Hit Arabic TV show “Al Hayba,” about a family of arms smugglers working the border between Syria and Lebanon, is set for a Turkish adaptation in a milestone deal inked between prominent Lebanese film and TV production company Cedars Art Production and Turkish TV powerhouse Ay Yapim (“Forbidden Love”).
The “Al Hayba” agreement between Cedars Art and Ay Yapim marks the first international adaptation of an Arabic longform format in recent times and also the first time an Arabic show gets a redo in Turkey, which is among the top exporters of TV dramas around the world.
“We are proud to be the first in the world to offer a regional Arabic [longform narrative] format for international licensing,” Cedars Art president Sadek Sabbah told Variety, calling the deal “a very big opportunity for our company and also for other Arabic producers, because it can take Arabic production to the next level.”
Sabbah...
The “Al Hayba” agreement between Cedars Art and Ay Yapim marks the first international adaptation of an Arabic longform format in recent times and also the first time an Arabic show gets a redo in Turkey, which is among the top exporters of TV dramas around the world.
“We are proud to be the first in the world to offer a regional Arabic [longform narrative] format for international licensing,” Cedars Art president Sadek Sabbah told Variety, calling the deal “a very big opportunity for our company and also for other Arabic producers, because it can take Arabic production to the next level.”
Sabbah...
- 10/28/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming platforms are increasingly gaining traction across the Middle East, prompting Arab TV production companies to start transitioning from churning out strictly local shows — many of which launched during Ramadan — to making bolder skeins, some with ambitions for international play.
After a slow start, the subscription video-on-demand market in the 13 leading Arabic territories is expected to rise from 8.61 million paying SVOD customers by the end of this year to 15 million by 2026, according to a recent study by London-based Digital TV Research.
Over the next five years, the study predicts that current market leader Netflix will increase subs from 3.4 million to 5.4 million, beating Amazon, which is still a small player in the region, and also beating fast-growing local platforms Shahid VIP, Starz Play Arabia and Osn, whose numbers are currently boosted by its content deal with Disney. Meanwhile, Disney Plus has announced that it will launch in the Middle East next summer,...
After a slow start, the subscription video-on-demand market in the 13 leading Arabic territories is expected to rise from 8.61 million paying SVOD customers by the end of this year to 15 million by 2026, according to a recent study by London-based Digital TV Research.
Over the next five years, the study predicts that current market leader Netflix will increase subs from 3.4 million to 5.4 million, beating Amazon, which is still a small player in the region, and also beating fast-growing local platforms Shahid VIP, Starz Play Arabia and Osn, whose numbers are currently boosted by its content deal with Disney. Meanwhile, Disney Plus has announced that it will launch in the Middle East next summer,...
- 10/10/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
World premieres for Patricia Rozema, Guy Édoin and Stephen Dunn are among the selection scheduled to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff).
”The festival is excited to showcase these distinctively Canadian voices,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock.
“From compelling documentaries on pressing social issues and complex, affecting dramas to political satires, we are proud to share the impressive range and talent of Canada’s directors.”
“This year’s filmmakers represent the depth and diversity of Canadian storytelling,” said the festival’s film programmes manager Magali Simard.
“By presenting the strong perspectives of the best and brightest in the film industry from across the country, we share with audiences the unique ways Canadians view the world.”
The films will compete for the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, while the City Of Toronto Award For Best Canadian First Feature Film is also up for grabs.
This year’s Canadian awards jurors are director...
”The festival is excited to showcase these distinctively Canadian voices,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock.
“From compelling documentaries on pressing social issues and complex, affecting dramas to political satires, we are proud to share the impressive range and talent of Canada’s directors.”
“This year’s filmmakers represent the depth and diversity of Canadian storytelling,” said the festival’s film programmes manager Magali Simard.
“By presenting the strong perspectives of the best and brightest in the film industry from across the country, we share with audiences the unique ways Canadians view the world.”
The films will compete for the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, while the City Of Toronto Award For Best Canadian First Feature Film is also up for grabs.
This year’s Canadian awards jurors are director...
- 8/5/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Palm Springs International Film Festival has increasingly become an important stop on the awards calendar for foreign language films. While the desert fest hands out an international critics prize, it’s more about the filmmakers getting a chance to rub shoulders with Academy members just before nominations ballots are due. The upcoming 26th annual fest is running January 2-12 and has announced the movies that will compete for the Fipresci prize in its Awards Buzz section. Fifty of the 83 official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar are on the list with the titles chosen believed by festival programmers to be the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards race. A special jury of international film critics will screen the films and hand out a Fipresci for an individual title as well as Best Actor and Best Actress. While the fest doesn’t always match the eventual Oscar winner,...
- 12/2/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
The organisers of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will screen 50 of the 83 foreign-language Oscar submissions.
A jury of international film critics will be convened to bestow the Fipresci Award for best foreign language film of the year, as well as best actor and best actress in this category.
Further film programmes will be announced in the coming weeks. Psiff is set to run from January 2-12.
The Awards Buzz selections in alphabetical order of country are:
A Few Cubic Meters Of Love (Afghanistan), Jamshid Mahmoudi:
Wild Tales (Argentina), Damián Szifrón;
Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer;
The Dark Valley (Austria), Andreas Prochaska;
Nabat (Azerbaijan), Elchin Musaoglu;
Two Days, One Night (Belgium-France-Italy), Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne;
The Way He Looks (Brazil), Daniel Ribeiro;
Mommy (Canada), Xavier Dolan;
To Kill A Man (Chile), Alejandro Fernández Almendras;
The Nightingale (China), Philippe Muyl;
Mateo (Colombia), Maria Gamboa;
Cowboys (Croatia), Tomislav Mršić;
Behavior (Cuba), Director [link=nm...
A jury of international film critics will be convened to bestow the Fipresci Award for best foreign language film of the year, as well as best actor and best actress in this category.
Further film programmes will be announced in the coming weeks. Psiff is set to run from January 2-12.
The Awards Buzz selections in alphabetical order of country are:
A Few Cubic Meters Of Love (Afghanistan), Jamshid Mahmoudi:
Wild Tales (Argentina), Damián Szifrón;
Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer;
The Dark Valley (Austria), Andreas Prochaska;
Nabat (Azerbaijan), Elchin Musaoglu;
Two Days, One Night (Belgium-France-Italy), Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne;
The Way He Looks (Brazil), Daniel Ribeiro;
Mommy (Canada), Xavier Dolan;
To Kill A Man (Chile), Alejandro Fernández Almendras;
The Nightingale (China), Philippe Muyl;
Mateo (Colombia), Maria Gamboa;
Cowboys (Croatia), Tomislav Mršić;
Behavior (Cuba), Director [link=nm...
