye Bye Tiberias (Palestine) and The Mother of All Lies (Morocco) were nominated as well.

The Zone of Interest confirms its position as one of the frontrunners with this latest nomination. Totem continues its great run as well. Godland was always a strong contender, so it's great to see them nominated. And Mami Wata is such a wonderful surprise. Last year, all nominated submissions ended up being shortlisted so this is an excellent start for these four films.

For the full set of nominations, please click HERE.

A SUMMARY OF THE FOURTH SET OF FILMS THAT WE'VE WATCHED

DECEMBER 3, 2023

(Italy, Lithuania, Japan)

We’ve now had the opportunity to watch 80 of the submissions. Here they are:

Click to read more ...

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ANNOUNCE THEIR WINNERS

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

(Anatomy of a Fall)

The first major critics have announced their winners and Anatomy of a Fall has won best International Feature. The film was not chosen to represent France at the Oscars. Instead The Taste of Things will represent them this year. As the season continues, Anatomy of a Fall will continue to win more awards, especially since Sandra Huller has an excellent chance at being nominated for best actress.

The Killers of the Flower Moon won for best picture. And it's interesting to note that Franz Rogowski won for Passages. That film could've also been chosen for Germany but they selected The Teachers' Lounge.

For the full set of winners, please click HERE.

WHICH CONTENDERS MIGHT GET OTHER OSCAR NOMINATIONS?

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

(United Kingdom, Japan, France)

Right now, with around a month to go before the list of 92 films are reduced to 15, we are predicting that the following films will be nominated for the Oscars:

Fallen Leaves - Finland
The Taste of Things - France
Perfect Days - Japan
20 Days in Mariupol - Ukraine
The Zone of Interest - United Kingdom

At the moment, it feels like The Zone of Interest is the current frontrunner. No other film this year has had such an impact on viewers. It's devastatingly raw, unique, and it makes one question their existence. It currently has an impressive 95 score on Metacritic and 4.1 on Letterboxd. The film debuted at Cannes and it'll be released in theatres in December.

Following right behind is Perfect Days and Fallen Leaves. Both have been receiving a lot of momentum lately and they're both currently in theatres. Perfect Days has the best reviews out of all 89 films on Letterboxd and it just feels really secure for a nomination. Fallen Leaves is right behind. It's different compared to the other contenders this year and with an impressive score of 86 on Metracritic we feel that The Academy members will fall in love with it.

Click to read more ...

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE RACE AND THE POTENTIAL SHORTLISTED FILMS

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

(Chile, Mexico, Australia)

With roughly 40 days before the list of 89 films are reduced down to 15, we right now feel that the following films will be shortlisted on December 21.

Shayda - Australia
The Monk and the Gun - Bhutan
The Settlers - Chile
Fallen Leaves - Finland
The Taste of Things - France
The Teachers' Lounge - Germany
Godland - Iceland
The Captain - Italy
Perfect Days - Japan
Totem - Mexico
The Peasants - Poland
Society of the Snow - Spain
Four Daughters - Tunisia
20 Days in Mariupol - Ukraine
The Zone of Interest - United Kingdom

With this category, it's always incredibly difficult to predict who will get shortlisted. Last year we correctly predicted 12/15 films but all 15 films that were shortlisted were in our top 20 list. Films that debuted at Cannes, or are playing the North American film festival season tend to have the advantage when it comes to making it to the final 15. But there are always films that are flying under the radar.

We've now watched 70 of the submissions so we've had the opportunity to watch these films before most of the public. The Academy members are now watching these films as well. So these are the top ten films that we feel might be shortlisted and take critics by surprise. These are some of the best films, and definitely contenders.

Click to read more ...

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY NOMINATIONS

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

(The Zone of Interest, The Captain, Fallen Leaves)

The 36th 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:

Anatomy of a Fall
Fallen Leaves (Finland)
Green Border
The Captain (Italy)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Best Director:

Justine Triet - Anatomy of a Fall
Aki Kaurismäki - Fallen Leaves (Finland)
Agnieszka Holland - Green Border
Matteo Garrone - The Captain (Italy)
Jonathan Glazer - The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Alma Poysti (Fallen Leaves), Leonie Benesch (The Teachers' Lounge), and Sandra Huller (The Zone of Interest) were nominated for best actress.

Jussi Vatanen (Fallen Leaves), Mads Mikkelsen (The Promised Land), and Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest) were nominated for best actor.

Fallen Leaves (Finland), The Teachers' Lounge (Germany), and The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) were nominated for best screenplay.

Four Daughters (Tunisia) and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Estonia) were nominated for best documentary.

The winners will be revealed in the festive award ceremony that takes place on December 9th in Berlin. For the full set of nominations, please click HERE.

THE NEW COUNTRIES THAT ARE BACK IN THE RACE

NOVEMBER 5, 2023

(The Burdened, Goodbye Julia, Nelsito's World)

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

The Monk and the Gun - Bhutan
Sira - Burkina Faso
Nelsito's World - Cuba
Voy! Voy! Voy! - Egypt
Tiger Stripes - Malaysia
Under the Hanging Tree - Namibia
Mami Wata - Nigeria
Music Is My Life - South Africa
Goodbye Julia - Sudan
The Burdened - Yemen

Bhutan is back with Oscar nominated director Pawo Choyning Dorji. His previous film Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom was nominated in 2021. His latest film The Monk and the Gun is now the countries latest submission.

Egypt has regularly been submitting films but they skipped last year due to not having a worthy submission. South Africa also submitted films from 2008-2021, but didn't submit a film last year due to not having a film living up to their standards. Likewise with Malaysia, they submitted films from 2019-2021 but they're back now with Tiger Stripes.

Cuba has been submitting films rather inconsistently but they're back after a two year absence. Buscando a Casal was their last submission back in 2020. This is only the third time that Nigeria has submitted a film. Their previous two submissions were from 2019-2020 and so it's great to have them back with Mami Wata. And for Sudan, Goodbye Julia is only their second submission ever. Their previous film You Will Die at Twenty was submitted in 2020 as well.

Amr Gamal's newest film is The Burdened. His previous film was the last time Yemen submitted a film back in 2018. This is the second time that Burkina Faso has ever submitted a film. The last time they had a film was back in 1989. And this is the first time ever that Namibia has submitted a film with Under the Hanging Tree.

Unfortunately, Melody from Tajikistan would've been a new country this year. The last time they submitted a film was back in 2005 but due to some issues, Melody was disqualified.

THESE COUNTRIES DID NOT SUBMIT A FILM THIS YEAR

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

(La Llorona, Hive, Return to Seoul)

Eleven countries who submitted a film last year did not submit one this year, which is always disappointing.

This year the following countries are out of the race:

Algeria
Azerbaijan
Cambodia
Ecuador
Guatemala
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Lebanon
New Zealand
Tanzania
Uganda

The six biggest surprises this year are Cambodia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Ecuador. Cambodia was shortlisted last year for Return to Seoul and this is the first year they haven't submitted a film since 2014. Kosovo has also been submitting a film ever since their first submission back in 2014 so it's a let down to see them not submit one. Lebanon is the film that has been consistently submitting a film and the last time they missed was back in 2012. Algeria and Kazakhstan are also not in the race for the first time, like Cambodia and Kosovo, since 2014. And Ecuador misses out since 2015.

The other five countries are Azerbaijan, Guatemala, New Zealand, Tanzania and Uganda. This is the first time that Azerbaijan has missed since 2020. Guatemala submitted a film last year, and the last time before than was La Llorona, which was shortlisted back in 2020. New Zealand didn't submit a film from 2018 to 2020 after submitting Muru last year. Last year Tanzania submitted Tug of War, and the last time before that was back in 2001. Uganda submitted a film for the first time last year, so this year they unfortunately didn't submit a film.

