2016 Golden Globes Foreign Language Film Submissions

Next Thursday, December 10th,  we will learn the Golden Globe nominations but just yesterday HFPA organizers released the list of films that were submitted for consideration to get a nomination.

Part of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s mission is to foster greater understanding through cinema. It is in that spirit that a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film is awarded each year. This year 71 films were submitted for consideration in this category representing 46 countries. Multiple films from any one country may be submitted.

In order to qualify for Foreign Language consideration, a film must have at least 51% of its dialogue in a language other than English, it must be released in its country or countries (in case of co-production) of origin between Nov. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2015, and it must have an official screening for HFPA voting members. The HFPA Foreign Language category rules allow American productions that are in languages other than English. A motion picture also qualifies if censorship prevented it from being released in its country of origin, as long as it had a one-week release in the United States during the qualifying period.

HFPA journalists, who themselves cover Hollywood film and television for publications from over 30 countries, know that it is important to promote awareness of world cinema in the United States. It is often not easy for many of these films to gain an international audience beyond their borders. We feel it is a great privilege to experience the best the world has to offer through the eyes of authors from around the globe. Every year we stagger from screenings bleary-eyed but gratified by the realization that few things give us an opportunity to understand other people – and realize how alike we really all are – as much as movies.

In that spirit the HFPA presents an overview of all foreign language films submitted to our consideration for the 73rd Golden Globes.

Most films are also in the AMPAS same category list; but as the Golden Globes allow multiple films from same country, this list becomes a bit more interesting and to my surprise France ties first place with German, each having 7 submissions. Remarkable is that AMPAS disqualified Victoria by Sebastian Schipper -for too much English- and HFPA accepted the submission! (sigh). Nevertheless when we consider co productions, France is the absolute leader in the list.

There were some films that I wasn't aware of, which makes this exercise of discovering info for those films quite exciting as some have become must be seen and increase more a never-ending queue of films to watch.

Germany (7)
Elser (13 Minutes), Oliver Hirschbiegel
Hilfe, ich hab meine Lehrerin geschrumpft (Help I Shrunk My Teacher), Sven Unterwaldt Jr.
Hirschen - Da machst was mit! (Hirchen), George Inci
Honig im Koft (Head Full of Honey), Til Schweiger and Lars Gmehling
Im Labyrinth des Schweigens (Labyrinth of Lies), Giulio Ricciarelli
Phoenix, Christian Petzold
Victoria, Sebastian Schipper.

France (7)
Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
Eden, Mia Hansen-Løve
La French (The Connection), Cédric Jimenez
Loin des Hommes (Far From Men), David Oelhoffen
Marguerite, Xavier Giannoli
Mustang, Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Une Nouvelle Amie (The New Girlfriend), François Ozon

Argentina (4)
Francisco - El Padre Jorge (Francis Pray for Me), Beda Docampo Feijóo
El Clan (The Clan), Pablo Trapero
El Patrón, Anatomía de un Crimen (The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime), Sebastián Schindel
Jauja, Lisandro Alonso

China (4)
Dao shi xia shan (Monk Comes Down the Mountain), Kaige Chen
Shan he gu ren (Mountains May Depart), Jia Zhangke
Wolf Totem, Jean-Jacques Annaud
Yi bu zhi yao (Gone With the Bullets), Wen Jiang

Mexico (3)
600 Millas (600 Miles), Gabriel Ripstein
Gloria, Christian Keller
Tiempos Felices (Happy Times), Luis Javier M. Henaine

Turkey (3)
Kirimli (Crimean), Burak Arliel
Lost Birds, Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci
Sivas, Kaan Müjdeci

Denmark (2)
Krigen (A War), Tobias Lindholm
Mænd & høns (Men & Chicken), Anders Thomas Jensen

Finland (2)
Kätilö (The Midwife), Antii Jokinen
Miekkailija (The Fencer), Klaus Härö

Israel (2)
Apples From The Desert, Matti Harari and Arik Lubetzki
באבא ג'ון Baba Joon (Father John), Yuval Delshad

Italy (2)
Mia Madre (My Mother), Nanni Moretti
Non essere cattivo (Don't Be Bad), Claudio Caligari

Romania (2)
Aferim!, Radu Jude
Cel Ales (The Chosen One), Cristian Comeaga

Afghanistan: آرمان شهر Utopia, Hassan Nazer
Austria: Ich seh, ich seh (Goodnight Mommy), Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz
Belgium: Le Tout Nouveau Testament (The Brand New Testament), Jaco Van Dormael
Brazil: Que Horas Ela Volta? (The Second Mother), Anna Muylaert
Canada: Félix et Meira (Felix and Meira), Maxime Giroux
Chile: El Club (The Club), Pablo Larraín
Croatia: Zvizdan (The High Sun), Dalibor Matanić
Czech Republic: Domácí péče (Home Care), Slávek Horák
Estonia: 1944, Elmo Nüganen
Georgia: მოირას Moira, Levan Tutberidze
Guatemala: Ixcanul, Jayro Bustamante
Haiti: Rasin Mwen, Robinson Vil
Hong Kong: 破風 To The Fore, Dante Lam
Hungary: Saul Fia (Son of Saul), László Nemes,
Iceland: Hrútar (Rams), Grímur Hákonarson
Iran: Taxi (Taxi Tehran), Jafar Panhi
Ireland: Viva, Paddy Breathnach
Japan: Umimachi Diary (Our Little Sister), Hirokazu Koreeda
Jordan: ذيب‎ Theeb (Wolf), Naji Abu Nowar
Kazakhstan: Жат Zhat (Stranger), Yermek Tursunov
Kyrgyztan: Сутак Sutak (Heavenly Nomadic), Mirlan Abdykalykov
Malaysia: Lelaki Harapan Dunia ( Men Who Save the World), Seng Tat Liew
Montenegro: Ti mene nosiš (You Carry Me), Ivona Juka
Morocco: Zin Li Fik (Much Loved), Nabil Ayouch
Netherlands: The Paradise Suite, Joost van Ginkel
Norway: Bølgen (The Wave), Roar Uthaug
Philippines: Heneral Luna, Jerrold Tarog
Poland: 11 Minut (11 Minutes), Jerzy Skolimowski
Russia: Chaiki (The Gulls), Ella Manzheeva
South Africa: Thina Sobabili (The Two of Us), Ernest Nkosi
South Korea: 사도 Sado (The Throne), Lee Joon-ik
Syria: Four O'clock at Paradise, Mohamad Abdulaziz
Thailand: พี่ชาย My Hero (How to Win At Checkers (Every Time)), Josh Kim

Of these, five (5) nominees will be announced on December 10, 2015. One will win the award on January 10, 2016. If you wish to read announcement at the official site go here. Can't deny my most pleasant surprise when I learned way back that Ricky Gervais is back!!! Gee, I really enjoy his dry/black humor.