- 12/2/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Every year Hollywood gets a curated batch of films from dozens of countries seeking an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. One film per nation is chosen to represent the best of its cinematic production during the previous year. Certainly the chosen film is not always the ideal candidate, but the reasoning behind the selection usually follows two patterns: there are countries that go with the best film even if this is not the most appealing choice and there are countries that go with the most ambitious, industry-friendly, and financially successful work. This year the astonishing number of submissions – a total of 83 – makes for an incredible list of films that range from those that sport festival pedigree of the highest caliber, unknown gems looking for an audience, expensive visual achievements, and obscure art house hopefuls.
This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).
With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.
Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.
Period Dramas/Biopics
Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”
Masters and Festival Winners
Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.
Out of the Box
Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.
Documentaries
Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.
Lgbt
Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.
Surprising Choices
As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.
First Timers
The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.
Female Directors
Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”
U.S. Distribution
Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”
To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.
Afghanistan
"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)
Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Argentina
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Dir: Damián Szifrón
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
Austria
"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)
Dir: Andreas Prochaska
Language: German
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Australia
"Charlie's Country"
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Language: Yolŋu Matha/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Visit Films
Trailer
Azerbaijan
"Nabat"
Dir: Elcin Musaoglu
Language: Azerbaijani
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Bangladesh
"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)
Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Language: Bengali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Impress Telefilm
Trailer
Belgium
"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Language: French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects
Isa: Wild Bunch
Trailer
Bolivia
"Forgotten" (Olvidados)
Dir: Carlos Bolado
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Flor de Loto Pictures
Trailer
Bosnia & Herzegovina
"With Mom" (Sa mamom)
Dir: Faruk Loncarevic
Language: Bosnian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Scca/pro.ba
TraileR
Brazil
"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Dir: Daniel Ribeiro
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Bulgaria
"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)
Dir: Ivan Nitchev
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Cinepaz Eood
Trailer
Canada
"Mommy"
Dir: Xavier Dolan
Language: French/English
U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Seville International
Trailer
Chile
"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)
Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
China
"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)
Dir: Philippe Muyl
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Kinology
Trailer
Colombia
"Mateo"
Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Alpha Violet
Trailer
Costa Rica
"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)
Dir: Laura Astorga ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films Trailer
Croatia
"Cowboys" (Kauboji)
Dir: Tomislav Mrsic
Language: Croatian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Cuba
"Behavior" (Conducta)
Dir: Ernesto Daranas
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films
Trailer
Czech Republic
"Fair Play"
Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková
Language: Czech
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: IntraMovies
Trailer
Denmark
"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)
Dir: Nils Malmros
Language: Danish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Nordisk Film Production
Trailer
Dominican Republic
"Cristo Rey"
Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: The Little Film Company
Trailer
Ecuador
"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)
Dir: Tito Molina
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Facultad
Trailer
Egypt
"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )
Dir: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: DayDream Art Production
Trailer
Estonia
"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)
Dir: Zaza Urushadze
Language: Estonian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Cinemavault
Trailer
Ethiopia
"Difret"
Dir: Zeresenay Mehari
Language: Amharic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Finland
"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)
Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀
Language: Finnish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Film Republic Trailer
France
"Saint Laurent"
Dir: Bertrand Bonello
Language: French
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Europacorp
Trailer
Georgia
"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)
Dir: George Ovashvili
Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Arizona Productions
Trailer
Germany
"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Dir: Dominik Graf
Language: German /French
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Global Screen
Trailer
Greece
"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)
Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris
Language: Greek
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Black Orange
Trailer
Hong Kong
"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)
Dir: Ann Hui ♀
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Edko Films
Trailer
Hungary
"White God" (Fehér isten)
Dir: Kornél Mundruczó
Language: Hungarian/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: The Match Factory
Trailer
Iceland
"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)
Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson
Language: None Yet
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
India
"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)
Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀
Language: Hindi
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Jar Pictures Trailer
Indonesia
"Soekarno"
Dir: Hanung Bramantyo
Language: Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Mvp Pictures
Trailer
Iran
"Today" (امروز )
Dir: Reza Mirkarimi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Iraq
"Mardan"
Dir: Batin Ghobadi
Language: Kurdish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Versatile Trailer
Ireland
"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)
Dir: Tom Collins
Language: Irish/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Rosg/De Facto Films
Trailer
Israel
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)
Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz
Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Italy
"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)
Dir: Paolo Virzì
Language: Italian
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
PC: Indiana Production Company
Trailer
Japan
"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)
Dir: Mipo Oh ♀
Language: Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Open Sesame
Trailer
Kosovo
"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)
Dir: Isa Qosja
Language: Albanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: CMb Productions
Trailer
Kyrgyzstan
"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)
Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Language: Kirghiz
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Aitysh Film
Trailer
Latvia
"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)
Dir: Signe Baumane ♀
Language: Latvian
U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Trailer
Lebanon
"Ghadi" (غدي)
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
Lithuania
"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)
Dir: Ignas Jonynas
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Luxembourg
"Never Die Young"
Dir: Pol Cruchten
Language: French
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest Distribution
Trailer
MacEdonia
"To the Hilt" (До балчак)
Dir: Stole Popov
Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Triangle Film- Skopje
Trailer
Malta
"Simshar"
Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀
Language: Maltese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Kukumajsa Productions
Trailer
Mauritania
"Timbuktu"
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako
Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Le Pacte
Trailer
Mexico
"Cantinflas"
Dir: Sebastian del Amo
Language: Spanish/English
U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Moldova
"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)
Dir: Igor Cobileanski
Language: Romanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer
Montenegro
"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)
Dir: Nikola Vukcevic
Language: Serbian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Artikulacija Production
Trailer
Morocco
"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)
Dir: Hassan Benjelloun
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Bentaqerla
Trailer
Nepal
"Jhola" (झोला)
Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Language: Nepali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Media for Culture
Trailer
The Netherlands
"Accused" (Lucia de B.)
Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀
Language: Dutch
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
New Zealand
"The Dead Lands"
Dir: Toa Fraser
Language: Maori
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Xyz Films
Trailer
Norway
"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)
Dir: Bent Hamer
Language: Norwegian/French/ English
U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber
Isa: Les Films du Losange
Trailer
Pakistan
"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)
Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀
Language: Urdu
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Zambeel Films
Trailer
Palestine
"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)
Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Ustura Films Trailer
Panama
"Invasion" (Invasión)
Dir: Abner Benaim
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Apertura Films Trailer
Peru
"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)
Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Soga Producciones
Trailer
The Philippines
"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)
Dir: Lav Diaz
Language: Tagalog/English
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Poland
"Ida"
Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski
Language: Polish
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Portobello Film Sales
Trailer
Portugal
"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)
Dir: Joaquim Pinto
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
PC: C.R.I.M Productions
Trailer
Romania
"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)
Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Language: Romanian/Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Russia
"Leviathan" (Левиафан)
Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Language: Russian
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Pyramide International
Trailer
Serbia
"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)
Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Intermedia Network
Trailer
Singapore
"Sayang Disayang"
Dir: Sanif Olek
Language: Malay/Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: ReelJuice
Trailer
Slovakia
"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)
Dir: Miloslav Luther
Language: Slovak
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Trigon Production Trailer
Slovenia
"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)
Dir: Marko Santic
Language: Slovenian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Radio-Television Slovenia
Trailer
South Africa
"Elelwani"
Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Language: Venda
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution
Trailer
South Korea
"Haemoo" (해무)
Dir: Sung Bo Shim
Language: Korean
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Finecut
Trailer
Spain
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)
Dir: David Trueba
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Sweden
"Force Majeure" (Turist)
Dir: Ruben Östlund
Language: Swedish/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
Trailer
Switzerland
"The Circle" (Der Kreis)
Dir: Stefan Haupt
Language: Swiss German/ German/ French
U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video
Isa: Wide House
Trailer
Taiwan
"Ice Poison" (冰毒)
Dir: Midi Z.
Language: Burmese/Chinese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment
Trailer
Thailand
"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)
Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn
Language: Thai
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Gth
Trailer
Turkey
"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Language: Turkish/English
U.S Distribution: Adopt Films
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Ukraine
"The Guide" (Поводир)
Dir: Oles Sanin
Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Pronto Film
Trailer
United Kingdom
"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)
Dir: Nihat Seven
Language: Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services
Trailer
Uruguay
"Mr. Kaplan"
Dir: Álvaro Brechner
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Venezuela
"The Liberator" (Libertador)
Dir: Alberto Arvelo
Language: Spanish/English/ French
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Mundial
Trailer...
This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).
With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.
Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.
Period Dramas/Biopics
Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”
Masters and Festival Winners
Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.
Out of the Box
Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.
Documentaries
Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.
Lgbt
Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.
Surprising Choices
As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.
First Timers
The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.
Female Directors
Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”
U.S. Distribution
Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”
To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.
Afghanistan
"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)
Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Argentina
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Dir: Damián Szifrón
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
Austria
"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)
Dir: Andreas Prochaska
Language: German
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Australia
"Charlie's Country"
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Language: Yolŋu Matha/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Visit Films
Trailer
Azerbaijan
"Nabat"
Dir: Elcin Musaoglu
Language: Azerbaijani
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Bangladesh
"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)
Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Language: Bengali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Impress Telefilm
Trailer
Belgium
"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Language: French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects
Isa: Wild Bunch
Trailer
Bolivia
"Forgotten" (Olvidados)
Dir: Carlos Bolado
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Flor de Loto Pictures
Trailer
Bosnia & Herzegovina
"With Mom" (Sa mamom)
Dir: Faruk Loncarevic
Language: Bosnian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Scca/pro.ba
TraileR
Brazil
"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Dir: Daniel Ribeiro
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Bulgaria
"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)
Dir: Ivan Nitchev
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Cinepaz Eood
Trailer
Canada
"Mommy"
Dir: Xavier Dolan
Language: French/English
U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Seville International
Trailer
Chile
"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)
Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
China
"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)
Dir: Philippe Muyl
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Kinology
Trailer
Colombia
"Mateo"
Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Alpha Violet
Trailer
Costa Rica
"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)
Dir: Laura Astorga ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films Trailer
Croatia
"Cowboys" (Kauboji)
Dir: Tomislav Mrsic
Language: Croatian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Cuba
"Behavior" (Conducta)
Dir: Ernesto Daranas
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films
Trailer
Czech Republic
"Fair Play"
Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková
Language: Czech
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: IntraMovies
Trailer
Denmark
"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)
Dir: Nils Malmros
Language: Danish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Nordisk Film Production
Trailer
Dominican Republic
"Cristo Rey"
Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: The Little Film Company
Trailer
Ecuador
"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)
Dir: Tito Molina
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Facultad
Trailer
Egypt
"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )
Dir: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: DayDream Art Production
Trailer
Estonia
"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)
Dir: Zaza Urushadze
Language: Estonian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Cinemavault
Trailer
Ethiopia
"Difret"
Dir: Zeresenay Mehari
Language: Amharic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Finland
"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)
Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀
Language: Finnish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Film Republic Trailer
France
"Saint Laurent"
Dir: Bertrand Bonello
Language: French
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Europacorp
Trailer
Georgia
"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)
Dir: George Ovashvili
Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Arizona Productions
Trailer
Germany
"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Dir: Dominik Graf
Language: German /French
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Global Screen
Trailer
Greece
"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)
Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris
Language: Greek
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Black Orange
Trailer
Hong Kong
"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)
Dir: Ann Hui ♀
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Edko Films
Trailer
Hungary
"White God" (Fehér isten)
Dir: Kornél Mundruczó
Language: Hungarian/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: The Match Factory
Trailer
Iceland
"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)
Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson
Language: None Yet
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
India
"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)
Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀
Language: Hindi
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Jar Pictures Trailer
Indonesia
"Soekarno"
Dir: Hanung Bramantyo
Language: Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Mvp Pictures
Trailer
Iran
"Today" (امروز )
Dir: Reza Mirkarimi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Iraq
"Mardan"
Dir: Batin Ghobadi
Language: Kurdish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Versatile Trailer
Ireland
"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)
Dir: Tom Collins
Language: Irish/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Rosg/De Facto Films
Trailer
Israel
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)
Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz
Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Italy
"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)
Dir: Paolo Virzì
Language: Italian
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
PC: Indiana Production Company
Trailer
Japan
"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)
Dir: Mipo Oh ♀
Language: Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Open Sesame
Trailer
Kosovo
"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)
Dir: Isa Qosja
Language: Albanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: CMb Productions
Trailer
Kyrgyzstan
"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)
Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Language: Kirghiz
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Aitysh Film
Trailer
Latvia
"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)
Dir: Signe Baumane ♀
Language: Latvian
U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Trailer
Lebanon
"Ghadi" (غدي)
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
Lithuania
"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)
Dir: Ignas Jonynas
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Luxembourg
"Never Die Young"
Dir: Pol Cruchten
Language: French
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest Distribution
Trailer
MacEdonia
"To the Hilt" (До балчак)
Dir: Stole Popov
Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Triangle Film- Skopje
Trailer
Malta
"Simshar"
Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀
Language: Maltese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Kukumajsa Productions
Trailer
Mauritania
"Timbuktu"
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako
Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Le Pacte
Trailer
Mexico
"Cantinflas"
Dir: Sebastian del Amo
Language: Spanish/English
U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Moldova
"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)
Dir: Igor Cobileanski
Language: Romanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer
Montenegro
"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)
Dir: Nikola Vukcevic
Language: Serbian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Artikulacija Production
Trailer
Morocco
"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)
Dir: Hassan Benjelloun
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Bentaqerla
Trailer
Nepal
"Jhola" (झोला)
Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Language: Nepali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Media for Culture
Trailer
The Netherlands
"Accused" (Lucia de B.)
Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀
Language: Dutch
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
New Zealand
"The Dead Lands"
Dir: Toa Fraser
Language: Maori
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Xyz Films
Trailer
Norway
"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)
Dir: Bent Hamer
Language: Norwegian/French/ English
U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber
Isa: Les Films du Losange
Trailer
Pakistan
"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)
Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀
Language: Urdu
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Zambeel Films
Trailer
Palestine
"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)
Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Ustura Films Trailer
Panama
"Invasion" (Invasión)
Dir: Abner Benaim
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Apertura Films Trailer
Peru
"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)
Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Soga Producciones
Trailer
The Philippines
"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)
Dir: Lav Diaz
Language: Tagalog/English
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Poland
"Ida"
Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski
Language: Polish
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Portobello Film Sales
Trailer
Portugal
"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)
Dir: Joaquim Pinto
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
PC: C.R.I.M Productions
Trailer
Romania
"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)
Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Language: Romanian/Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Russia
"Leviathan" (Левиафан)
Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Language: Russian
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Pyramide International
Trailer
Serbia
"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)
Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Intermedia Network
Trailer
Singapore
"Sayang Disayang"
Dir: Sanif Olek
Language: Malay/Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: ReelJuice
Trailer
Slovakia
"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)
Dir: Miloslav Luther
Language: Slovak
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Trigon Production Trailer
Slovenia
"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)
Dir: Marko Santic
Language: Slovenian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Radio-Television Slovenia
Trailer
South Africa
"Elelwani"
Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Language: Venda
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution
Trailer
South Korea
"Haemoo" (해무)
Dir: Sung Bo Shim
Language: Korean
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Finecut
Trailer
Spain
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)
Dir: David Trueba
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Sweden
"Force Majeure" (Turist)
Dir: Ruben Östlund
Language: Swedish/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
Trailer
Switzerland
"The Circle" (Der Kreis)
Dir: Stefan Haupt
Language: Swiss German/ German/ French
U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video
Isa: Wide House
Trailer
Taiwan
"Ice Poison" (冰毒)
Dir: Midi Z.
Language: Burmese/Chinese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment
Trailer
Thailand
"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)
Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn
Language: Thai
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Gth
Trailer
Turkey
"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Language: Turkish/English
U.S Distribution: Adopt Films
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Ukraine
"The Guide" (Поводир)
Dir: Oles Sanin
Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Pronto Film
Trailer
United Kingdom
"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)
Dir: Nihat Seven
Language: Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services
Trailer
Uruguay
"Mr. Kaplan"
Dir: Álvaro Brechner
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Venezuela
"The Liberator" (Libertador)
Dir: Alberto Arvelo
Language: Spanish/English/ French
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Mundial
Trailer...
- 11/11/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The New Currents Award went to Korean film End Of Winter [pictured], directed by Kim Daehwan, and Iranian film 13, directed by Hooman Seyedi.
The 19th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) wrapped Oct 11 with a record number of admissions at 226,473, topping its 2012 record of 221,002. The top New Currents Award, given to two winners from the competition for first and second time feature directors, went to Korean film End Of Winter, directed by Kim Daehwan, and Iranian film 13, directed by Hooman Seyedi.
The New Currents jury headed by Asgar Farhadi said, “We unanimously voted for 1 by Korean director Kim Daehwan, which impressed us with its stylistic consistency, its skillful exploration of family relations, its elegant mastery of cinematic space, and its great ensemble cast.”
“The majority of the jury voted for the Iranian film 13 by director Hooman Seyedi. Its inventive camerawork, high level of technical achievement and dynamism make for a promising debut feature,” they said.
Busan...
The 19th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) wrapped Oct 11 with a record number of admissions at 226,473, topping its 2012 record of 221,002. The top New Currents Award, given to two winners from the competition for first and second time feature directors, went to Korean film End Of Winter, directed by Kim Daehwan, and Iranian film 13, directed by Hooman Seyedi.
The New Currents jury headed by Asgar Farhadi said, “We unanimously voted for 1 by Korean director Kim Daehwan, which impressed us with its stylistic consistency, its skillful exploration of family relations, its elegant mastery of cinematic space, and its great ensemble cast.”
“The majority of the jury voted for the Iranian film 13 by director Hooman Seyedi. Its inventive camerawork, high level of technical achievement and dynamism make for a promising debut feature,” they said.
Busan...
- 10/12/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
x
A record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants.
The 2014 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “A Few Cubic Meters of Love,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Argentina, “Wild Tales,” Damián Szifrón, director;
Australia, “Charlie’s Country,” Rolf de Heer, director;
Austria, “The Dark Valley,” Andreas Prochaska, director;
Azerbaijan, “Nabat,” Elchin Musaoglu, director;
Bangladesh, “Glow of the Firefly,” Khalid Mahmood Mithu, director;
Belgium, “Two Days, One Night,” Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, directors;
Bolivia, “Forgotten,” Carlos Bolado, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “With Mom,” Faruk Lončarevič, director;
Brazil, “The Way He Looks,” Daniel Ribeiro, director;
Bulgaria, “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Ivan Nitchev, director;
Canada, “Mommy,” Xavier Dolan, director;
Chile, “To Kill a Man,” Alejandro Fernández Almendras, director;
China, “The Nightingale,” Philippe Muyl, director;
Colombia, “Mateo,” María Gamboa, director;
Costa Rica, “Red Princesses,” Laura Astorga Carrera, director;
Croatia, “Cowboys,” Tomislav Mršić,...
A record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants.
The 2014 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “A Few Cubic Meters of Love,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Argentina, “Wild Tales,” Damián Szifrón, director;
Australia, “Charlie’s Country,” Rolf de Heer, director;
Austria, “The Dark Valley,” Andreas Prochaska, director;
Azerbaijan, “Nabat,” Elchin Musaoglu, director;
Bangladesh, “Glow of the Firefly,” Khalid Mahmood Mithu, director;
Belgium, “Two Days, One Night,” Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, directors;
Bolivia, “Forgotten,” Carlos Bolado, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “With Mom,” Faruk Lončarevič, director;
Brazil, “The Way He Looks,” Daniel Ribeiro, director;
Bulgaria, “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Ivan Nitchev, director;
Canada, “Mommy,” Xavier Dolan, director;
Chile, “To Kill a Man,” Alejandro Fernández Almendras, director;
China, “The Nightingale,” Philippe Muyl, director;
Colombia, “Mateo,” María Gamboa, director;
Costa Rica, “Red Princesses,” Laura Astorga Carrera, director;
Croatia, “Cowboys,” Tomislav Mršić,...