Hong Kong and Kyrgyzstan were disqualified this year but we didn't include them on the list because they didn't have the opportunity to submit another film.

THE UNOFFICIAL LIST HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED - 89 FILMS TO CONTEND

OCTOBER 31, 2023

(The Zone of Interest, The Teachers' Lounge, 20 Days in Mariupol)

Today it has been announced that 89 films have been submitted this year for International Feature. We're just short of the record of 93 films set back in 2020. Last year we had 92 submissions.

The official and final list of qualified films is expected to be released in early December.

The Academy voters have now been set with their required-viewing assignment of around 12-13 films each. Each voter must watch all of the films from his or her group in order for their ballot to count. From there, they are free to see any other film outside of their group. The top votes in each group will proceed to make it to the shortlisted 15 films which will be announced on December 21, 2023.

From the list it looks like we have four previously unannounced films: Cameroon has selected Half Heaven, Cuba has selected Nelsito's World, Dominican Republic has selected Cuarencena, and Saudi Arabia has selected Alhamour H.A.

Sadly, three films are absent from the list: Hong Kong with A Light Never Goes Out, Kyrgyzstan with This Is What I Remember and Tajikistan with Melody.

For now, please take a look at all the submissions HERE.

A SUMMARY OF THE THIRD SET OF FILMS THAT WE'VE WATCHED

OCTOBER 30, 2023

(Bhutan, France, Argentina)

We’ve now had the opportunity to watch 60 of the submissions. Here they are:

Click to read more ...

WE ARE UP TO 88 SUBMISSIONS

OCTOBER 28, 2023

(The Wandering Earth 2 and In Flames)

We have two more official submissions announced today so we're up to 88 films now.

The Wandering Earth 2 has become the official submission for China. The film was a huge hit in theatres, earning over $600 million worldwide since its release around the world back in January. The film is about a group of humans who have built huge engines on the surface of the Earth to find a new home. But the road to the universe is perilous. In order to save Earth, young people once again have to step forward to start a race against time for life and death. It's available everywhere on video on demand.

For more information, please click HERE.

And Pakistan has selected their frontrunner In Flames. The film made its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival and has since played in Toronto, Calgary and several other film festivals. After the death of the family patriarch, the film is about a mother and her daughter's precarious existence that is ripped apart. They must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE GOTHAM NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED

OCTOBER 24, 2023

(The Zone of Interest and Totem)

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 Of Us Strangers
Anatomy of a Fall
Poor Things
Totem (Mexico)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) and Four Daughters (Tunisia) were nominated for best documentary. And it was great to see Juliette Binoche (The Taste of Things) and Sandra Huller (The Zone of Interest) also getting nominated for best supporting performance.

Last year, Corsage, Saint Omer and Decision to Leave were all nominated and they all ended up getting shortlisted. Even though the Gotham Awards don't have much of an impact on the awards season, it's a really great start for Totem (Mexico), The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom), 20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine), Four Daughters (Tunisia) and The Taste of Things (France).

For our current predictions, please click HERE.

TWO MORE AFRICAN SUBMISSIONS IN NAMIBIA AND BURKINA FASO

OCTOBER 18, 2023

(Sira and Under the Hanging Tree)

We're getting closer and closer to the magical number of 90 official submissions, which is always the amount of films we hope are submitted every year. Thanks to Namibia and Burkina Faso, we've now reached 85.

For the first time ever, Namibia has submitted a film. And we hope that this is just the beginning for this country and that they will continually submit more films in the future. Under the Hanging Tree has become their entry into the Oscar race. The film is about a troubled police officer who battles to keep her small town from being ripped apart by a horrific murder and the ghosts from a colonial past. The film debuted at the Rotterdam Film Festival in January.

For more information, please click HERE.

And Burkina Faso is now back after 34 years. They have submitted the film Sira. The film is about a young nomad named Sira, who after a brutal attack, refuses to surrender to her fate without a fight and instead takes a stand against Islamist terror. The film made its worldwide debut at the Berlin Film Festival in February and has just played in the Toronto Film Festival.

For more information, please click HERE.

NIGERIA IS BACK IN THE RACE WITH MAMI WATA

OCTOBER 16, 2023

(Nigeria - Mami Wata)

We are up to 83 submissions now that Nigeria has officially selected Mami Wata.

It felt like Nigeria would select it as their submission quite easily and we were a bit surprised that it took this long for them to make an announcement making it official. Mami Wata debuted back at the Sundance Film Festival to incredible reviews. The film has played in dozens of film festivals since then and it's now currently in theatres thanks to their distributor Dekanalog. The film is about two sisters who must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land.

For more information, please click HERE.

WHICH FILMS ARE AVAILABLE TO WATCH NOW?

OCTOBER 14, 2023

(Iceland - Godland)

As we wait for the official list of submissions to be announced, let's take a look at which films are available right now for viewing.

There are a few films that are streaming on video on demand. I Have Electric Dreams (Costa Rica) is playing on Mubi. Godland (Iceland) is available on various different streaming channels including iTunes. Marry My Dead Body (Taiwan) is available on Netflix. Amerikatsi (Armenia) and 20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) will be playing soon as well.

A lot of films are scheduled to be released in theatres soon, including The Delinquents (Argentina) on October 18th, Thunder (Switzerland) on October 25th, Four Daughters (Tunisia) on October 27th, Fallen Leaves (Finland) on November 17th, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Estonia) on November 24th, Shayda (Australia) on November 30th, The Zone of Interest (UK) on December 9th, and The Taste of Things (France) on December 13th. The Settlers (Chile), The Promised Land (Denmark), and Society of the Snow (Spain) will all be released in early 2024.

We are right in the middle of the film festival season. There will usually be between 5-15 submissions playing in each one, depending on the festival. Check out the one closest to you. And the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January will usually play between 35-40 of the submissions. It's the go to place for the International Feature submissions.

Our Second Annual International Film Festival is also scheduled for mid-January. We bring 12-15 films virtually across all Canada and USA. Please click HERE for all the latest updates.

Over half of the submission from last year are now streaming virtually across all Canada/USA. Click HERE to check them out. We hope that the current films will have the same level of availability as last year.

Click HERE to check out all the latest information on the official submissions for this year.

A SUMMARY OF THE SECOND SET OF FILMS THAT WE'VE WATCHED

OCTOBER 10, 2023

(Tunisia, Finland, United Kingdom)

We’ve now had the opportunity to watch 40 of the submissions. Here they are:

Click to read more ...

THE BEST FILMS NOT SUBMITTED THIS YEAR

OCTOBER 8, 2023

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:

Anatomy of a Fall - France
Afire - Germany
The Eternal Memory - Chile
Monster - Japan
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry - Georgia
La Chimera - Italy
The Green Border - Poland
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell - Vietnam
Lost Country - Serbia
Close Your Eyes - Spain
Paradise is Burning - Sweden
If Only I Could Hibernate - Mongolia
The Nature of Love - Canada
Terrestrial Verses - Iran
Invalid - Slovakia

80 SUBMISSIONS HAVE NOW BEEN ANNOUNCED

OCTOBER 5, 2023

(City of Wind, I Have Electric Dreams, Tiger Stripes)

We have finally reached 80 submissions, now that Mongolia, Costa Rica and Malaysia have announced their films. The official list of films will be announced end of October, and we should have around 10 more contenders in the coming weeks.

Mongolia had a difficult choice between City of Wind and If Only I Could Hibernate, two films with incredible reviews. But City of Wind was chosen. The film is about Ze, a 17 year old, who studies hard at school to succeed in the cold, callous society of modern Mongolia. When Ze encounters Maralaa, his senses are awakened and another reality seems possible. The film made its worldwide debut at the Venice Film Festival and has since played in Toronto and will soon play at the AFI Film Festival.

