“`html
The race for the Academy Award for international feature film is accelerating as countries worldwide finalize their submissions before the October 1 deadline. The Academy will announce its shortlist of 15 films on December 15, with final nominations revealed on January 21. Selected Academy members from all branches who commit to watching all competing films will determine which entries advance to the nomination stage.
Notable contenders include Romania’s “Fjord,” which captured the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and Nepal’s “Elephants in the Fog,” which earned the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the same festival. Singapore’s “We Are All Strangers” completed director Anthony Chen’s trilogy and premiered in Berlin’s main competition, while Israel’s “Tell Me Everything” won Best Picture at the country’s Ophir Awards. Germany and Chile have also submitted strong candidates to the competition.
A significant rule change this year allows films that win top prizes at six major festivals—Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan, and Toronto—to qualify for the international feature race without requiring their national committees’ formal backing. This new pathway could expand the field of eligible films beyond traditional country submissions and potentially shake up the competition landscape.
France remains the sole major filmmaking nation without a confirmed submission as of now, reportedly facing difficult choices among eligible candidates. The momentum building around international cinema demonstrates continued strong interest in the category among Academy voters and audiences worldwide.
“`
Originally reported by Variety →
About the Author