- 10/10/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday the final submissions for the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th annual Academy Awards. A record 83 countries have entered a film for consideration, including Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama for the first time. Notable selections include Xavier Dolan's Canadian drama Mommy, a favorite at this year's Cannes, Sweden's Force Majeure, and the Russian retelling of the Book of Job, Leviathan, winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 15, ahead of the live telecast on ABC Sunday, Feb. 22, from Hollywood. Last...
- 10/9/2014
- by Jake Perlman
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the list of submissions for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. According to the Academy's press release, a record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration, including first-timers Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama. Now, if only all those movies were made available for online viewing — or at least on DVD (outside of their respective countries). The 2015 Oscar nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 2015 Oscar ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 22, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. In the United States, the Oscarcast will be televised live by ABC; additionally, the Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. See below the full list of 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar submissions. Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters of Love,...
- 10/9/2014
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
The Academy has announced the complete list of 2015 Foreign Language Oscar contenders for the 2015 Oscar awards and again its a new record, topping last year's record 76 submissions, this year the list reaches 83 total submissions. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants. I've seen a few more on the list than I did last year and I actually have to assume with the buzz from those I've seen they may end up being major players. I'm particularly happy to see Xavier Dolan's Mommy in the field from Canada and it's great seeing the hilarious Wild Tales submitted by Argentina. The Russian submission of Leviathan (Leviafan) came, I think, as a bit of a surprise to everyone considering its subject matter, which could be looked at as critical of its native country. The Dardennes' Two Days, One Night has received a lot of acclaim everywhere it has played and we...
- 10/9/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy has received a record 83 submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar.
Last year, a record 76 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Italian entry The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.
Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 15, 2015.
The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.
The 2014 submissions are (in alphabetical order of country):
Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters Of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi
Argentina, Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón
Australia, Charlie’s Country, Rolf de Heer
Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska
Azerbaijan, Nabat, Elchin Musaoglu
Bangladesh, Glow Of The Firefly, Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Belgium, Two Days, One Night, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
Bolivia, Forgotten, Carlos Bolado
Bosnia and Herzegovina, With Mom, Faruk Lončarevič
Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro
Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev
Canada, Mommy, Xavier Dolan
Chile, To Kill A...
Last year, a record 76 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Italian entry The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.
Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 15, 2015.
The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.
The 2014 submissions are (in alphabetical order of country):
Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters Of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi
Argentina, Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón
Australia, Charlie’s Country, Rolf de Heer
Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska
Azerbaijan, Nabat, Elchin Musaoglu
Bangladesh, Glow Of The Firefly, Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Belgium, Two Days, One Night, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
Bolivia, Forgotten, Carlos Bolado
Bosnia and Herzegovina, With Mom, Faruk Lončarevič
Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro
Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev
Canada, Mommy, Xavier Dolan
Chile, To Kill A...
- 10/9/2014
- ScreenDaily
Chen-Zer Doze Niu’s Paradise In Service and Lee Bo-Cheung’s Gangster Pay Day to bookend 19th edition.
The 19th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) (Oct 2-11) today announced its line-up with the international premiere of Chen-Zer Doze Niu’s Taiwanese film Paradise In Service as the opening film.
Niu and cast members will be on hand at the opening ceremony on Oct 2, to be emceed by Moon So-ri and Ken Watanabe.
Lee Bo-Cheung’s Hong Kong-China film Gangster Pay Day will receive its world premiere as the closing film on Oct 11. The director as well as stars Anthony Wong and Charlene Choi will be on hand to present the film.
Biff will screen 314 films from 79 countries with 98 world premieres and 36 international premieres.
All the 12 New Currents competition films are world or international premieres, including Amin Dora’s Ghadi, the first Lebanese film to screen in this section, and Jalal’s Story, directed by Abu...
The 19th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) (Oct 2-11) today announced its line-up with the international premiere of Chen-Zer Doze Niu’s Taiwanese film Paradise In Service as the opening film.
Niu and cast members will be on hand at the opening ceremony on Oct 2, to be emceed by Moon So-ri and Ken Watanabe.
Lee Bo-Cheung’s Hong Kong-China film Gangster Pay Day will receive its world premiere as the closing film on Oct 11. The director as well as stars Anthony Wong and Charlene Choi will be on hand to present the film.
Biff will screen 314 films from 79 countries with 98 world premieres and 36 international premieres.
All the 12 New Currents competition films are world or international premieres, including Amin Dora’s Ghadi, the first Lebanese film to screen in this section, and Jalal’s Story, directed by Abu...
- 9/2/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Pre-sales to commence on Dutch film Lucia De B. and Ghadi from Lebanon in Berlin next week.
Fortissimo Films has revealed two additions to its Berlin slate: Lucia De B. (working title) from The Netherlands and Ghadi from Lebanon.
Both films are in post-production and slated for festival launches later in the year.
Fortissimo will handle worldwide sales outside the respective countries of origin and will introduce the films to buyers by showing exclusive footage at the European Film Market (Efm), which starts next week.
Lucia De B., produced by Rinkel Film, is the latest from Dutch director Paula Van der Oest, who was Oscar-nominated for Zus & Zo. Zus & Zo).
The film is a thriller based on one of the Netherlands most controversial court cases. Veteran nurse Lucia de B. was sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly having killed seven patients under her care at various hospitals. But an assistant district attorney discovers a number of inconsistencies...
Fortissimo Films has revealed two additions to its Berlin slate: Lucia De B. (working title) from The Netherlands and Ghadi from Lebanon.
Both films are in post-production and slated for festival launches later in the year.
Fortissimo will handle worldwide sales outside the respective countries of origin and will introduce the films to buyers by showing exclusive footage at the European Film Market (Efm), which starts next week.
Lucia De B., produced by Rinkel Film, is the latest from Dutch director Paula Van der Oest, who was Oscar-nominated for Zus & Zo. Zus & Zo).
The film is a thriller based on one of the Netherlands most controversial court cases. Veteran nurse Lucia de B. was sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly having killed seven patients under her care at various hospitals. But an assistant district attorney discovers a number of inconsistencies...
- 1/31/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the foreign language film category for the 86th Academy Awards.
Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants while Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.
Earlier this year the Academy changed its rule allowing all voting members to vote on the shortlist.
The nominations will be announced on January 16 2014 and the Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The 2013 submissions are:
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants while Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.
Earlier this year the Academy changed its rule allowing all voting members to vote on the shortlist.
The nominations will be announced on January 16 2014 and the Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The 2013 submissions are:
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
- 10/7/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
All entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Academy Awards 2014.
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
- 10/7/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
In line with SydneysBuzz’s focus on the international film business we have put together the most complete list on the 67 national submissions to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This list showcases films that have been the centerpieces of the most renowned festivals and that represent the best in the cinematic landscape from across the globe. Last year, at this point in the race the clear favorite was Palm d'Or winner Amour, which went on to win the award with no significant competition and scoring 4 other nominations including Best Picture, an outstanding feat for a foreign film about love at the end of life, by Michael Haneke.