For more information, please click HERE.

Costa Rica's latest submission is I Have Electric Dreams. The film is about Eva, a 16 year old girl, who lives with her mother, her younger sister and their cat, but she wants to move in with her estranged father. Clinging onto him, she tries to balance between the tenderness and sensitivity of teenage life. The film debuted at the Locarno Film Festival last year, and it's now available across Canada and USA on Mubi.

For more information, please click HERE.

Tiger Stripes debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and we knew that Malaysia would pick it as their film. It's about an 11 year old girl who is carefree until she starts to experience horrifying physical changes to her body. The film has played in dozens more festivals and it has been picked up by Dark Star Pictures for a release in 2024.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED - 77 SUBMISSIONS SO FAR

OCTOBER 2, 2023

(The Delinquents and Banel and Adama)

The deadline has passed now and we finish, at the moment, with 77 submissions. Argentina and Senegal are the last two countries to officially announce their films. The rest of the submissions that will be announced will be films that didn't make a public announcement and we should still reach around 90 submissions.

Argentina has selected the Cannes hit The Delinquents as their official submission. With a rating of 92 at Metacritic, it's one of the best reviewed films of the year so far. The film is about bank employee Moran, who schemes to steal enough money to never work again, then confess and serve prison time while his colleague hides the cash. Soon under investigative pressure, accomplice Roman meets a woman who transforms him forever. The film has been picked up by Mubi and it'll be released in theatres starting October 18th.

For more information, please click HERE.

Like The Delinquents, Senegal has also picked another Cannes hit Banel and Adama. The film has since played in Toronto and soon in London and Chicago. The film is about a young couple in Senegal who must contend with the disapproval of their remote village.

For more information, please click HERE.

The official list of submissions will be announced by The Academy around the end of October.

LETTERBOXD AND CANNES AND THE STATUS OF THE TOP 15

OCTOBER 1, 2023

While we wait for The Academy to officially announce the films eligible for International Feature, let's take a look at the top 15 highest rated films for Letterboxd right now. And then let's take a look at the films that debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. From there we can begin to get an indication on which films might be shortlisted in December.

Here are the current top 15 films in Letterboxd:

The Zone of Interest - United Kingdom
Perfect Days - Japan
20 Days in Mariupol - Ukraine
Pictures of Ghosts - Brazil
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood - Estonia
About Dry Grasses - Turkey
Godland - Iceland
Fallen Leaves - Finland
Four Daughters - Tunisia
The Teachers' Lounge - Germany
The Missing - Philippines
Totem - Mexico
Slow - Lithuania
Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World - Romania
Voy! Voy! Voy! - Egypt

Click to read more ...

AUSTRIA, JORDAN, AND SINGAPORE ARE THE LATEST COUNTRIES TO ANNOUNCE

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

(Vera, Inshallah a Boy, The Breaking Ice)

We are up to 74 official submissions now. We're getting closer and closer to the 90+ mark now.

Austria has selected the film Vera. The film, based loosely on Vera Gemma's life, debuted at the Venice Film Festival last year and this morning it's become their official submission. The film is about Vera who lives in the shadow of her famous father. Tired of her superficial life and relationships, she drifts through Roman high society. When she injures a child in a traffic accident in the suburbs, she forms an intense relationship with an eight-year old boy and his father.

For more information, please click HERE.

After debuting at the Cannes Film Festival this year, we knew that Inshallah a Boy would be the official submission for Jordan. The film takes place after the death of her husband, Nawal, who has to fight for what she thinks is her inheritance for her only daughter in a region where having a son is a game changer.

For more information, please click HERE.

Likewise, we knew that Singapore would select The Breaking Ice. Anthony Chen's latest film debuted to excellent reviews at the Cannes Film Festival as well. The film is about the blossoming relationship between three young adults in their twenties. The film played in Toronto and now it's playing in theatres across Asia.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY ANNOUNCE THEIR TOP 40 FILMS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

(Blaga's Lessons and Excursion)

When the European Film Academy announced their first set of films, we are puzzled with some glaring omissions. Now it all makes sense. They divided their announcement into two dates: the first 19 films were announced on August 16th and then the final 21 films were announced today. The following films are now official Oscar submitted films:

Behind the Haystacks - Greece
Blaga's Lessons - Bulgaria
Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World - Romania
Excursion - Bosnia
Fallen Leaves - Finland
Housekeeping for Beginners - Northern Macedonia
The Captain - Italy
Slow - Lithuania
Society of the Snow - Spain
Sweet Dreams - Netherlands
The Taste of Things - France
The Promised Land - Denmark
The Teachers' Lounge - Germany
The Zone of Interest - United Kingdom

These following films were also shortlisted for documentary:

Four Daughters - Tunisia
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood - Estonia

These are all excellent choices. There are only just a few omissions like Omen (Belgium), Songs of Earth (Norway), Bad Living (Portugal), Opponent (Sweden) and Thunder (Switzerland). We assume that The Peasants (Poland) and Four Souls of Coyote (Hungary) were not eligible due to being animated.

ANOTHER THREE FILMS ARE SUBMITTED

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

(The Promised Land, Thunders, Goodbye Julia)

We are up to 66 submissions now. We have around 14 more films that will probably be announced by the deadline of October 2nd, and then the rest will trickle in later.

As expected, Denmark has submitted the latest film from Mads Mikkelsen. The film debuted to excellent reviews at the Venice Film Festival, and has since played in Telluride and Toronto. The films is about the story of Ludvig Kahlen who pursued his lifelong dream: to make the heath bring him wealth and honour. Magnolia Pictures will release the film later this year.

For more information, please click HERE.

We have a new country that has entered the race. We're thrilled that Sudan has submitted the Cannes sensation Goodbye Julia. The film is about a married former singer from the north who seeks redemption for causing the death of a southern man by hiring his oblivious wife as her maid. This film has an excellent chance of being shortlisted.

For more information, please click HERE.

And lastly, Moldova has submitted the films Thunders. The film is about a forbidden friendship between Zinca and Victor, 2 kids from Moldova. One day they enter a mined field near their village. The film is about to make its worldwide debut in Moldova beginning of October. It looks excellent.

For more information, please click HERE.

POLAND, MEXICO AND HONG KONG ANNOUNCE THEIR FILMS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

(A Light Never Goes Out, The Peasants, Totem)

It was another busy day today as we are now up to 63 official submissions. We're getting closer and closer to reaching the 90+ countries that we hope to get every year.

It seemed like a toss up between two films for Poland this year: The Peasants and The Green Border. Today, The Peasants ended up as the chosen film. It becomes the second animated film to be submitted so far. Using a team of animators and painters who work by hand, Kobiela adapted a Nobel prize winning novel about an early 20th century Polish peasant woman who creates havoc by marrying an older rich man. The film just debuted a couple of weeks ago to rave reviews in Toronto, and we're hoping that it'll soon find a distributor in North America.

For more information, please click HERE.

The overwhelming favourite was chosen today by Mexico. Totem is about a seven-year-old girl, Sol, who is spending the day at her grandfather's home, for a surprise party for Sol's father, Tonatiuh. As daylight fades, Sol comes to understand that her world is about to change dramatically. Debuting at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, Totem has now played in dozens of film festivals around the world. There's an excellent change that this film will get shortlisted, as well as Poland.

For more information, please click HERE.

Hong Kong today picked A Light Never Goes Out as their official submission. After debuting at the Tokyo Film Festival last year, it's already been released in theatres across the country and several other ones in Asia as well. Devastated by the loss of her skilled neon sign-making husband, the film is about a wife who decides to carry on his unfinished dream of making neon signs.

For more information, please click HERE.

