88th Academy Awards Foreign Language Film Submissions

Today October 9 finally was able to finish the post and all other related media (trailers, poster, map, etc) so this post becomes FINAL. Post was moved so most links in other places will not work, just hope visitors will notice links in second column and above, sigh.

There are eighty-one (81) countries that submitted a film to #Oscars2016 which is two (2) films short of the record established last year when there were eighty-three (83) films. From all the announcements done by countries and/or film producers, there were two (2) that did not came in AMPAS list, China came with a different movie and Panama is out of the list. We already know about China's drama that captured the attention of industry media and social media and believe best lesson is to in future editions wait until an official source confirms submission and/or AMPAS list is published to include China's submission.

Panama absence is a puzzle as was checking Academia de Artes y Ciencias Cinematograficas de Panama site BUT no news there and local press claims that Panama is in list, odd. Imagine that perhaps film had too much English, but wonder if we ever going to learn why film was taken out of the list.

Besides China change and Panama out, list had six (6) new submissions from Algeria, Australia, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Singapore and UK. Most notable absence is Ukraine, obviously with all the mess they had were not able to submit a film and hopefully will fix their Oscar committee situation for next year.

There are some extraordinary films in this list and even when have seen some, there are many that will enlarge my must-be-seen queue.

This year only listed films that came from Berlin, Cannes and Venice fests as makes post a bit cleaner. But have the info for all films (each MOC film post has it) so it's very accessible. Next week will do the post about this year's submissions and will share more about festivals and films, but my spontaneous impression is that most films come from festivals. It's very easy to see that there is not much blue below, so will also comment about the lack of women filmmakers this year, sigh.

So that's it, post is FINAL.

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6/11/2015

Today, June 11th, we have the first announcement of a submission to Oscars 2016 and even do film and country are no surprises, the big surprise is how early we will start the post that will be final by the end of September 2015.

The list begins with the first country to do their announcement and as in previous years in parenthesis will include the festival where film was screened plus the director's name will be in BLUE when director is female.

AMPAS official list has eighty-one (81) submissions, which are 2 less than the record established last year.

Afghanistan: آرمان شهر Utopia, Hassan Nazer
Albania: Bota, Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci
Algeria: غروب الظلال Ghouroub Edhilal (Twilight of Shadows), Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina
Argentina: El Clan (The Clan), Pablo Trapero (Venezia72 Silver Lion Best Director winner)
Australia: Arrows of the Thunder Dragon, Greg Sneddon
Austria: Ich seh, ich seh (Goodnight Mommy), Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (2014 Venice Orizzonti)

Bangladesh: জালালের গল্প Jalal’er Golpo (Jalal's Story), Abu Shahed Emon
Belgium: Le Tout Nouveau Testament (The Brand New Testament), Jaco Van Dormael (Cannes Quinzaine)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Naša svakodnevna priča (Our Everyday Life), Ines Tanović
Brazil: Que Horas Ela Volta? (The Second Mother), Anna Muylaert (Berlinale CICAE Panorama and Panorama Audience Award First Place winner)
Bulgaria: СЪДИЛИЩЕТО Sadilishteto (The Judgement), Stephan Komandarev

Cambodia: ដុំហ្វីលចុងក្រោយ The Last Reel, Kulikar Sotho
Canada: Félix et Meira (Felix and Meira), Maxime Giroux
Chile: El Club (The Club), Pablo Larraín (Berlinale Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize winner)
China: 滚蛋吧！肿瘤君 Gun dan ba! Zhong liu jun (Go Away Mr. Tumor), Han Yan
Colombia: El Abrazo de la Serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent), Ciro Guerra (Cannes CICAE Arte Cinema Prize winner)
Costa Rica: Presos (Imprisoned), Esteban Ramírez
Croatia: Zvizdan (The High Sun), Dalibor Matanić (Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner)
Czech Republic: Domácí péče (Home Care), Slávek Horák

Denmark: Krigen (A War), Tobias Lindholm (Venice Orizzonti)
Dominican Republic: Dólares de Arena (Sand Dollars), Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán

Estonia: 1944, Elmo Nüganen
Ethiopia: Lamb, Yared Zeleke (Cannes Un Certain Regard)

Finland: Miekkailija (The Fencer), Klaus Härö
France: Mustang, Deniz Gamze Ergüven (Cannes Quinzaine Label Europa Cinemas Prize winner)