This time around the story could have repeated almost identically with the most recent winner of Cannes’ biggest prize Blue is the Warmest Color. However, the film became one more victim of the Academy's rules, which rendered it unqualified to compete because of the late release date in France. With Blue out of the race the award is fair game for virtually anyone on the list, although there are certainly some favorites.
Saudi Arabia's first ever submission, the charming Wadjda might turn into beginners luck and score the Kingdom, in which movie theaters are banned, a nomination or even a win. Iran's audacious decision to submit the French-language The Past caused uproar among conservatives, but might certainly score the nation another nomination after their win in 2012 with the masterful A Separation. Other strong contenders are Denmark's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, and which would continue the countries streak of 3 consecutive nominations winning in 2011 with In A Better World, as well as Canada's Gabrielle about the romantic relationship of a handicapped couple, and Hong Kong’s The Grandmaster by famous director Wong Kar-wai.
Italy’s The Great Beauty, Australia’s The Rocket, Romania’s Child’s Pose, and Chile’s Gloria are among other titles that might score a nomination given their success and prominence during their festivals rounds. Some countries decided to take a chance and send audacious choices as their representation to the Academy, so is the case Mexico, a country that chose the more violent and artistically daring Cannes winner Heli, over the hit comedy Instructions Not Included, or Greece’s Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, which includes grotesque imagery that might not sit well with academy members.
The African continent is minimally represented with only 3 entries, South Africa’s Four Corners, and the Arabic-language works God’s Horses from Morocco, and Winter of Discontent from Egypt. Algeria, which has submitted regularly and even scored several nominations, is absent in this occasion. Another big omission is China who did not submit an entry but whose language is represented by Taiwan and the above-mentioned Hong Kong; equally strange is France’s decision to enter Renoir over tons of other films that could have substituted Abdellatif Kechiche.
Less surprising is Russia’s decision to submit a blockbuster-style production with a very nationalistic message in lieu of a more intimate film. On the other hand, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Switzerland decided to go with a documentary, a choice that has never been very fruitful in this category. Lastly, Israel and Palestine both entered strong candidate with Bethlehem and Omar respectively, adding with that to the great year the region has seen in the cinematic realm.
The rest of the films are a mixture of obscure titles with not much exposure outside their homelands, and a others with great premise but equally unknown quality. Thankfully for SydneysBuzz readers, the list below compiles all 67 Foreign Submissions and includes links to more information and a link to the trailer of every single one of them. For the most part the clips are subtitled; the ones that are not will at least give the reader a sense of what the film is about. As the Awards Season develops, we will have updates on predicted nominees and other developments in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film.
Argentina
The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Dir: Lucia Puenzo
Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew
U.S Release: Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Australia
The Rocket
Dir: Kim Mordaunt
Language: Lao
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition
Trailer
Austria
The Wall
Dir: Julian Polsler
Language: German
U.S Release: Released by Music Box Films on May 31st, 2013
Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Oficial Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Bangladesh
Television
Dir: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Language: Bengali
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Dubai Diff 2012 (Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Special Mention)
Trailer
Belgium
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Dir: Felix van Groeningen
Language: Flemish
U.S Release: Tribeca Film Will Release the Film on November 1st, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama
Trailer
Bosnia And Herzegovina
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Dir: Danis Tanović
Language: Bosnian, Romani
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 Competition, Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Brazil
Neighboring Sounds
Dir: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Language: Portuguese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by Cinema Guild, Now Available on Netflix streaming
Festivals:Mar Del Plata Ff 2012 Competencia Int'l, Bafici (Buenos Aires) 2013 Panorama
Trailer
Bulgaria
The Color of the Chameleon
Dir: Emil Hristov
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery, Thessaloniki Iff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Cambodia
The Missing Picture
Dir: Rithy Panh
Language: French
U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls
Trailer
Canada
Gabrielle
Dir: Louise Archambault
Language: French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Chile
Gloria
Dir: Sebastian Lelio
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Acquired by Roadside Attractions for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Colombia
La Playa DC
Dir: Juan Andrés Arango
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Released by Artmattan Productions on July 19th, 2013
Festivals:Official Selection Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard, Chicago Iff 2012 New Directors Competition
Trailer
Croatia
Halima's Path
Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić
Language: Bosnian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)
Trailer
Czech Republic
Burning Bush
Dir: Agnieszka Holland
Language: Czech
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Denmark
The Hunt
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg
Language: Danish
U.S Release: Released by Magnolia Pictures on July 12th
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest
Trailer
Dominican Republic
Who's the Boss?
Dir: Ronni Castillo
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Egypt
Winter of Discontent
Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013
Trailer
Estonia
Free Range
Dir: Veiko Õunpuu
Language: Estonian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2012
Trailer
Finland
The Disciple
Dir: Ulrika Bengts
Language: Finnish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:Helsinki International Film Festival, Montréal World Film Festival
Trailer
France
Renoir
Dir: Gilles Bourdos
Language: French
U.S Release: Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Georgia
In Bloom
Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Language: Georgian
U.S Release: Acquired by Big World Pictures for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013
Trailer
Germany
Two Lives
Dir: Georg Maas
Language: German
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Greece
Boy Eating The Bird's Food
Dir: Ektoras Lygizos
Language: Greek
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery
Trailer
Hong Kong
The Grandmaster
Dir: Wong Kar-wai
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by The Weinstein Company on August 23rd, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Hungary
The Notebook
Dir: Janosz Szasz
Language: Hungarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Iceland
Of Horses and Men
Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson
Language: Icelandic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013
Trailer
India
The Good Road
Dir: Gyan Correa
Language: Gujarati
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013
Trailer
Iran
The Past
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Language: French, Persian
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on December 20th, 2013
Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Israel
Bethlehem
Dir: Yuval Adler
Language: Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Cannes 2013 , Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Italy
The Great Beauty
Dir: Paolo Sorrentino
Language: Italian
U.S Release: Acquired by Janus Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,
Trailer
Japan
The Great Passage
Dir: Yuya Ishii
Language: Japanese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Kazakhstan
The Old Man
Dir: Ermek Tursunov
Language: Russian, Kazakh
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Latvia
Mother, I Love You
Dir: Janis Nords
Language: Latvian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Los Angeles Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Lebanon
Ghadi
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Lithuania
Conversations on Serious Topics
Dir: Giedrė Beinoriūtė
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Luxembourg
Blind Spot
Dir: Christophe Wagner
Language: Luxembourgish, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012
Trailer
Mexico
Heli
Dir: Amat Escalante
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,
Trailer
Montenegro
Bad Destiny
Dir: Draško Đurović
Language: Serbo-Croatian
U.S Release: Acquired by Princ Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Morocco
God's Horses
Dir: Nabil Ayouch
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Nepal
Soongava: Dance of the Orchids
Dir: Subarna Thapa
Language: Nepalese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
The Netherlands
Borgman
Dir: Alex van Warmerdam
Language: Dutch
U.S Release: Acquired by Drafthouse Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
New Zealand
White Lies
Dir: Dana Rotberg
Language: Maori
