93 Countries make the International Feature Film Oscar cut led by record number of women directors
The Academy has released the list of films that will represent 93 countries for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards. That number beats the record set in 2017 by one. That number could change if any country’s submission is deemed ineligible or disqualified. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and there may be a film or two that doesn’t quite hit that mark. The Academy will reveal if any countries end up with a disqualified entry.
Afghanistan was disqualified once again this year. In just 14 attempts, the middle eastern country has found itself on the wrong side of submissions now for a fourth time. Their submission for 2009 didn’t meet the proper standards (it was a British documentary shot in Afghanistan), they were disqualified in 2015, and 2016’s and 2019’s films were submitted but didn’t end up on the official Academy list.
A host of other records were set today including a record number of films from the African continent. In all, 10 countries are represented: ALGERIA, EGYPT, ETHIOPIA, GHANA, KENYA, MOROCCO, NIGERIA, SENEGAL, SOUTH AFRICA and TUNISIA. UGANDA’s entry Kory was found to not meet the merit standards by the Oscar selection committee from that country.
Films with LGBTQ+ subjects or major themes also found a record high: 7 countries entered films with that distinction. They are: BOLIVIA, INDONESIA, PANAMA, PERU, SPAIN, SWEDEN and TAIWAN.
But the biggest and best move forward is the amount of women-directed (or co-directed) films represented this year. 29 countries submitted films from women directors (up from 20 last year), making up 30% of all entries. They are: AFGHANISTAN, ALGERIA, AUSTRIA, BELARUS, BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA, CAMBODIA, CANADA, COSTA RICA, DENMARK, ECUADOR, FINLAND, GERMANY, GREECE, INDIA, IRAN, KENYA, KOSOVO, LITHUANIA, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, MOROCCO, NETHERLANDS, NIGERIA, NORTH MACEDONIA, SAUDI ARABIA, SENEGAL, SLOVENIA, TAIWAN and VENEZUELA. Please check out Nathaniel Rogers’ deep dive into the women submitted in this category.
GHANA, NIGERIA and UZBEKISTAN are first-time entrants this year. Two submissions are animated: CHINA and JAPAN.
Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to rename the Foreign Language Film category to International Feature Film and expand the shortlist from nine to 10 films. That shortlist of 10 films will be announced on Monday, December 16, 2019. Nominations for the 92nd Oscars will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.
The 2019 submissions, listed in alphabetical order by country and with superlatives, are:
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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