TWO MORE DOCUMENTARIES ARE IN

SEPTEMBER 23, 2023

(Bye Bye Tiberias and Songs of Earth)

We are up to 58 submissions with exactly 10 days to go before the deadline closes for this year. We will hopefully get to at least 90 submissions. Today Palestine and Norway picked their films and they're both documentaries.

Palestine has decided to go with Bye Bye Tiberias. The film is about Hiam Abbass, who years after leaving her Palestinian village to pursue an acting career in France, she returns home with her daughter, in this intimate documentary about four generations of women and their shared legacy of separation. The film just debuted at the Venice Film Festival and at the Toronto Film Festival.

For more information, please click HERE.

We thought that Norway would've picked Let the River Flow, but they chose Songs of Earth instead. The film follows the director's father who is 84. We follow in his footsteps into the mountain home, into nature's smallest life and out to grand panoramas, where he grew up. Like Bye Bye Tiberias, the film just made its debut at the Toronto Film Festival and it's headed to more festivals in the coming weeks.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE ZONE IS IN, ANATOMY IS OUT, AND SWEDEN ANNOUNCES THEIR FILM

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

(The Zone of Interest, Opponent, The Taste of Things)

We are now up to 56 submissions now that the United Kingdom, France and Sweden have announced their films.

We thought that the United Kingdom would be the one to submit The Zone of Interest, but with it being filmed in Poland we weren't 100% sure. But now it's official. After debuting to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, The Zone of Interest became an instant favourite, not only for International Feature, but for best picture and best director at the Oscars as well. The film is about a commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Hoss, and his wife Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to a camp. The film will be released in theatres on December 8th. The United Kingdom's film is the early frontrunner to win now, especially with what happened with France's selection.

For more information, please click HERE.

Anatomy of a Fall is probably the film that could've challenged The Zone of Interest the most. It was shortlisted for France, despite having 50% English, but this afternoon, they have decided to go with The Taste of Things, another great reviewed film from the Cannes Film Festival, but not the buzziest one. The Taste of Things tells the story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin, the fine gourmet she has been working for over the last 20 years. IFC Films will distribute the film in North America.

For more information, please click HERE.

Sweden also had several great films to choose from and today they announced that their selection would be Opponent. The film is about Iman and his family who flee Iran and end up in a hotel in Northern Sweden. Iman maintains as family patriarch but he breaks his promise to his wife and joins a local wrestling club. Rumours spread, and Iman's fear and desperation begin to take a hold. The film debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in February, and it has played in numerous festivals over the past few months.

For more information, please click HERE.

TWO MORE CONTENDERS HAVE ANNOUNCED: SPAIN AND ITALY

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

(The Captain and Society of the Snow)

We are now up to 53 official submissions and today Spain and Italy have announced their films for International Feature. Each country had at least three films to choose from and the outcome was always going to be very unpredictable.

Italy had the choice between these three frontrunners: La Chimera, Kidnapped and The Captain. And Matteo Garrone's latest film was the winner. The film is about two young men, who leave Dakar for Europe. The film made its worldwide debut at the Venice Film Festival a few weeks ago and it's now in theatres across Italy. It should find a distributor soon for North America, as the film has received rave reviews.

For more information, please click HERE.

Spain narrowed down their selection to three films earlier this month: Close Your Eyes, 20,000 Species of Bees and Society of the Snow. Close Your Eyes and 20,000 Species of Bees were both nominated by the European Film Academy this year so we thought it was down to those two films, but Netflix and acclaimed director J.A. Bayona prevailed with Society of the Snow. The film is about a rugby team whose plane crashes on a glacier in the Andes. The few passengers who survive the crash find themselves in one of the world's toughest environments to survive. The film also debuted at the Venice Film Festival and Netflix will release the film later this year.

For more information, please click HERE.

POTENTIAL FRONTRUNNER? PLUS EGYPT IS BACK AND NEPAL RETURNS

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

(Halkara, 20 Days in Mariupol, Voy! Voy! Voy!)

We are now up to 47 submissions with Ukraine, Egypt and Nepal all announcing their films today.

20 Days in Mariupol debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, and now that it's the official submission for Ukraine, we feel like it could be the potential frontrunner right now. This documentary about the war in Eastern Europe might also be nominated for best documentary at the Oscars. It's that good. The film is about a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol who struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities. The film debuted in theatres in July and it's headed to PBS in November.

For more information, please click HERE.

After skipping last year, Egypt is back in the race with the film Voy! Voy! Voy! The film tells the story of Hassan - a security guard living an impoverished life with his mother who dreams of traveling and living abroad. One day he stumbles on the sport of blind soccer and cunningly decides to pose as a visually impaired man to join a team right before the World Cup tournament in Europe. The film has just debuted in theatres in Egypt, and it'll continue next playing in the U.A.E., Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

For more information, please click HERE.

Halkara has become the official submission for Nepal. The film is about an unemployed village drunk who accepts a postman position. In his journey, he must face the challenges and responsibilities of his new job while confronting the personal demons of his past. The film actually debuted in the USA in limited release back in 2020, but it finally hit theatres in Nepal in May 2023.

For more information, please click HERE.

A SUMMARY OF THE FIRST SET OF FILMS THAT WE'VE WATCHED

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

(Estonia, Australia, Germany)

We’ve now had the opportunity to watch 20 of the submissions and we’ve been nothing but amazed at the quality of every film we’ve watched. Here they are:

Click to read more ...

CANNES HIT FROM MOROCCO AND A DARK WESTERN FOR LUXEMBOURG

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

(The Mother of All Lies and The Last Ashes)

We have two more submissions now making it 44 films that are competing at the Oscars. At this time last year, we had 40 selected films so we're ahead of the pace right now.

The Cannes documentary winner The Mother of all Lies has been selected this year. Morocco had a couple of other well reviewed films that they could've chosen, but this film was the favourite. The film is about a Moroccan woman's search for the truth, which uncovers a web of lies in her family history. As a daughter and filmmaker, she fuses personal and national history as she reflects on the 1981 Bread Riots, drawing out connections to modern Morocco. After Cannes, the film has played in Toronto and it's headed to Vancouver next.

For more information, please click HERE.

Luxembourg has selected the film The Last Ashes. The film is about Helene who returns to her native village under a new identity. Looking for revenge, and alone, she is ready to do anything to destroy the Graff family. This is another film that hasn't been released yet anywhere so we're hoping that it's as excellent as it appears to be.

For more information, please click HERE.

BELGIUM, PORTUGAL AND GREECE ANNOUNCE THEIR FILMS

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

(Omen, Behind the Haystacks, Bad Living)

With these latest three submissions, we're now at 42 films so we're nearly halfway there. Films are being announced much quicker than last season, which is fantastic.

Earlier this season we thought that the Democratic Republic of Congo might submit a film this year, but instead Belgium has snatched up Omen as their submission. The film is about a young Congolese man, who after spending years in Belgium, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture. From singer to director, Baloji's latest film received great reviews at Cannes and its now been picked up by Utopia.

For more information, please click HERE.

The European Film Academy listed Behind the Haystacks as one of the best films of the year, so it's no surprise that Greece picked it as their submission. The film is about a tragic incident on Greece's northern border who strikes a local family of three, pushing them to face their own personal impasses, while having to deeply consider the price for their actions. The film debuted last year at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. The film is definitely a contender this year.

For more information, please click HERE.

We felt that the race for Portugal was down to two films, Legua and Bad Living and today it was confirmed that the latter film was selected to represent them. The film follows five women who fight for the stability of a hotel they inherited with many conversations that have been postponed and much that remains to be said within a family. The film debuted at the Berlin Film Festival this year.

For more information, please click HERE.

