Foreign Film Long List Overachieving Recap!
Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 9:20AM 
Tonight or tomorrow -- depending on how quick they are with the press release -- we'll learn which foreign film submissions made the finals for the Oscar nominations. There are always nine. We don't know why they settled on that number as 10 makes more sense (in a 50/50 kind of way) and 15 would make this category more symmetrical with the other specialty category of Documentary Feature. But if you're curious about how the process of whittling all this down works, you should check out Anne Thompson's breakdown.
One thing that's easy to forget about this complex process is that the actual five Oscar nominations that come from this nine-wide finalist list are decided on by yet another panel, one that changes each year and usually includes a few big names: Florence Foster Jenkins co-stars Streep & Grant were both on that final nominating committee last year for example.
It'll be fun to speculate, as always, which 6 films made the initial list from the nominating committee and which 3 came from the executive committee. In some years it's easy to spot the difference but last year it was nearly impossible to tell since it was such a strong finalist list. Until then, please catch up on our reviews and interviews in case you missed them.
Who gets axed? We'll find out soon.
OFFICIAL OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
85 Submissions | 17 Reviews | 14 Interviews
Other Deep Dives Into This Year's Race
Familiar Actors | All 85 Trailers | Debut Directors | Female Directors
Albania: Chromium (directed by Bujar Alimani)
Algeria: The Well (dir Lotfi Bouchouchi)
Argentina: The Distinguished Citizen (dir Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat)
Australia: Tanna (dir Bentley Dean, Martin Butler)
Austria: Stefan Zweig... (dir Maria Schrader) INTERVIEW
Bangladesh: The Unnamed (dir Tauquir Ahmed)
Belgium: The Ardennes (dir Robin Pront) INTERVIEW
Bolivia: Sealed Cargo (dir Julia Vargas Weise)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Death in Sarajevo (dir Danis Tanovic) REVIEW
Brazil: Little Secret (dir David Schurmann) INTERVIEW
Bulgaria: Losers (dir Ivaylo Hristov)
Cambodia: Before the Fall (dir Ian White)
Canada: It’s Only the End of the World (dir Xavier Dolan)
Chile: Neruda (dir Pablo Larraín) REVIEW
Nominated for Critics Choice and Globe
China: Xuan Zang (dir Huo Jianqi)
Colombia: Alias Maria (dir José Luis Rugeles) INTERVIEW
Costa Rica: About Us (dir Hernán Jiménez)
Croatia: On the Other Side (dir Zrinko Ogresta)
Pavel Giroud directed Cuba's "The Companion" about the HIV epidemic
Cuba: The Companion (dir Pavel Giroud) INTERVIEW
Czech Republic: Lost in Munich (dir Petr Zelenka)
Denmark: Land of Mine (dir Martin Zandvliet)
Dominican Republic: Sugar Fields (dir Fernando Báez)
Ecuador: Such Is Life in the Tropics (dir Sebastián Cordero)
Egypt: Clash (dir Mohamed Diab)
Estonia: Mother (dir Kadri Kõuaar) REVIEW
Finland: The Happiest Day in... (dir Juho Kuosmanen) INTERVIEW
France: Elle (dir Paul Verhoeven) REVIEW
Won the Critics Choice and is nominated for the Globe
Georgia: House of Others (dir Rusudan Glurjidze)
Germany: Toni Erdmann (dir Maren Ade) REVIEW
Toni Erdmann won the EFA and nominated for Critics Choice. Globe, Spirit Award
Greece: Chevalier (dir Athina Rachel Tsangari) REVIEW
This film is nominated for the Spirit Award
Hong Kong: Port of Call (dir Philip Yung)
Hungary: Kills on Wheels (dir Attila Till)
Iceland: Sparrows (dir Rúnar Rúnarsson)
India: Interrogation (dir Vetri Maaran)
Indonesia: Letters from Prague (dir Angga Dwimas Sasongko)
Asghar Farhadi (The Salesman) is one of two directors on this list that have already won this category. Pedro Almodóvar is the other
Iran: The Salesman (dir Asghar Farhadi) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
Nominated for Critics Choice and Globe
Iraq: El Clásico (dir Halkawt Mustafa)
Israel: Sand Storm (dir Elite Zexer) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
Italy: Fire at Sea (dir Gianfranco Rosi) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
Fire at Sea is also eligible for documentary feature
Japan: Nagasaki: Memories of My Son (dir Yoji Yamada)
Jordan: 3000 Nights (dir Mai Masri)
Kazakhstan: Amanat (dir Satybaldy Narymbetov)
Kosovo: Home Sweet Home (dir Faton Bajraktari)
Kyrgyzstan: A Father’s Will (dir Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu)
Latvia: Dawn (dir Laila Pakalnina)
Lebanon: Very Big Shot (dir Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya)
Lithuania: Seneca’s Day (dir Kristijonas Vildziunas)
Luxembourg: Voices from Chernobyl (dir Pol Cruchten)
Macedonia: The Liberation of Skopje (dir Rade Šerbedžija, Danilo Šerbedžija)
