96th Academy Awards International Feature Film Submissions

Friday, December 8th, 2023
This is the last update as the Academy released the list of eligible films in the International Feature Film category and there are 88 films to be considered for the shortlist of 15 that will be released on December 21st.

From last update Cuba is not included in final list as well as those countries mentioned in previous lists. According to all announcements of films to be considered by the Academy for the International Feature Film category done by different sources since August 2023, there are four (4) films that did not make the final official list and they are from these countries/territories: Cuba, Hong Kong. Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

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76th Festival de Cannes Award Winners

As several awards have been announced decided to start post today. Post will be in progress until after the awards ceremony on Saturday, May 27th.

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76th Cannes Film Festival Lineup

Update 2 - May 12, 2023 - Today organizers uploaded info, available trailers and more for each movie in the Official Selection and post becomes final after the current update. There are some incongruences that still have to figure out but generally speaking what has been announced in previous press releases is included in the correspondent section. So, there are only 6 days to opening day and I am looking forward to the start of the greatest cinema feast. Enjoy!!!

Update 1 - April 27, 2023 -Recently festival organizers released the Additions to the Selection and list includes film that were expected but nevertheless are not only great additions but also extraordinary films by some great master filmmakers.
In Competition Black Flies and Le Retour were added, in Cannes Premier Perdidos en la Noche, L'amour et les forets, and Eureka; in Out of Competition L'abbe pierre-une vie de combats; in Un Certain Regard Only the River Flows and Une Nuit; in Short Film Filles du Feu; in Special Screenings, Little Girl Blue, Bread and Roses and Le theoreme de Marguerite; in Midnight Screening Hypnotic and Project Silence.

Above films means that more well-known actors and directors will/could walk the red carpet to delight of all who also appreciates the light side of the festival. So, Viggo Mortensen, Chiara Mastroianni -who is this edition Master of Ceremonies-, Marion Cottillard, Amat Escalante, Lisandro Alonso, Virginie Efira, Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, and more.

Seems no more films will be announced but will wait until info about each film is uploaded to official site to make this post final.
-end of update-

April 14, 2023

Yesterday the much awaited press conference with the announcement of the Official Selection for the Cannes Film Festival took place and, besides the long speeches, the list of films was out-of-the-ordinary and gave absolute feeling that festival wishes to recoup its past glories and top-of-mind in the festival circuit and the film industry.

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#Oscars2019 Foreign-Language Films Shortlist

Yesterday the Academy announced the films that will advance to be considered for a nomination in several categories; one of them is the foreign language film where nine (9) films advance.

Most of us recall the process but for those that don't here it is: Los Angeles-based Academy members from all branches screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 10. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

There are no surprises in this shortlist as includes the five that believe will obtain a nomination and if they don't, then that will be a huge surprise.  I'm talking about Roma, Cold War, Shoplifters, Burning and Capernaum.  Among the other four perhaps the most unexpected is Kazakhstan submission but we have to remember that film got the Best Actress award at 2018 Cannes.

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91st Academy Awards Foreign Language Film Submissions

Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Update

Yesterday the Academy released the accepted foreign-language films that will compete to be included in the shortlist of 9, get one of the 5 nominations and the ultimate goal, win an Oscar.

This year there are a total of eighty-seven (87) films, five short of last year ninety-two and there are quite a few countries that submit for the first time like Belarus and Malawi, for example.

Until yesterday the list had 81 countries, but there are not 6 new as 2 are out (Cuba and Kyrgyzstan) and 8 (Armenia, Australia, China, Kazakhstan, Malawi, New Zealand, Niger, Yemen) are new.   There are few films that have a different English name in the official list and for post purposes the list below will have the names in the official list, even when at least one film, official English name is not the one in AMPAS list.

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71st Festival de Cannes Official Selection - Update 1

As announced during the press conference of April 12th, today, April 19, organizers announced the films added to the composition of the Official Selection 2018.

There is some relief to my not positive feeling that this year there is an incredibly great official competition jury and there are not many great films for them to select winners from.  But now things can change a bit as, ladies and gentlemen, please notice that Nuri Bilge Ceylan is as of now in the competition to win the Palme d'or and perhaps has become the top contender along Jia Zhangke.  Well, at least their films have become must-be-seen for me no matter whatever happens in Cannes.