FINLAND, NORTH MACEDONIA, LATVIA AND MONTENEGRO ARE IN

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

(Housekeeping for Beginners, Fallen Leaves, Sirin)

We have another four submissions announced today including Oscar contender Fallen Leaves and the return of Goran Stolevski for North Macedonia.

Goran Stolevski is slowly becoming one of the most exciting, up and coming directors. Last year his film You Won't Be Alone was submitted for Australia. His English film Of An Age is one of the best films this year and now Housekeeping for Beginners is the official submission for North Macedonia. The Venice award winning film is about a queer woman who is forced to raise her partner's daughter who herself doesn't want to be a mother.

For more information, please click HERE.

Acclaimed director, Aki Kaurismäki, is back in the Oscar race with his latest film Fallen Leaves. After its debut at the Cannes Film Festival this film became an instant contender, not only to be shortlisted, but to also perhaps get nominated for International Feature. The film is about two lonely people who meet each other by chance in the Helsinki night and try to find the first love of their lives.

For more information, please click HERE.

Montenegro has picked the film Sirin. It's about a girl named Natali, who left the former Yugoslavia immediately after the beginning of the wars of the 1990s. Like many other people from this area, she emigrated abroad in search of a better life and a more secure future. And Latvia has picked the film My Freedom. The film is about Alicija, a Polish-born liberal free-thinker, who joins the Awakening movement in occupied Latvia.

For more information, please click HERE.

GODLAND HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR ICELAND

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

(Iceland - Godland)

Last year we considered Godland to be one of the biggest omissions from last years International Feature category. This morning we were shocked to find out that it was indeed eligible for this year, as it hit theatres in Iceland in January 2023. The film now has become a huge contender for this years category, as it already has the reviews, the buzz, and the momentum coming from last season.

The film is about a young Danish priest, at the end of the 19th century, who is sent to a remote part of Iceland. The deeper he travels into the Icelandic landscape, the more he loses a sense of his own reality, his mission and his sense of duty.

The film debuted to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival last year and it's now available on demand across Canada and USA. Iceland has been producing some of the best films for the last decade including films like Rams, Woman at War, A White, White Day, Beautiful Beings, and they've been shortlisted twice during that time for The Deep and Lamb. We hope that Iceland will continue to get recognized more.

For more information, please click HERE.

BRAZIL, CZECHIA AND INDONESIA HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR FILMS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

(Autobiography, Brothers, Pictures of Ghosts)

Three more countries have now announced their films: Indonesia, Czechia and Brazil.

Autobiography is the film chosen for Indonesia. The film debuted to great reviews last year at the Venice Film Festival, and since then it has played in dozens more festivals. The film is about a young man who works as a housekeeper in an empty mansion. When its owner returns to start his mayoral election campaign, the young man bonds with him and defends him when his campaign is vandalized, setting off a chain of violence.

For more information, please click HERE.

Brothers is the official submission for Czechia, where it beat out 14 other films which were previously shortlisted. The film is an adaptation of a controversial real-life story from the 1950s. There isn't much information on this film as it hasn't debuted anywhere yet. It's hitting theatres in Czechia end of October.

For more information, please click HERE.

Earlier this month Brazil announced their top six films, including Alien Nights, A Strange Path and Toll. But it was announced this morning that the winner was the documentary Cannes hit Pictures of Ghosts from acclaimed director Kleber Mendonça Filho. The film is about downtown Recife's classic movie palaces from the 20th century which are mostly gone. That city area is now an archaeological site of sorts that reveals aspects of life in society which have been lost. And that's just part of the story.

For more information, please click HERE.

WE ARE NOW AT 30 SUBMISSIONS: IRAQ, YEMEN AND ARMENIA ARE IN

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

(The Burdened, Amerikatsi, Hanging Gardens)

We now have officially reached 30 official submissions now that Iraq, Yemen and Armenia have announced their films for this year. We are now roughly 1/3 done, with around 60 more films to be announced with three weeks to go.

Iraq has selected the film Hanging Gardens. The film is about a young Iraqi rubbish picker who rescues an American sex doll from the Baghdad dumps. He begins to cross into a perilous red zone, where friends become enemies and nothing is certain in an explosive mix of love, war and madness. The film debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival.

For more information, please click HERE.

Yemen is back in the race. Their last film was submitted back in 2018. This year they have submitted The Burdened. The film centers on Ahmed and Isra'a, parents of three children who lost their job due to the country's economic crisis. Isra'a finds out about her fourth pregnancy at this time when they cannot afford to raise one more child. The film's premiere was at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

For more information, please click HERE.

Armenia has selected the film Amerikatsi. The film is about Charlie, who escapes the Armenian genocide as a boy by fleeing to the United States, but he returns as an adult and is arrested. He watches an Armenian couple from his prison cell, finally learning about his homeland. The film is right now playing in select theatres across the USA.

For more information, please click HERE.

OPHIR WINNER SEVEN BLESSINGS IS THE PICK FOR ISRAEL

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

(Israel - Seven Blessings)

As is the tradition every year, the Ophir winner is automatically selected for Israel as their submission. And this year Seven Blessings dominated the awards show winning best film, best actress for Reymond Amsalem, best supporting actress for Tikva Dayan, best screenplay, best sound, best costume design, best makeup, and best casting.

The film is about Marie who was just two years old when her mother gifted her to her infertile sister, a common Moroccan custom at the time. 40 years later, Marie travels from France to Israel, where her family now lives, to marry her one true love.

The film made its debut at a premiere event in Tel-Aviv and it's now headed to theatres across Israel.

For more information, please click HERE.

TWO MORE OSCAR CONTENDERS? BHUTAN AND TURKEY SUBMIT THEIR FILMS

SEPTEMBER 9, 2023

(The Monk and the Gun and About Dry Grasses)

Two films that we felt were Oscar contenders have been officially selected yesterday, and these films come from Bhutan and Turkey.

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom was a surprise Oscar nominee two years ago. And now acclaimed director Pawo Choyning Dorji is back with his latest film The Monk and the Gun. The film is about an American who travels into Bhutan in search of a treasure and who crosses path with a young monk who wanders through the serene mountains, instructed by his teacher to make things right again. The film made its worldwide debut last week in Telluride, and it's next headed to Toronto.

For more information, please click HERE.

Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan is back. His previous films include Winter Sleep, The Wild Pear Tree, Three Monkeys and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. About Dry Grasses becomes the sixth film of his to be submitted by Turkey and we feel that this might be the year that he might get an Oscar nomination (he's been shortlisted once before). The film is about a young teacher who hopes to be appointed to Istanbul after mandatory duty at a small village. After a long time waiting he loses all hope of escaping from this gloomy life. However, his colleague Nuray helps him to regain perspective.

For more information, please click HERE.

And for our list of contenders, please click HERE.

THREE MORE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ENTER THE RACE

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

(Four Souls of Coyote, Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World, Riders)

It was a busy day of submissions today as three more European countries have made their official selections for the Oscars: Hungary, Romania and Slovenia.

We now have our first animated film to be a part of this years excellent crop of films. Hungary selected Four Souls of Coyote as their entry and the film is about a group of Native American teenagers who confront an oil pipeline project, down the hill from their ancestral land. The film has already debuted in theatres in Hungary and it's available in Netflix in select countries at the moment.

For more information, please click HERE.

As soon as Romania made their decision, Mubi acquired the film for release across North America. Radu Jude's latest film, and probably the longest title of the year, is Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World. The film is about an overworked and underpaid production assistant who has to shoot a workplace safety video commissioned by a multinational company. The film debuted at the Locarno Film Festival and it's next headed to Toronto.

For more information, please click HERE.

Slovenia has picked Riders as their latest submission. The film made its worldwide debut to excellent reviews last year at the Sarajevo Film Festival. The film is about two friends from a small village who decide to transform their mopeds into choppers and embark on a journey. Looking for freedom and love, they travel through dreams of the past and visions of the future.

