Oscars International Race Ties Record With 93 Contenders

France, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Iran and Italy submitted some of the highest-profile films in a category that equaled last year’s record for entries

“Titane”

AWARDS BEAT

Ninety-three films have been submitted in the Best International Feature Film category at the 94th Academy Awards, tying the record for eligible films that was set last year.

The Academy is not expected to release the official list of eligible films for another few weeks, but on Tuesday it revealed the 93 titles to members who have volunteered to participate in first-round voting. These lists could contain films that are later deemed to be ineligible, although that is unlikely as this stage in the process.

Films in the running this year include France’s “Titane,” Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World,” Germany’s “I’m Your Man,” Colombia’s “Memoria,” Denmark’s “Flee,” Bolivia’s “The Great Moment,” Finland’s “Compartment No. 6,” Iceland’s “Lamb,”  Mexico’s “Prayers for the Stolen” and two films from directors whose movies have won in the category before, Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero” (Iran) and Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” (Italy).

In lieu of the in-person Los Angeles screenings that used to be held for voting in the category, these films will all be made available to voters in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category. To ensure that every film is viewed by enough voters, each member has been placed in one of five groups. Each group is assigned 18 or 19 movies, and a member must see 12 of those films in order to vote. (Once voters have seen 12 from their assigned group, they are free to see any others from outside that group.)

An AMPAS-accredited committee from each country is allowed to submit a single film from that country for the Oscar race, subject to Academy review to make sure the film is a product of the submitting country and is predominantly in a language other than English. Some of the films in the group lists are still undergoing final vetting.

The online screening room devoted to the international category filled up slowly, with only 25 films available to screen when the group assignments went out. A large number of films are expected to be placed in the screening room on Friday, Nov. 12, and the Academy has told members that all contenders will be in the category’s screening room by the following Friday, Nov. 19.

First-round voting begins on Dec. 10 and ends on Dec. 15, and a 15-film shortlist will be announced on Dec. 21. A second round of voting will narrow that shortlist to the five nominees.

Here are the films that have been placed in the Academy screening room and assigned to viewers in the category.

Albania: “Two Lions to Venice,” Jonid Jorgji
Algeria: “Heliopolis,” Djafar Gacem
Argentina: “The Intruder,” Natalia Meta
Armenia: “Should the Wind Drop,” Nora Martirosyan
Australia: “When Pomegranates Howl,” Granaz Moussavi
Austria: “Great Freedom,” Sebastian Meise
Azerbaijan: “The Island Within”
Bangladesh: “Rehana,” Abdullah Mohammad Saad
Belgium: “Playground,” Laura Wandel
Bhutan: “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”
Bolivia: “The Great Moment,” Kiro Russo
Bosnia and Herzegovina: “The White Fortress,” Igo Drljaca
Brazil: “Private Desert,” Aly Muritiba
Bulgaria: “Fear,” Ivaylo Hristov
Cambodia: “White Building,” Kavich Neang
Cameroon: “Hidden Dreams”
Canada: “Drunken Birds,” Ivan Grovic
Chad: “Lingui, the Sacred Bonds”
Chile: “White on White,” Theo Court
China: “Cliff Walkers”
Colombia: “Memoria,” Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Costa Rica: “Clara Sola,” Nathalie Alvarez Mesen
Croatia: “Tereza37,” Danilo Serbedzija
Czech Republic: “Zatopek,” David Ondricek
Denmark: “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Dominican Republic: “Holy Beasts,” Laura Amelia Guzman and Israel Cardenas
Ecuador: “Submersible,” Alfredo Leon Leon
Egypt: “Souad,” Ayten Amin
Estonia: “On the Water,” Peeter Simm
Finland: “Compartment No. 6,” Juho Kuosmanen
France: “Titane,” Julia Ducournau
Georgia: “Brighton 4th,” Levan Koguashvili
Germany: “I’m Your Man,” Maria Schrader
Greece: “Digger,” Georgis Grigorakis
Haiti: “Freda”
Hong Kong: “Zero to Hero,” Jimmy Wan
Hungary: “Post Mortem,” Peter Beregendy
Iceland: “Lamb,” Valdimar Johansson
India: “Pebbles,” P.S. Vinothraj
Indonesia: “Yuni,” Kamila Andini
Iran: “A Hero,” Asghar Farhadi
Iraq: “Europa,” Haider Rashid
Ireland: “Foscadh,” Paddy Breathnach
Israel: “Let It Be Morning,” Eran Kolirin
Italy: “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino
Japan: “Drive My Car,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Jordan: “Amira”
Kazakhstan: “Yellow Cat”
Kenya: “Mission to Rescue,” Gilbert Lukalia
Kosovo: “Hive,” Blerta Basholli
Kyrgyzstan: “Shambala,” Aktypai Suyundukov
Latvia: “The Pit,” Dace Puce
Lebanon: “Costa Brava, Lebanon,” Mounia Akl
Lithuania: “Isaac”
Luxembourg: “Io sto bene,” Donato Rotunno
Malawi: “Fatsani: A Tale of Survival,” Gift Sukez Sukali
Mayalsia: “Hail, Driver!,” Muzzamer Rahman
Malta: “Luzzu,” Alex Camilleri
Mexico: “Prayers for the Stolen,” Tatiana Huezo
Montenegro: “After the Winter,” Ivan Bakrac
Morocco: “Casablanca Beats,” Nabil Ayouch
Netherlands: “Do Not Hesitate,” Shariff Korver
North Macedonia: “Sisterhood,” Dina Duma
Norway: “The Worst Person in the World,” Joachim Trier
Palestine: “The Stranger,” Ameer Fakher Eldin
Panama: “Plaza Cathedral,” Abner Benaim
Paraguay: “Nothing But the Sun,” Arami Ullon
Peru: “Powerful Chief,” Henry Vallejo
Poland: “Leave No Trace,” Jan P. Matuszynski
Portugal: “The Metamorphosis of Birds,” Catarina Vasconcelos
Romania: “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn,” Radu Jude
Russia: “Unclenching the Fists,” Kira Kovalenko
Saudi Arabia: “The Tambour of Retribution”
Serbia: “Oasis,” Ivan Ikic
Singapore: “Precious Is the Night,” Wayne Peng
Slovakia: “107 Mothers,” Peter Kerekes
Slovenia: “Sanremo,” Miroslav Mandic
Somalia: “The Gravedigger’s Wife,” Khadar Ahmed
South Africa: “Barakat,” Amy Jephta
South Korea: “Escape From Mogadishu,” Ryoo Seung-wan
Spain: “The Good Boss,” Fernando Leon de Aranoa
Sweden: “Tigers,” Ronnie Sandahl
Switzerland: “Olga,” Eli Grappe
Taiwan: “The Falls,” Chung Mong-hong
Thailand: “The Medium,” Banjong Pisanthanakun
Tunisia: “Golden Butterfly,” Abdelhamid Bouchnak
Turkey: “Commitment Hasan,” Sehim Kapanoglu
Ukraine: “Bad Roads,” Natalia Vorozhbyt
United Kingdom: “Dying to Divorce”
Uruguay: “The Broken Glass Theory,” Diego Fernandez
Uzbekistan: “2000 Songs of Farida”
Vietnam: “Dad, I’m Sorry”

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