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While the awards talk already this season has been discussed ad nauseam, we do give special credence to a specific section of the Academy Awards: the Best Foreign Language Film submissions. As close as cinema gets to a World Cup or Olympics, each country is able to submit their choice to compete for the award, with a few guidelines. Notably, each film must have been released in its respective country from October 1st of the previous year to September 30th of this year.

With that date recently passing, The Academy has confirmed 83 countries that have submitted a selection and today we are going to take a look at them all. Notable inclusions are Palme D’Or winner Winter Sleep, Pawel Pawlikowski‘s Ida, Xavier Dolan‘s Mommy, the DardennesTwo Days, One Night, and Ruben Östlund‘s Force Majeure, while Mauritania submitted for the first time ever with Abderrahmane Sissako‘s Timbuktu, and Panama and Kosovo also with Invasion and Three Windows and a Hanging, respectively.

As these get initially pared down by The Academy, and then subsequent finalist lists, all the way to five nominees in January, followed by the winner during the ceremonies, check back for coverage. In the meantime, see trailers for (almost) all 83 films below, and reviews where available.

Afghanistan – A Few Cubic Meters of Love Jamshid Mahmoudi

Argentina – Wild TalesDamián Szifrón

Austria – The Dark ValleyAndreas Prochaska

Australia – Charlie’s CountryRolf de Heer

Azerbaijan – NabatElchin Musaoglu

Bangladesh – Glow of the FireflyKhalid Mahmud Mithu

Belgium – Two Days, One Night Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Bolivia – Olvidados Carlos Bolado

Bosnia and Herzegovina – With MomFaruk Lončarević

No trailer available.

Brazil – The Way He Looks Daniel Ribeiro

Bulgaria – Bulgarian Rhapsody Ivan Nitchev

Canada – Mommy Xavier Dolan

China – The NightingalePhilippe Muyl

Chile – To Kill a ManAlejandro Fernández Almendras

Colombia – Mateo Maria Gamboa

Costa Rica – Red PrincessesLaura Astorga

Croatia – Cowboys Tomislav Mršić

Cuba – ConductaErnesto Daranas Serrano

Czech Republic – Fair PlayAndrea Sedláčková

Denmark – Sorrow and JoyNils Malmros

Dominican Republic – Cristo Rey Leticia Tonos

Ecuador – Silence in Dreamland Tito Molina

Egypt – The Factory GirlMohamed Khan

Estonia – Tangerines Zaza Urushadze

Finland – Concrete Night Pirjo Honkasalo

France – Saint LaurentBertrand Bonello

Georgia – Corn Island Giorgi Ovashvili

Germany – Beloved Sisters Dominik Graf

Greece – Little EnglandPantelis Voulgaris

Hong Kong – The Golden Era Ann Hui

Hungary – White GodKornél Mundruczó

Iceland – Life in a Fishbowl Baldvin Zophoníasson

India – Liar’s DiceGeetu Mohandas

Indonesia – SoekarnoHanung Bramantyo

Iran – Today Reza Mirkarimi

Iraq – MardanBatin Ghobadi

No trailer available.

Ireland – The GiftTommy Collins

Israel – Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz

Italy – Human Capital Paolo Virzì

Japan – The Light Shines Only ThereMipo Oh

Kosovo – Three Windows and a HangingIsa Qosja

Kyrgyzstan – Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the MountainsSadyk Sher-Niyaz

Latvia – Rocks in My Pockets Signe Baumane

Lebanon – Ghadi Amin Dora

Lithuania – The GamblerIgnas Jonynas

Luxembourg – Never Die YoungPol Cruchten


Malta – SimsharRebecca Cremona

Macedonia – To the Hilt Stole Popov

Mauritania – TimbuktuAbderrahmane Sissako

Mexico – CantinflasSebastian del Amo

Moldova – The UnsavedIgor Cobileanski

Montenegro – The Boys from Marx and Engels Street Nikola Vukčević

Morocco – The Red Moon Hassan Benjelloun

Nepal – JholaYadavkumar Bhattarai

Netherlands – AccusedPaula van der Oest

New Zealand – The Dead Lands Toa Fraser

Norway – 1001 Grams Bent Hamer

Pakistan – Dukhtar Afia Nathaniel

Palestine – Eyes of a ThiefNajwa Najjar

No trailer available.

Panama – Invasion Abner Benaim

Peru – The Gospel of the Flesh Eduardo Mendoza de Echave

Philippines – Norte, the End of HistoryLav Diaz

Poland – IdaPaweł Pawlikowski

Portugal – What Now? Remind Me Joaquim Pinto

Romania – The Japanese DogTudor Cristian Jurgiu

Russia – LeviathanAndrey Zvyagintsev

Serbia – See You in MontevideoDragan Bjelogrlić

Singapore – My Beloved DearestSanif Olek

Slovakia – A Step Into the DarkMiloslav Luther

Slovenia – Seduce MeMarko Šantić

South Africa – Elelwani Ntshavheni wa Luruli

South Korea – Sea FogShim Sung-bo

Spain – Living Is Easy with Eyes ClosedDavid Trueba

Sweden – Force MajeureRuben Östlund

Switzerland – The CircleStefan Haupt

Taiwan – Ice Poison Midi Z

Thailand – Teacher’s Diary Nithiwat Tharathorn

Turkey – Winter SleepNuri Bilge Ceylan

Ukraine – The Guide Oles Sanin

United Kingdom – Little Happiness Nihat Seven

Uruguay – Mr. KaplanÁlvaro Brechner

Venezuela – The LiberatorAlberto Arvelo

Which films are you most looking forward to seeing? Which feature do you believe will win?

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