For more information, please click HERE.

TWO EXCELLENT FILMS ARE SELECTED FOR LITHUANIA AND BULGARIA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

(Blaga's Lessons and Slow)

We've reached 20 submissions and the latest two films submitted for International Feature were clear favourites for Bulgaria and Lithuania.

After winning best film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Blaga's Lessons become the frontrunner for Bulgaria and today it was confirmed as their official submission. The film is about a teacher, who falls victim to a phone scam that robs her of her life savings, who then realizes that there is no way to get her money back. The tables then turn as cash begins rolling in as she transforms into a scammer herself.

For more information, please click HERE.

When the European Film Academy announced their list of nominees, we were thrilled that Slow was amongst them. And as expected Lithuania has picked that film as their submission. The film is about dancer Elena and sign language interpreter Dovydas who meet and form a beautiful bond. As they dive into a new relationship, they must navigate how to build their own kind of intimacy. The film made its worldwide debut at the Sundance Film Festival, and since then it's played in dozens more.

For more information, please click HERE.

TWO MORE COUNTRIES ARE SUBMITTED - CROATIA AND NETHERLANDS

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

(Sweet Dreams and Traces)

We are now up to 18 official submissions now that Croatia and Netherlands have entered the race. Croatia has selected a drama film called Traces, while Sweet Dreams beat out 14 other films to be selected for the Netherlands.

Director Dubravka Turic's latest film is about a young girl named Ana, who after the death of her father struggles with an identity crisis, being the last member of a once large family. The film made its worldwide debut at the Warsaw International Film Festival before hitting the Santa Barbara Festival in February.

For more information, please click HERE.

Earlier last month, Netherlands announced a shortlist of 15 films eligible to be their pick for this year. And this morning it was confirmed that the frontrunner Sweet Dreams was chosen to represent them. After making a splash at the Locarno Film Festival, the film is next headed to Toronto. The film is about the tumultuous events that are triggered by the death of a Dutch sugar plantation owner who ends up leaving his Indian Ocean island estate to his young illegitimate son, the child of his Indonesian housemaid.

For more information, please click HERE.

JAPAN HAS MADE THEIR DECISION - AND IS IT THE CURRENT FRONTRUNNER?

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

(Japan - Perfect Days)

After the Cannes Film Festival, two films emerged as contenders for International Feature this year: Monster and Perfect Days. Monster is the latest film from director Hirokazu Koreeda, whose films include Like Father, Like Son and Shoplifters. Perfect Days is the newest film from another acclaimed German director Wim Wenders, who's been nominated for three Oscars. This morning it was announced that Perfect Days would be Japan's submission.

Perfect Days is about a janitor in Japan, who drives between jobs listening to rock music.

As mentioned, Perfect Days made its worldwide debut at Cannes, and it was immediately picked up by Neon and Mubi for a release later this year. It currently stands at 74 on Metacritic, 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive 4.0 on Letterboxd. And right now it feels like it might be the current frontrunner.

For more information, please click HERE.

BOSNIA PICKS EXCURSION AND BOLIVIA PICKS THE VISITOR

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023

(Excursion and The Visitor)

We are now up to 15 official submissions. This morning it was announced that Bosnia has picked the drama film Excursion. And Bolivia has picked The Visitor.

Excursion is the latest film from director Una Gunjak. The film is about a teenage girl, whose seemingly little lie leads her into a storm of expectations, condemnation and social dogmas. Excursion made its world wide debut last month at the Locarno Film Festival.

For more information, please click HERE.

Bolivia's latest submission is The Visitor. The film is about an ex-convict who returns home in search of a new life and a chance to reconnect with his estranged daughter, only to be met with resistance from his father-in-law, an influential pastor in the Evangelical community in town. The film debuted last year at Tribeca and it has played in numerous more film festivals over the past year.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE DEADLINE IS ONE MONTH AWAY

SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

(Germany - The Teachers' Lounge)

August has come and gone and we're now in September. So far, we've had 13 submissions. Last year, at this time, we had 12 submissions so we're roughly following the same pace. That means that in the next 30 days we should have around 80 more submissions 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 money, Rojek (Canada) is available on video on demand across Canada and Marry My Dead Body (Taiwan) is available across Canada/USA on Netflix.

We're also been updating our tracker. It can be found HERE. Based on the current submissions, it feels like The Settlers (Chile), The Teachers' Lounge (Germany) and Four Daughters (Tunisia) are the current frontrunners.

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

OSCAR NOMINEE KAOUTHER BEN HANIA IS BACK WITH FOUR DAUGHTERS

AUGUST 31, 2023

(Tunisia - Four Daughters)

Director Kaouther Ben Hania has now had three films submitted for Tunisia for International Feature. Her film Beauty and the Dogs was submitted in 2018, The Man Who Sold His Skin was submitted in 2020 and was an Oscar nominee, and now her latest film Four Daughters has been submitted this year.

The drama documentary is about Olfa, a Tunisian woman who is the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. To fill in their absence, professional actresses are invited into their home and as a result it creates a unique cinema experience that will lift the veil on Olfa and her daughters' life stories.

Four Daughters won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in its worldwide debut, and it's next headed to Toronto. Kino Lorber will release the film later this year.

For more information, please click HERE.

HUGE FAVOURITE SHAYDA IS OFFICIALLY SUBMITTED FOR AUSTRALIA

AUGUST 30, 2023

(Australia - Shayda)

After Shayda's debut at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, we thought that this film would be picked by Australia, and today it's now official. Directed by Noora Niasari, and starring Zar Amir Ebrahimi (her film Holy Spider was shortlisted last year) and Leah Purcell, this film looks like a solid contender to be shortlisted in December.

The film is about a young Iranian mother and her six year old daughter who find refuge in an Australian women's shelter during the two weeks of the Iranian New Year.

Shayda is next headed to the Toronto International Film Festival before debuting in theatres in Australia. The film has been picked up by Sony Pictures Classic for North America.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE 10TH SUBMISSION - COLOMBIA PICKS A MALE

AUGUST 29, 2023

(Colombia - A Male)

A couple of days ago, Colombia released a shortlist of 15 films that could be chosen to represent them for the Oscars this year. They included Anhell69 by Theo Montoya, The Other Shape by Diego Felipe Guzmán, The Other Son by Juan Sebastian Quebrada, Petit Mal by Ruth Caudeli and more. This afternoon, it was announced that Fabian Hernandez Alvaro's directorial debut, A Male, was the winner.

The film is about Carlos who lives in a youth shelter in the centre of Bogota. It's Christmas and Carlos longs to spend the day with his mother and sister. As he leaves the shelter, Carlos is confronted with the rigor of the streets in his neighbourhood, where the law of the strongest rules. As he seeks for a family reunion, Carlos must show he can be one of them.

The film made its worldwide premiere last year at the Cannes Film Festival, and since then it's played in over a dozen film festivals. With production company Cercamon taking care of sales, we hope that it'll be released soon in theatres.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE ERECTION OF TORIBIO BARDELLI IS CHOSEN FOR PERU

AUGUST 25, 2023

(Peru - The Erection of Toribio Bardelli)

Earlier this month, Peru announced that these three films were their finalists: The Erection of Toribio Bardelli, Queens Without a Crown and Soltera Codiciada 2. Today it was announced that the latest film from director Adrián Saba would be the official submission for them for 2024.

The film focuses on Toribio Bardelli, an elderly old man. Together with his four children, who are now adults, they form a dysfunctional and chaotic family. About to turn 70, Toribio will pursue his only goal in life: to have an erection again.

The Erection of Toribio Bardelli made its worldwide debut at the Lima Film Festival and it's scheduled to be released in Peru end of September.