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2018 Cannes Possible Films - The Buzz

As happens every single year, Cannes buzz starts during Berlinale and gets louder when Berlinale ends.  Even do been following the buzz since then this year haven't post anything as some of you guessed right, my life has changed and now it's not easy to keep on writing for you, loyal readers.  But no matter how many changes have happened or will occur, Cannes is Cannes for me and have to (or at least will try to) write my regular posts about the buzz, my wish list and all the other stuff done in the previous years.

No, this is not my Wish List but the usual compilation of possible films that could make it to Cannes which usually do in February but well, I'm doing it a month later and by now most industry publications have done their own lists, so it's not a novelty but will be a lot easier to make it, lol.

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#Cannes2016 Carrosse d'Or

Waking up to great news always makes a great day and I'm truly happy to share with you all that one of my most-favorite directors will be honored this year with the honor given to a director by his peers. La Carrose d'Or (Golden Coach) is a tribute by directors of Société des réalisateurs (SRF) to one of their own, chosen from the international filmmaking community for the innovative qualities, courage and independent-mindedness of his or her work.

The Carrosse d'Or is a bronze statuette inspired by the figures of the Comedia dell'Arte and Jean Renoir's film of the same name – it was created by painter-sculptor Lili Legouvello.

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2015 FIPRESCI Grand Prix Winner

Today FIPRESCI announced the annual Grand Prix - Best Film of the Year award winner and to my HUGE surprise Mad Max: Fury Road is the winner! Yes, my spontaneous initial reaction was tinted with the unexpected as never imagined that this movie could share honors with films by Michael Haneke, Paul Thomas Anderson, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and more.

But when the surprise settles down the George Miller's film appears as a movie that absolutely deserves the award as film has all the markers for well-traveling between great cinema and entertainment movie, which makes film quite outstanding indeed.

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#Venezia72 Check No. 5 - From Europe and Asia

Turn to check two (2) bi-continental directors, Emin Alpert from Turkey and outstanding Aleksandr Sokurov from Russia

Emin Alper

Not much info about this director but here are the basics; most data comes from Berlinale official site. Born on August 13, 1974 in Konya, Turkey. Trained in Economics and History at Bogazici University-Istambul; holds a PH.D. degree in Turkish Modern History. He teaches at Istanbul Technical University's Humanities and Social Sciences Department.

He is the writer and director of the short films, 2005 Mekup (The Letter) and 2006 Rifat. He has also occasionally acted in a couple of short films. His debut feature film, Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill), collected multiple accolades all over the world after premiering in 2012 Berlinale Forum section.

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72nd Venice Film Festival Lineup - Update 1

Two new titles complete the lineup of the festival that is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale chaired by Paolo Baratta.

The first is Tharlo by Tibetan director Pema Tseden in the Orizzonti section and the second is Out of Competition documentary I ricordi del fiune by Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio. Also today was announced the Orizzonti opening film and is none other than the film by Rodrigo Plá, Un Monstruo de Mil Cabezas (A Monster with a Thousand Heads).

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2015 The Carrosse d'Or (Golden Coach)

The Carrosse d’Or Prize has been awarded since 2002 by the filmmakers of the Société des réalisateurs de films (SRF) to honor one of their own during Cannes Film Festival.  The Carrosse d'Or is a bronze statuette inspired by the figures of the Comedia dell'Arte and Jean Renoir's film of the same name – it was created by painter-sculptor Lili Legouvello.  The recipient is chosen from the international filmmaking community for the innovative qualities, courage and independent-mindedness of his or her work.

Since its creation in 2002, this prize has been given to Jacques Rozier, Clint Eastwood, Nanni Moretti, Sembene Ousmane, David Cronenberg, Alain Cavalier, Jim Jarmusch, Naomie Kawasé, Agnès Varda, Jafar Panahi, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Jane Campion and Alain Resnais.

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40th César Awards Winners

After an extremely long awards ceremony I was exhausted. Organizers should do something about the length of the acceptance speeches as some take too long saying not much; but even when social media goes crazy complaining or viewers get tired watching broadcast, know is very polite to let award winners have their 15 minutes of fame. See, this award show is more about the winners than about ratings, TV viewers or even the audience at the theater. Which is the way it should be, isn't?