Georgia: მოირას Moira, Levan Tutberidze
Germany: Im Labyrinth des Schweigens (Labyrinth of Lies) by Giulio Ricciarelli
Greece: Xenia, Panos H. Koutras (2014 Cannes Un Certain Regard)
Guatemala: Ixcanul, Jayro Bustamante (Berlinale Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Award winner)

Hong Kong: 破風 To The Fore, Dante Lam
Hungary: Saul Fia (Son of Saul), László Nemes, Hungary (Cannes Grand Prix winner)

Iceland: Hrútar (Rams), Grímur Hákonarson (Cannes Un Certain Regard Prize winner)
India: कोर्ट Court, Chaitanya Tamhane (2014 Venice Orizzonti Best Film Award winner)
Iran: محمد رسول‌الله Muhammad (Muhammad the Messenger of God), Majid Majidi
Iraq: Bîreweriyên ser kevir (Memories on Stone), Şewket Emîn Korkî
Ireland: Viva, Paddy Breathnach
Israel: באבא ג'ון Baba Joon (Father John), Yuval Delshad
Italy: Non Essere Cattivo (Don't Be Bad), Claudio Caligari (Venice multiple Colllateral Awards winner)
Ivory Coast: Run, Philippe Lacôte (2014 Cannes Un Certain Regard)

Japan: 百円の恋 Hyakuen no koi (100 Yen Love), Masaharu Take
Jordan: ذيب‎ Theeb (Wolf), Naji Abu Nowar (2014 Venice Orizzonti Best Director Award winner)

Kazakhstan: Жат Zhat (Stranger), Yermek Tursunov
Kosovo: Babai (Father), Visar Morina
Kyrgyzstan: Сутак Sutak (Heavenly Nomadic), Mirlan Abdykalykov

Latvia: Modris, Juris Kursietis
Lebanon: وينن Waynon (Void), Tarek Korkomaz, Zeina Makki, Jad Beyrouthy, Christelle Ighniades, Salim Habr, Maria Abdel Karim, and Naji Bechara
Lithuania: Sangailės vasara (The Summer of Sangaile), Alantė Kavaitė (Berlinale Panorama)
Luxembourg: Baby(A)lone, Donato Rotunno

Macedonia: Медена ноќ Medena Nok (Honey Night), Ivo Trajkov
Malaysia: Lelaki Harapan Dunia ( Men Who Save the World), Seng Tat Liew
Mexico: 600 Millas (600 Miles), Gabriel Ripstein (Berlinale Best First Feature Award winner)
Montenegro: Ti mene nosiš (You Carry Me), Ivona Juka
Morocco: عايدة Aïda, Driss Mrini

Nepal: टलकजंग भर्सेस टुल्के Talakjung vs Tulke, Nichal Basnet
Netherlands: The Paradise Suite, Joost van Ginkel
Norway: Bølgen (The Wave), Roar Uthaug

Pakistan: ماں Moor (Mother), Jami
Palestine: The Wanted 18, Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan (animated documentary)
Paraguay: El Tiempo Nublado (Cloudy Times), Arami Ullón (documentary)
Peru: NN, Héctor Gálvez
Philippines: Heneral Luna, Jerrold Tarog
Poland:  11 Minut (11 Minutes), Jerzy  Skolimowski (Venezia72 Competition)
Portugal: As Mil e Uma Noites, Volume 2: O Desolado (Arabian Nights: Volume 2 - The Desolate), Miguel Gomes (Cannes Directors Fortnight)

Romania: Aferim!, Radu Jude (Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Director winner)
Russia: Солнечный удар Solnechnyy udar (Sunstroke), Nikita Mikhalkov

Serbia: Enklava (Enclave), Goran Radovanović
Singapore: 7 Letters, Royston Tan, Kelvin Tong, Eric Khoo, Jack Neo, Tan Pin Pin, Boo Junfeng, and K. Rajagopal
Slovakia: Koza (Goat), Ivan Ostrochovský (Berlinale Forum)
Slovenia: Drevo (The Tree), Sonja Prosenc
South Africa: Thina Sobabili (The Two of Us), Ernest Nkosi
South Korea: 사도 Sado (The Throne), Lee Joon-ik
Spain: Loreak (Flowers), Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga
Sweden: En duva satt på en gren och funderade över tillvaron (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence), Roy Andersson (2014 Venice Golden Lion Winner)
Switzerland: Iraqi Odyssey, Samir (Berlinale 3rd Place Documentary Panorama Audience Award - documentary)