For more information, please click HERE.

WE HAVE OUR SECOND DOCUMENTARY - CANADA SUBMITS ROJEK

AUGUST 24, 2023

(Canada - Rojek)

Canada always has a wide selection of exciting films to choose from year after year. We originally thought that the top two contenders would be The Nature of Love, which received great reviews at Cannes or Red Rooms, which was a hit at the Karlovy Film Festival. To our surprise, they have chosen another documentary this year: Rojek.

Directed by Zayne Akyol, the film takes place in Syria Kurdistan. Documenting the recovery of Kurdistan from the ISIS conflict, the film centres on interviews with imprisoned members of the Islamic State about their motivations.

The film made its worldwide debut last year at the Hot Docs International Film Festival in Canada and for those lucky Canadians, the film is already available on video on demand.

For more information, please click HERE.

TWO HUGE CONTENDERS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED FOR CHILE AND GERMANY

AUGUST 23, 2023

(The Teachers' Lounge and The Settlers)

Two huge contenders have now been officially submitted for this year's race. The Teachers' Lounge has been chosen for Germany. And The Settlers has been chosen for Chile. Both films are definitely favoured to be shortlisted in the top 15 in December.

The defending champ Germany selected The Teachers' Lounge this morning over Afire and the documentary Anselm. Directed by Ilker Catak, the film is about teacher Carla Nowak, who when one of her students is suspected of theft, she decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her. The film made its worldwide debut at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year and it's next headed to Toronto next month. Sony Pictures Classics will release the film soon.

For more information, please click HERE.

While many thought that El Conde, the latest film from Pablo Larrain, or The Eternal Memory, a Sundance hit, would've been chosen this year for Chile, The Settlers has been selected instead. And what an excellent choice. The film has everything going for it. It made its worldwide debut at Cannes to rave reviews. It currently stands at 82 on Metacritic and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And it's been picked up by Mubi for a release later this year. The film is about a mixed-race Chilean who rides south on an expedition led by MacLenan, a former Boer War English captain and Bill, an American mercenary, to fence off land granted to Spanish landowner Jose Menendez.

For more information, please click HERE.

And to follow our predictions, please click HERE.

URUGUAY CHOOSES COMEDY FAMILY ALBUM

AUGUST 20, 2023

(Uruguay - Family Album)

We are up to five submissions now after Uruguay selected the film Family Album as their International Feature submission. Directed by Guillermo Rocamora, the film is about Cesar, who forms a rock band with his teenage sons shortly after his separation. Shortly after, the family project begins to fall apart. The film is about the difficult bond between parents and children and the world of amateur rock bands.

Uruguay has yet to be nominated for an Oscar but here's hoping that this submission will be the one to breakthrough.

The film is about to make its worldwide debut in theatres across Uruguay on August 24th. And hopefully, soon after, it'll start hitting film festivals.

For more information, please click HERE.

DOCUMENTARY HIT SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD IS CHOSEN FOR ESTONIA

AUGUST 18, 2023

(Estonia - Smoke Sauna Sisterhood)

We have a documentary film selected to represent Estonia this year. The film is about a group of women who gather in the darkness of a smoke sauna to share their innermost thoughts and secrets. Enveloped by a warm, dense heat, they bare all to expel fears and shame trapped in their bodies in order to regain their strength.

This film has an excellent chance of being shortlisted in the top 15. And if so, it'll be following up in the footsteps of Tangerines, which was nominated in 2014 and Truth and Justice, which was shortlisted in 2019.

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood was a hit coming out of Sundance Film Festival this year, winning the award for best directing for a documentary for Anna Hints. It was also nominated for best documentary. The film is currently playing in festivals across the world.

For more information, please click HERE.

ACTION THRILLER CONCRETE UTOPIA IS CHOSEN FOR SOUTH KOREA

AUGUST 17, 2023

(South Korea - Concrete Utopia)

Concrete Utopia will be the newest submission for South Korea. They're following up to last year's submission, Decision to Leave, which was shortlisted by The Academy. And, in 2019, they won the Oscar for Parasite. The film follows a group of survivors after a massive earthquake as they struggle for a new life in Seoul.

Concrete Utopia beat out 12 other films to be their official submission, including Cobweb by Kim Jee-Woon, The Moon by Kim Yong-Hwa, and The Point Men by Yum Soon-Rye.

The film is currently in theatres across most of Asia and it'll make its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY ANNOUNCE THEIR TOP 19 FILMS

AUGUST 16, 2023

(Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry)

The European Film Academy has released their shortlisted top 19 films this morning. Of these 19 films, 13 of them could be officially submitted for International Feature this year. Please note that four of the films nominated this morning are in English and two of the films were official submissions from last year: Safe Place (Croatia) and The Happiest Man in the World (North Macedonia).

Last year, the European Film Academy shortlisted 11 official submissions, including three films that ended up getting nominated at the Oscars: The Quiet Girl (Ireland), Close (Belgium) and EO (Poland). Their list last year also included three more films that were shortlisted in the top 15 by The Academy: Boy From Heaven (Sweden), Corsage (Austria) and Holy Spider (Denmark).

Let's take a look at what films made the European Film Academy's list for this year:

Finland: Fallen Leaves (likely submission)
France: Anatomy of a Fall, The Animal Kingdom, The Goldman Case
Georgia: Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (likely submission)
Germany: Afire, The Teachers' Lounge
Greece: Behind the Haystacks (likely submission)
Italy: Kidnapped, La Chimera
Lithuania: Slow (likely submission)
Spain: 20,000 Species of Bees, Close Your Eyes

Afire and The Teachers' Lounge are both on Germany's shortlisted list of films and both are considered to be the frontrunners. It feels like Afire might be the favourite but both will be great submissions. The two highest profiles for Italy are also Kidnapped and La Chimera. It'll be interesting to see which film Italy selects for their submission. Spain also has two films on the list. Interestingly, both 20,000 Species of Bees and Close Your Eyes could be chosen by Argentina as well.

France made the list with three films: Anatomy of a Fall, The Goldman Case, and The Animal Kingdom. The Pot-Au-Feu missed the list. When France announces their set of shortlisted films, it feels like those four films will be included, along with Just the Two of Us.

The biggest omission was The Zone of Interest (Poland/UK). Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World (Romania), Blaga's Lessons (Bulgaria), Stepne (Ukraine), among others, also missed out.

The nominations will be announced November 7th. To read more about the shortlisted films please click HERE.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE RACE

AUGUST 15, 2023

(Afire)

The deadline to submit a movie this year is October 2nd, which means there are 48 days left now for countries to submit a film. Last year there were 92 submissions. Most countries have set end of August dates for filmmakers to submit their films into consideration. And soon after, each country should be announcing their picks. Right now two films have been announced: Thunder (Switzerland) and Melody (Tajikistan).

A few countries have also released their shortlisted films. Chile has narrowed their list down to five films, including El Conde, The Eternal Memory and The Settlers. Each film would be an excellent choice. France will announce three to five films on September 13th. Will Anatomy of a Fall be on that list? Germany has announced 12 films that are in contention, including the latest film from Christian Petzold, Afire, and two other high profile films, The Teachers' Lounge and Anselm. Israel has announced their five films, with Seven Blessings being the favourite at the moment. Netherlands picked 15 films to be shortlisted, including Sweet Dreams by Ena Sendijarevic. Portugal has picked five films, including Cannes release Legua. And South Korea has narrowed it down to 13 films, including Cobweb.

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

TAJIKISTAN IS BACK IN THE RACE - THEY SUBMIT MELODY

AUGUST 7, 2023

(Tajikistan - Melody)

We always get super excited when a country is back in the race after skipping previous seasons. This morning it was announced that Tajikistan has submitted the film Melody. The last time they submitted a film was back in 2005 for a film called Sex and Philosophy. It was however disqualified when it wasn't submitted in time for the Academy. Their only other submission was in 1999 for Luna Papa.