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Norway
I Am Yours
Dir: Iram Haq
Language: Norwegian, Urdu
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Pakistan
Zinda Bhaag
Dir: Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi
Language: Udu, Punjabi
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Palestine
Omar
Dir: Hany Abu-Assad
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Peru
The Cleaner
Dir: Adrian Saba
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Palm Springs Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival
Trailer
Philippines
Transit
Dir: Hannah Espia
Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Poland
Walesa
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Language: Polish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013
Trailer
Portugal
Lines of Wellington
Dir: Valeria Sarmiento
Language: Portuguese, English, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice - Biennale 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Romania
Child's Pose
Dir: Calin Peter Netzer
Language: Romanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Russia
Stalingrad
Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Saudi Arabia
Wadjda
Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Released by Sony Pictures Classics on September 13th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Serbia
Circles
Dir: Srdan Golubovic
Language: Serbian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Singapore
Ilo Ilo
Dir: Anthony Chen
Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery
Trailer
Slovakia
My Dog Killer
Dir: Mira Fornay
Language: Slovak
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Slovenia
Class Enemy
Dir: Rok Biček
Language: Slovene
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Spain
15 Years and One Day
Dir: Gracia Querejeta
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
South Africa
Four Corners
Dir: Ian Gabriel
Language: Afrikaans, Tsotsitaal
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:N/A
Trailer
South Korea
Juvenile Offender
Dir: Kang Yi-kwan
Language: Korean
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,
Trailer
Sweden
Eat Sleep Die
Dir: Gabriela Pichler
Language: Swedish, Croatian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice International Film Festival 2012, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Switzerland
More Than Honey
Dir: Markus Imhoof
Language: German, Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Cannes 2013, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Taiwan
Soul
Dir: Mong-Hong Chung
Language: Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Vanguard
Trailer
Thailand
Countdown
Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya
Language: Thai
U.S Release: Acquired by Birch Tree Entertainment for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Far East Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Turkey
The Butterfly's Dream
Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan
Language: Turkish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival
Trailer
Ukraine
Paradjanov
Dir: Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto 2013
Trailer
United Kingdom
Metro Manila
Dir: Sean Elllis
Language: Filipino, Tagalog
U.S Release: Acquired by Paladin/108 Media for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Venezuela
Breach in the Silence
Dir: Luis and Andrés Rodríguez
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Ventana Sur 2012, Festival de Mar del Plata "Panorama Latinomaericano"
Trailer...
This time around the story could have repeated almost identically with the most recent winner of Cannes’ biggest prize Blue is the Warmest Color. However, the film became one more victim of the Academy's rules, which rendered it unqualified to compete because of the late release date in France. With Blue out of the race the award is fair game for virtually anyone on the list, although there are certainly some favorites.
Saudi Arabia's first ever submission, the charming Wadjda might turn into beginners luck and score the Kingdom, in which movie theaters are banned, a nomination or even a win. Iran's audacious decision to submit the French-language The Past caused uproar among conservatives, but might certainly score the nation another nomination after their win in 2012 with the masterful A Separation. Other strong contenders are Denmark's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, and which would continue the countries streak of 3 consecutive nominations winning in 2011 with In A Better World, as well as Canada's Gabrielle about the romantic relationship of a handicapped couple, and Hong Kong’s The Grandmaster by famous director Wong Kar-wai.
Italy’s The Great Beauty, Australia’s The Rocket, Romania’s Child’s Pose, and Chile’s Gloria are among other titles that might score a nomination given their success and prominence during their festivals rounds. Some countries decided to take a chance and send audacious choices as their representation to the Academy, so is the case Mexico, a country that chose the more violent and artistically daring Cannes winner Heli, over the hit comedy Instructions Not Included, or Greece’s Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, which includes grotesque imagery that might not sit well with academy members.
The African continent is minimally represented with only 3 entries, South Africa’s Four Corners, and the Arabic-language works God’s Horses from Morocco, and Winter of Discontent from Egypt. Algeria, which has submitted regularly and even scored several nominations, is absent in this occasion. Another big omission is China who did not submit an entry but whose language is represented by Taiwan and the above-mentioned Hong Kong; equally strange is France’s decision to enter Renoir over tons of other films that could have substituted Abdellatif Kechiche.
Less surprising is Russia’s decision to submit a blockbuster-style production with a very nationalistic message in lieu of a more intimate film. On the other hand, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Switzerland decided to go with a documentary, a choice that has never been very fruitful in this category. Lastly, Israel and Palestine both entered strong candidate with Bethlehem and Omar respectively, adding with that to the great year the region has seen in the cinematic realm.
The rest of the films are a mixture of obscure titles with not much exposure outside their homelands, and a others with great premise but equally unknown quality. Thankfully for SydneysBuzz readers, the list below compiles all 67 Foreign Submissions and includes links to more information and a link to the trailer of every single one of them. For the most part the clips are subtitled; the ones that are not will at least give the reader a sense of what the film is about. As the Awards Season develops, we will have updates on predicted nominees and other developments in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film.
Argentina
The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Dir: Lucia Puenzo
Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew
U.S Release: Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Australia
The Rocket
Dir: Kim Mordaunt
Language: Lao
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition
Trailer
Austria
The Wall
Dir: Julian Polsler
Language: German
U.S Release: Released by Music Box Films on May 31st, 2013
Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Oficial Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Bangladesh
Television
Dir: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Language: Bengali
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Dubai Diff 2012 (Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Special Mention)
Trailer
Belgium
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Dir: Felix van Groeningen
Language: Flemish
U.S Release: Tribeca Film Will Release the Film on November 1st, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama
Trailer
Bosnia And Herzegovina
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Dir: Danis Tanović
Language: Bosnian, Romani
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 Competition, Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Brazil
Neighboring Sounds
Dir: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Language: Portuguese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by Cinema Guild, Now Available on Netflix streaming
Festivals:Mar Del Plata Ff 2012 Competencia Int'l, Bafici (Buenos Aires) 2013 Panorama
Trailer
Bulgaria
The Color of the Chameleon
Dir: Emil Hristov
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery, Thessaloniki Iff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Cambodia
The Missing Picture
Dir: Rithy Panh
Language: French
U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls
Trailer
Canada
Gabrielle
Dir: Louise Archambault
Language: French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Chile
Gloria
Dir: Sebastian Lelio
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Acquired by Roadside Attractions for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Colombia
La Playa DC
Dir: Juan Andrés Arango
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Released by Artmattan Productions on July 19th, 2013
Festivals:Official Selection Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard, Chicago Iff 2012 New Directors Competition
Trailer
Croatia
Halima's Path
Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić
Language: Bosnian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)
Trailer
Czech Republic
Burning Bush
Dir: Agnieszka Holland
Language: Czech
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Denmark
The Hunt
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg
Language: Danish
U.S Release: Released by Magnolia Pictures on July 12th
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest
Trailer
Dominican Republic
Who's the Boss?