Timbuktu is the big winner with 7 awards out of 9 nominations, followed by Thomas Cailley debut feature film, Les Combattants with 3 awards out of 9 nominations.  Unfortunately a very unconventional thus great non-commercial cinema film, was the big loser as from 10 nominations got only 1 award for Best Costumes, the magnificent Saint Laurent by Bertrand Bonello.

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27th European Film Awards Winners

 In less than 30 minutes the live stream of the awards will began and in about an hour the awards ceremony will start. I'll be updating this post as soon as winners are announced, so if you wish to learn them fast refresh post often.

Unfortunately there is no way to embed stream but if you wish to watch ceremony go here.

Was thinking that this award needs more credibility as most of the "big stars" that were nominated are NOT there. Wonder if they learn who wins before the show so they HAVE TO attend (at least!) or not attend (which if done is really bad for show). I have seen my share of European TV, from musical magazine to awards and yes, the format is quite different from the ones used in America. I use to enjoy the EFA's ceremony because it was very elegant, very European and didn't try to be funny or an American award show. 2014 brings a TV show that is not that much entertaining as yes I do miss Anke and this is so boring that I'm writing instead of watching show. Sigh. Wish they could go back to the more elegant style of show.

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8th Asia Pacific Screen Awards Winners

As happened to me last year, this year was not able to see the awards ceremony live -which upsets me as this ceremony is very ceremonial, so different to what we see in in the west. Nevertheless can't deny that I'm very pleased that the movie of one of my favorite directors won the top award -which wasn't difficult as there were two of my favorite directors competing head to head-. Yes Andrey Zvyagintsev acclaimed Leviathan won the top award and to not upset Palme d'Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan (and me), the jury gave him the Best Director award for Winter Sleep.

As we know these awards recognize and promote cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest-growing film region: comprising 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world’s film output. 2014 was a very good year for the are as produced many of the year greatest world films that were honored in Cannes and continued to collect multiple awards around the world.

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2015 Golden Globes Foreign Language Films Long List

Recently the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced that there are 53 motion pictures that have been approved for Golden Globe consideration in the Foreign Language category. 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, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2014, and it must have an official screening for HFPA voting members.

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For Your Consideration: Foreign-Language Film 2015 Oscar Category Predictions

Guessing the nine films that will make the category shortlist out of the 83 entries is no easy task especially when more than half the entries come from film festivals and many seem to be out of the ordinary films, some by outstanding established directors while others by just starting directors. Then if you think you guessed right from the buzz films have, you have seen some films and/or pundits claim films are good, you will discover that all you know might be wrong as you are NOT representative of the actual voters, the Academy members in the foreign-language committee that will select the nine films in the shortlist.

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27th European Film Awards - Long List

During a press conference in Riga, European Capital of Culture 2014 where this year’s 27th European Film Awards will take place, the European Film Academy and EFA Productions announced the titles of the 50 films on this year’s selection list, the list of films recommended for a nomination for the European Film Awards! With 31 European countries represented, the list once again illustrates the great diversity in European cinema.

In the 20 countries with the most EFA Members, these members have voted one national film directly into the selection list. To complete the list, a Selection Committee consisting of EFA Board Members and invited experts Mark Adams (UK), Marit Kapla (Sweden), Stefan Kitanov (Bulgaria), Paz Lázaro (Spain), Christophe Leparc (France) and Elma Tataragic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) has included further films.

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87th Academy Awards Foreign Language Film Submissions

October 10th, 2014

Yesterday the Academy published the list with a record eighty-three films submitted for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category with Malta, Mauritania, Panama and Kosovo being first-time entrants.

According to AMPAS news the published list are still submissions which somehow makes me wonder IF all will be accepted as seems that there are a few films that have a foreign language but also English and IF English is spoken above the acceptable quota, film will be disqualified. Perhaps soon we will learn if there will be or not films with too much English spoken.

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41st Telluride Film Festival Program Guide

As every year the tiny mountain village of Telluride in Colorado "triples" in size with what I consider the best film festival in North America and all the very lucky cinema enthusiasts that are able to attend as they were able to grab a ticket before the always weeks ahead of opening day sold out sign.

This year the fest program us with many excellent movies (the best are from 2014 Cannes) plus several tributes and special events; but to my surprise the 2014 Cannes Palme d'Or winner is not in their program and unless becomes a "sneak preview" North-Americans will have not be able to watch Winter Sleep by Nuri Bilge Ceylan at the fest.

The 2014 Program Guide

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