Melody is a film about a female instructor who teaches music at a children cancer centre for thirty children. Along with the help of her students, she hopes to compose a piece using the sounds of thirty different birds.

For more information, please click HERE.

AND SO IT BEGINS - SWITZERLAND SUBMITS THUNDER

AUGUST 4, 2023

(Switzerland - Thunder)

Switzerland has become the first country to announce their submission for the 96th Academy Awards. Directed by Carmen Jaquier, Thunder is about a young girl, Elisabeth, who returns home from the convent after learning of her sister's mysterious death. Reunited with her three childhood friends, she discovers that faith and desire can sometimes be intertwined.

The film made its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.

Last year the Irish film The Quiet Girl was the first film to be submitted and it ended up being nominated for an Oscar. Let's see if Thunder can do the same thing this year. From early reviews, the film looks exceptional.

For more information, please click HERE.

THE HALFWAY MARK

JULY 1, 2023

(The Zone of Interest)

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 the Oscar nominee, The Quiet Girl, was announced on August 2nd. The International Feature category this year is poised again to be another incredible year of films from all around the world. As of right now, there seems to be a lot of buzz coming out of the Cannes Film Festival for numerous films including the two frontrunners: The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall.

The Zone of Interest seems like the film to beat right now. It’s at 98 on Metacritic and it looks likely to not only be nominated for International Feature, but to also get nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and more. But, which country will submit it? It feels like United Kingdom is the top pick, as director Jonathan Glazer was born in London, but the film was shot in Poland.

The other huge contender coming out of the Cannes Film Festival is the French film Anatomy of a Fall. The big problem with this film is that it’s 50% in English and so its eligibility is in question. And even if it is eligible, France may want to submit a film like The Pot-au-Feu, which is completely spoken in French.

If we had to choose five films right now as potential nominees we would have to go with The Zone of Interest (UK/Poland), Monster (Japan), La Chimera (Italy), About Dry Grasses (Turkey) and The Pot-au-Feu (France). These are just guesses as no country has officially announced anything yet. Last year, we correctly predicted 2/5 films: Close (Belgium) and EO (Poland). We also thought that Decision to Leave (South Korea), which was shortlisted as top 15, Alcarras (Spain) and Broker (not submitted) would get nominated. Let's see how we do this year.

We will be here to cover every submission, including reviews, trailers, images, film festival entries, acquisitions, theatre release dates, streaming availability, background information and more on every single film submitted.

THE CANNES 2023 FILM FESTIVAL WRAP-UP

MAY 27, 2023

Awards for the in competition films of the 76th Cannes Film Festival were announced live in Cannes at the Grand Palais theater today where Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall (France) won the Palme d’Or, the top prize of the festival. Triet becomes just the third female director to win the Palme d'Or. Here are all the winners:

Palme d'Or: Anatomy of a Fall (France) by Justine Triet
Grand Prize: The Zone of Interest (UK/Poland) by Jonathan Glazer
Jury Prize: Fallen Leaves (Finland) by Aki Kaurismäki
Director: The Pot-au-Feu (France) by Tran Anh Hung
Actor: Koji Yakusho - Perfect Days (Japan)
Actress: Merve Dizdar - About Dry Grasses (Turkey)
Screenplay: Monster (Japan)

Last year, 9 of the top 15 shortlisted films debuted at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival so we've been paying a lot of attention at the films that were well received this year.

To continue reading, please click HERE.

SO WHO ARE THE EARLY CONTENDERS FOR 2023?

MAY 15, 2023

(France - Passages)

As we continue on with the 2023 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:

Chile 76 (Chile)
The Shadowless Tower (China)
Stonewalling (China)
Passages (France)
Afire (Germany)
Heroic (Mexico)
Huesera: The Bone Woman (Mexico)
Walk Up (South Korea)
Unrest (Switzerland)
20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine)

Last year, we correctly predicted four submissions: You Won't Be Alone (Australia), Utama (Bolivia), Alcarras (Spain) and Klondike (Ukraine). Let's see how many we get this year.

Our attention now shifts towards the Cannes Film Festival, which begins on May 16th. Last year, 9 of the 15 shortlisted films debuted at the festival in France. So, we'll now start to get a better idea of which films will be contenders for the new season.

KEY DATES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE 96TH ACADEMY AWARDS

MAY 13, 2023

The 96th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2024. 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, 2023. All films eligible for best International Feature must be submitted before that date. The next announcement will be on December 21, 2023. This is when the 90+ submissions will get reduced down to 15. The nominations will be announced on January 23, 2024. This is when the final 15 will go down to the 5 nominees for the 96th Academy Awards.

International Feature Film Deadline: October 2, 2023
Oscar Shortlists Announcement: December 21, 2023
Nominations voting begins 9 a.m. PT: January 11, 2024
Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT: January 16, 2024
Oscar Nominations Announcement: January 23, 2024
Oscar Nominees Luncheon: February 12, 2024
Finals voting begins 9 a.m. PT: February 22, 2024
Finals voting ends 5 p.m. PT: February 27, 2024
96th Oscars: March 10, 2024

There is one change with International Feature this year. AMPAS now stipulates that selection committees for each country must now comprise of at least 50% of filmmakers (artists and/or craftspeople).

THE 92 SUBMISSIONS FOR 2022

MAY 10, 2023

(Albania - A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On)

The 92 submissions for 2022 can be found HERE.

With only 15 films making the shortlist, there will always be a lot of amazing submissions that just miss out. So here's a few of our favourite films that were definitely contenders and were probably so close to getting recognized as well:

A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On (Albania)
Utama (Bolivia)
Mars One (Brazil)
The Kings of the World (Colombia)
Beautiful Beings (Iceland)
World War III (Iran)
The Exam (Iraq)
Harvest Moon (Mongolia)
Narcosis (Netherlands)
Alcarras (Spain)

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 2023. The first set of submissions will be announced in early August.

AND WHO ELSE MADE THE SHORTLISTED TOP 15?

MAY 3, 2023

(Morocco - The Blue Caftan)

On December 21, 2022, along with the five films mentioned previously, these 10 films also made the short-list, to make the top 15 for the 2022 International Feature category:

Corsage (Austria)
Return to Seoul (Cambodia)
Holy Spider (Denmark)
Saint Omer (France)
Last Film Show (India)
Bardo (Mexico)
The Blue Caftan (Morocco)
Joyland (Pakistan)
Decision to Leave (South Korea)
Boy From Heaven (Sweden)

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 are right now playing in select theatres and/or video on demand.

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

MAY 1, 2023

(Germany - All Quiet on the Western Front)

Since it's the "off-season" right now, I think it'll be best to re-visit the films that were nominated last year at the Oscars:

Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)
Close (Belgium)
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) - WINNER
The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
EO (Poland)

All Quiet on the Western Front also won the Oscar for best cinematography, best production design and best original score. It was further nominated for best picture, best adapted screenplay, best makeup and hairstyling, best sound and best visual effects. Bardo (Mexico) was nominated for best cinematography.

All five films are available now on video on demand.

ELIGIBILITY? HOW DOES IT WORK?

APRIL 25, 2023

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 2022, 92 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, Irish, Persian etc.

The deadline to submit a movie is usually 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 on December 21st. 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 SECOND YEAR - A SITE DEDICATED SOLELY ON THE INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SUBMISSIONS FOR THE OSCARS

APRIL 20, 2023

(Edward Berger - All Quiet on the Western Front)

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 Awards for around 15 years now but my passion for the International Feature category started 6 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 four years I’ve managed to watch around 90 submissions. 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.