Dir: Ronni Castillo
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Egypt
Winter of Discontent
Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013
Trailer
Estonia
Free Range
Dir: Veiko Õunpuu
Language: Estonian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2012
Trailer
Finland
The Disciple
Dir: Ulrika Bengts
Language: Finnish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:Helsinki International Film Festival, Montréal World Film Festival
Trailer
France
Renoir
Dir: Gilles Bourdos
Language: French
U.S Release: Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Georgia
In Bloom
Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Language: Georgian
U.S Release: Acquired by Big World Pictures for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013
Trailer
Germany
Two Lives
Dir: Georg Maas
Language: German
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Greece
Boy Eating The Bird's Food
Dir: Ektoras Lygizos
Language: Greek
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery
Trailer
Hong Kong
The Grandmaster
Dir: Wong Kar-wai
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by The Weinstein Company on August 23rd, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Hungary
The Notebook
Dir: Janosz Szasz
Language: Hungarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Iceland
Of Horses and Men
Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson
Language: Icelandic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013
Trailer
India
The Good Road
Dir: Gyan Correa
Language: Gujarati
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013
Trailer
Iran
The Past
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Language: French, Persian
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on December 20th, 2013
Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Israel
Bethlehem
Dir: Yuval Adler
Language: Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Cannes 2013 , Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Italy
The Great Beauty
Dir: Paolo Sorrentino
Language: Italian
U.S Release: Acquired by Janus Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,
Trailer
Japan
The Great Passage
Dir: Yuya Ishii
Language: Japanese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Kazakhstan
The Old Man
Dir: Ermek Tursunov
Language: Russian, Kazakh
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Latvia
Mother, I Love You
Dir: Janis Nords
Language: Latvian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Los Angeles Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Lebanon
Ghadi
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Lithuania
Conversations on Serious Topics
Dir: Giedrė Beinoriūtė
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Luxembourg
Blind Spot
Dir: Christophe Wagner
Language: Luxembourgish, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012
Trailer
Mexico
Heli
Dir: Amat Escalante
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,
Trailer
Montenegro
Bad Destiny
Dir: Draško Đurović
Language: Serbo-Croatian
U.S Release: Acquired by Princ Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Morocco
God's Horses
Dir: Nabil Ayouch
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Nepal
Soongava: Dance of the Orchids
Dir: Subarna Thapa
Language: Nepalese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
The Netherlands
Borgman
Dir: Alex van Warmerdam
Language: Dutch
U.S Release: Acquired by Drafthouse Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
New Zealand
White Lies
Dir: Dana Rotberg
Language: Maori
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Norway
I Am Yours
Dir: Iram Haq
Language: Norwegian, Urdu
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Pakistan
Zinda Bhaag
Dir: Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi
Language: Udu, Punjabi
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Palestine
Omar
Dir: Hany Abu-Assad
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Peru
The Cleaner
Dir: Adrian Saba
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Palm Springs Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival
Trailer
Philippines
Transit
Dir: Hannah Espia
Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Poland
Walesa
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Language: Polish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013
Trailer
Portugal
Lines of Wellington
Dir: Valeria Sarmiento
Language: Portuguese, English, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice - Biennale 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Romania
Child's Pose
Dir: Calin Peter Netzer
Language: Romanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Russia
Stalingrad
Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Saudi Arabia
Wadjda
Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Released by Sony Pictures Classics on September 13th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Serbia
Circles
Dir: Srdan Golubovic
Language: Serbian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Singapore
Ilo Ilo
Dir: Anthony Chen
Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery
Trailer
Slovakia
My Dog Killer
Dir: Mira Fornay
Language: Slovak
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Slovenia
Class Enemy
Dir: Rok Biček
Language: Slovene
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Spain
15 Years and One Day
Dir: Gracia Querejeta
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
South Africa
Four Corners
Dir: Ian Gabriel
Language: Afrikaans, Tsotsitaal
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:N/A
Trailer
South Korea
Juvenile Offender
Dir: Kang Yi-kwan
Language: Korean
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,
Trailer
Sweden
Eat Sleep Die
Dir: Gabriela Pichler
Language: Swedish, Croatian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice International Film Festival 2012, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Switzerland
More Than Honey
Dir: Markus Imhoof
Language: German, Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Cannes 2013, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Taiwan
Soul
Dir: Mong-Hong Chung
Language: Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Vanguard
Trailer
Thailand
Countdown
Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya
Language: Thai
U.S Release: Acquired by Birch Tree Entertainment for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Far East Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Turkey
The Butterfly's Dream
Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan
Language: Turkish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival
Trailer
Ukraine
Paradjanov
Dir: Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto 2013
Trailer
United Kingdom
Metro Manila
Dir: Sean Elllis
Language: Filipino, Tagalog
U.S Release: Acquired by Paladin/108 Media for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Venezuela
Breach in the Silence
Dir: Luis and Andrés Rodríguez
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Ventana Sur 2012, Festival de Mar del Plata "Panorama Latinomaericano"
Trailer...
- 10/3/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
New entries from Argentina, Denmark, Lebanon, Lithuania and Peru.
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
* = new additions
* Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Canada, Gabrielle, Louise Archambault
Chile, Gloria, Sebastián Lelio
Colombia, La Playa DC, Juan Andrés Arango
Croatia, Halima’s Path...
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
* = new additions
* Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Canada, Gabrielle, Louise Archambault
Chile, Gloria, Sebastián Lelio
Colombia, La Playa DC, Juan Andrés Arango
Croatia, Halima’s Path...
- 9/27/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Denmark Selects 'The Hunt' & Hong Kong 'Grandmaster' as Foreign List for the 2014 Oscars Grows to 57
It had been a while since I last updated the list of films submitted for the 2014 Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Feature, but today I bring you 21 new titles as the list has now grown to 57 total films. Perhaps the most notable of the films added today is Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen. The film played the 2012 Cannes Film Festival but it wasn't released in the Netherlands until late October last year, which means it missed the eligibility date by about a month. The Hunt won Mikkelsen the award for Best Actor in Cannes last year and I finally saw it earlier this year, calling it "one of the best films of the year" with a "masterclass performance from Mikkelsen." You can read my full review here. Additional titles worth of note include Hong Kong's submission of Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster and Italy's submission of...
- 9/26/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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