Taiwan: 刺客聂隐娘 Nie Yin niang (The Assassin), Hou Hsiao-Hsien (Cannes Best Director award winner)
Thailand: พี่ชาย My Hero (How to Win At Checkers (Every Time)), Josh Kim (Berlinale Panorama)
Turkey: Sivas, Kaan Müjdeci (2014 Biennale Special Jury Prize winner)

United Kingdom: Dan Y Wenallt (Under Milk Wood), Kevin Allen
Uruguay: Una Noche Sin Luna (A Moonless Night), Germán Tejeira

Venezuela: Dauna. Lo Que Lleva el Río (Gone with the River), Mario Crespo (Berlinale NATIVe section)
Vietnam: Trúng số (Jackpot), Dustin Nguyễn

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 5:30 am PT BUT a week before, AMPAS announces the short list with 9 films.

Check film posters at 88th Academy Awards Foreign-Language category tumblr here.
Check available trailers @MOC.
Check category country info -most in original language- at pinterest here.



Post Comments:
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9/30/15
Today, September 30, another update without moving the post to keep links working, sigh. Tomorrow October 1st at 5:00pm PT is the deadline for submissions to the foreign-language film category and even do up-to-this-minute there are 76 submissions, I'm starting to wonder if last year record (83) will be possible this year.

We already know that Cuba and Nigeria will not send a film this year but there are several other countries that could appear in the final list and we will not know it until the Academy publishes their official list with accepted submissions, which usually happens within 10-15 days after October 1st.

Know that there is some buzz about an Indonesian submission but haven't been able to find a reliable source. Then we have one site that published an Ukrainian submission BUT I haven't been able to find a reliable source and let me share that I have been having a blast reading since late August all the trials and tribulations Ukraine film industry is having after last year's scandal when most Oscar Committee resign when they send a movie that was not favorite The Tribe. As a matter of fact, early September news were that there were 2 new Oscar committees and that both sent requests for acceptance to AMPAS; that's probably the reason why AMPAS didn't approve one, or maybe they did but news diluted when the "new" scandal surfaced: both Russia and Ukraine wanted to send the same movie! The last scandal went quiet when Russia announced their official submission. Since then another movie appeared in the news but according to dear Google translation, film producers "regret" not being the Oscar entry as there will be no submission this year. Believe me or not, this is a brief summary of what I have been reading for the past month. Sigh. Nevertheless we will learn if movie made it or not, when the Academy publishes their list.

There are quite a few countries that haven't announce a movie or declare that they will not submit this year, like for example, Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Moldova, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and UK. Just noticed that listed 7 countries, which is exactly the number of countries needed to reach last year's record of 83, so maybe this year will reach the same number of submissions.

Have to comment on the lack of fact editing from the industry major magazines/publications as there was a news dispatch from Madrid that went allover the world and was telling something that was not accurate. Talking about Variety, which as of that moment became another unreliable source for me and make things harder as was the only industry magazine that I still believed to be accurate. To make things worst, they never apologized for the mistake, nor correct it, nor acknowledged people leaving messages that info was not correct. Sigh.

As in previous years, my comments will come after AMPAS publishes their list and below list is adjusted accordingly, if necessary. Let's hope more countries participate with films as to be honest, most movies didn't tickle my desire to watch them. Of course there are a few extraordinary films that I have to watch but most of the "good" ones I have seen them already! YAY!!!

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9/17/15
Today, September 17, is a good time to remind all that for now, this list is about the submissions that each country announces.

After AMPAS deadline on October 1st -usually within 10 days- the Academy publishes the list of accepted submissions, meaning the country submissions that comply with all the category rules and qualify to be in the run for a nomination. It is then that list becomes final and 100% accurate.

Will not update post as link will be broke (strongly dislike blogger for this), so post will not be updated until after October 1st.

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9/1/15
Post goes up and previous links will not work, sigh, as now blogger changes the post address when post is re-published. But links are updated in the left column and above.

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Latest News - October 8 afternoon: AMPAS published the final list. Will comment after updating list plus all the other places.

China has a different movie, Panama is NOT in list.

October 8 morning: From different sources have info for Ethiopia and Singapore, but as the deadline was one week ago, will wait for the Academy list to include them IF films made it before the deadline. Nevertheless, so I will not forget, these are the films: Lamb for Ethiopia and 7 Letters for Singapore.