Recent submissions for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards are quickly piling up. Jordan has entered My Sweet Land (Sheffield DocFest), Switzerland has chosen Klaudia Reynicke’s Reinas (Sundance premiere), the United Kingdom selected Sandhya Suri’s Santosh (Un Certain Regard), and India made the expected-unexpected choice of Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies. Iran submitted Babak Lotfi Khajepasha’s In the Arms of the Tree, Argentina opted for Luis Ortega’s Kill The Jockey (Venice competition), and Mexico is backing Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez’s Sujo (a big Sundance winner). However, it’s the entries from Italy, Brazil, and France that are truly stealing the spotlight.
Easily the best Italian film to play in competition at the Venice Film Festival (and several notches above Paolo Sorrentino’s Cannes preemed Parthenope), Maura Delpero‘s sophomore film a Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize winner could possibly be a favorite in the race with the critically well-received Vermiglio — Sideshow and Janus Films landed the pic which would also land premieres in Toronto and NYFF. Despite not landing a top tier award in Venice (it did win Best Screenplay) the Sony Pictures Classics folks will assure Walter Salles‘ I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui) becomes a part of the conversation with previews at TIFF and San Sebastian. After last year’s Anatomy of a Fall debacle, Emilia Pérez had to be vetted by France’s selection committee beat out The Count of Monte Cristo, All We Imagine as Light and Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia. Jacques Audiard’s double Cannes winner is the early favorite. Here are the current submissions (titles in bold are early favorites).
Albania: Waterdrop – Robert Budina
Algeria: Algiers – Chakib Taleb-Bendiab
Argentina: Kill The Jockey – Luis Ortega
Armenia: Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev – Edgar Baghdasaryan
Austria: The Devil’s Bath – Veronika Franz & Several Fiala
Belgium: Julie Keeps Quiet – Leonardo Van Dijl
Bolivia: Own Hand – Rodrigo “Gory” Patino
Brazil: I’m Still Here – Walter Salles
Bulgaria: Triumph – Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov
Cambodia: Meeting With Pol Pot – Rithy Panh
Canada: Universal Language – Matthew Rankin
Chile: In Her Place – Maite Alberdi
Colombia: La Suprema – Felipe Holguin Caro
Costa Rica: Memories of a Burning Body – Antonella Sudasassi
Croatia: Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day – Ivona Juka
Czech Republic: Waves – Jiri Madi
Denmark: The Girl With the Needle – Magnus von Horn
Ecuador: Behind the Mist – Sebastian Cordero
Egypt: Flight 404 – Hani Khalifa
Estonia: 8 Views of Lake Biwa – Marko Raat
Finland: Family Time – Tia Kouvo
France: Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard
Georgia: The Antique – Rusudan Glurjidze
Germany: The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Mohammad Rasoulof
Greece: Murderess – Eva Nathena
Hong Kong: Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In – Soi Cheang
Hungary: Semmelweis – Lajos Koltai
Iceland: Touch – Baltasar Kormakur
Indonesia: Women From Rote Island – Jeremias Nyangoen
India: Lost Ladies – Kiran Rao
Iran: In the Arms of the Tree – Babak Lotfi Khajepasha
Iraq: Baghdad Messi – Sahim Omar Kalifa
Ireland: Kneecap – Rich Peppiatt
Israel: Come Closer – Tom Nesher
Italy: Vermiglio – Maura Delpero
Japan: Cloud – Kurosawa Kiyoshi
Jordan: My Sweet Land
Kenya: Nawi – Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Kevin Schmutzler and Toby Schmutzler
Kyrgyzstan: Heaven Is Beneath Mother’s Feet – Rusian Akun
Latvia: Flow – Gints Zilbalodis
Lithuania: Drowning Dry – Laurynas Bareisa
Mexico: Sujo – Astrid Rondero & Fernanda Valadez
Morocco: Everybody Loves Touda – Nabil Ayouch
Nepal: Shambhala – Min Bahadur Bham
Netherlands: Memory Lane – Jelle de Jonge
Palestine: From Ground Zero – Aws Al-Banna, Ahmed Al-Danf, Basil Al-Maqousi, Mustafa Al-Nabih, Muhammad Alshareef, Ala Ayob, Bashar Al Balbisi, Alaa Damo, Awad Hana, Ahmad Hassunah, Mustafa Kallab, Satoum Kareem, Mahdi Karera, Rabab Khamees, Khamees Masharawi, Wissam Moussa, Tamer Najm, Abu Hasna Nidaa, Damo Nidal, Mahmoud Reema, Etimad Weshah and Islam Al Zrieai
Norway: Armand – Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
Panama: Wake Up Mom – Arianne Benedetti
Peru: Yana-Wara – Oscar Catacora and Tito Catacora
Poland: Under the Volcano – Damian Kocur
Portugal: Grand Tour – Miguel Gomes
Romania: Three Kilometres to the End of the World – Emanuel Parvu
Senegal: Dahomey – Mati Diop
Serbia: Russian Consul – Miroslav Lekic
Slovakia: The Hungarian Dressmaker – Iveta Grofova
Slovenia: Family Therapy – Sonja Prosenc
South Korea: 12.12: The Day – Kim Sung-su
Spain: Saturn Return – Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodriguez
Switzerland: Reinas – Klaudia Reynicke
Taiwan: Old Fox – Hsiao Ya-chuan
Turkey: Life – Zeki Demirkubuz
Ukraine: La Palisiada – Philip Sotnychenko
United Kingdom: Santosh – Sandhya Suri
Uruguay: The Door Is There – Facundo Ponce de Leon and Juan Ponce de Leon