Malaysia: Beautiful Pain (dir Tunku Mona Riza)
Mexico: Desierto (dir Jonás Cuarón) REVIEW
Montenegro: The Black Pin (dir Ivan Marinović)
Morocco: A Mile in My Shoes (dir Said Khallaf)
Nepal: The Black Hen (dir Min Bahadur Bham)
Paula Van der Oest was nominated for "Zus & Zo" - can she do it again for "Tonio"
Netherlands: Tonio (dir Paula van der Oest) INTERVIEW
New Zealand: A Flickering Truth (dir Pietra Brettkelly) REVIEW
Norway: The King’s Choice (dir Erik Poppe)
Pakistan: Mah-e-Mir (dir Anjum Shahzad)
Palestine: The Idol (dir Hany Abu-Assad)
Panama: Salsipuedes (dir Ricardo Aguilar Navarro, Manolito Rodríguez)
Peru: Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes) (dir Juan Daniel F. Molero)
Philippines: Ma’ Rosa (dir Brillante Ma Mendoza)
Poland: Afterimage (dir Andrzej Wajda)
Portugal: Letters from War (dir Ivo M. Ferreira)
Romania: Sieranevada (dir Cristi Puiu)
Russia: Paradise(dir Andrei Konchalovsky)
Saudi Arabia: Barakah Meets Barakah (dir Mahmoud Sabbagh)
Serbia: Train Driver’s Diary (dir Milos Radovic)
Oscar is stingy with Asian cinema in this category -- which we'll NEVER understand -- but Apprentice is a strong film. Can Boo Junfeng get Singapore its first nod?
Singapore: Apprentice (dir Boo Junfeng) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
Slovakia: Eva Nová (dir Marko Skop)
Slovenia: Houston, We Have a Problem! (dir Žiga Virc)
South Africa: Call Me Thief (dir Daryne Joshua)
South Korea: The Age of Shadows (dir Kim Jee-woon) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
Spain: Julieta (dir Pedro Almodóvar) REVIEW
Nominated for Critics Choice
Sweden: A Man Called Ove (dir Hannes Holm)
Switzerland: My Life as a Zucchini (dir Claude Barras) REVIEW
My Life as a Zucchini is also eligible for animated feature
Taiwan: Hang in There, Kids! (dir Laha Mebow)
Thailand: Karma (dir Kanittha Kwunyoo)
Turkey: Cold of Kalandar (dir Mustafa Kara)
Cold of Kalander won the Asian Pacific Screen Awards
Ukraine: Ukrainian Sheriffs (dir Roman Bondarchuk)
Oscar rarely gets into horror but Babak Anvari has won much praise for his ghost story debut with "Under the Shadow"
United Kingdom: Under the Shadow (dir Babak Anvari) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
Nominated for Spirit and won 3 British Independent Film Awards
Uruguay: Breadcrumbs (dir Manane Rodríguez)
Venezuela: From Afar (dir Lorenzo Vigas) REVIEW & INTERVIEW
From Afar took the Golden Lion at Venice
Vietnam: Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass (dir Victor Vu)
Yemen: I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced (dir Khadija Al-Salami)
WHICH FILMS DO YOU THINK WILL MAKE THE LIST?
We're currently guessing Germany, France, Denmark, Chile, The Netherlands, Iran, Poland, Spain, and Sweden for the finalist list but there are so many other interesting possibilities. If we could add an alternate top nine should any of those falter let's go with: Italy, Finland, Israel, the UK, Singapore, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey, and Serbia. This should not be confused for a preferences list. We haven't seen enough of them to do that yet.
Reader Comments (18)
I'm thinking:
France
Germany
Denmark
Greece
Chile
Sweden
Iran
Turkey
Canada (because that Cannes win suggests filmmakers are into it much more than critics and it'd be fitting for Dolan's only bad movie to be the one to finally break through).
No Guts No Glory: Ma'Rosa (Philippines) saved by committee, ends up in top 9 finalists.
Glenn -- oh, i could totally see that happening. you'll look amazing if it comes to pass.
Carlos - hmmm. could be. I dont think they'll have to "save" some of the critical darlings this year like Elle, Neruda, or Toni Erdmann since people seem to love them.
I wouldn't really classify The Companion as an LGBT film considering both of its leads are straight (with the gays afflicted with HIV getting only a passing mention in the film itself, reflecting as Giroud explained back at HFFNY the lopsided demographics of Cuba's HIV population which was mostly male and heterosexual.)
Manuel -- thanks for info. adjusted. strange that both the films that you'd think we're LGBT are not at all really (the team behind "From Afar" seems very straight and the director didnt seem to like the gay label even though its about two men in a confusing romantic/domestic abuse relationship)
Our lists are very similar. Mine is:
1. Land of Mine, Denmark
2. Toni Erdmann, Germany (Elite Committee Save)
3. Elle, France (Elite Committee Save)
4. A Man Called Ove, Sweden
5. Tonio, Netherlands
6. Neruda, Chile
7. The Salesman, Iran
8. Clash, Egypt (Elite Committee Save)
9. Apprentice, Singapore
Israel, Spain, South Korea, Finland, Serbia, and the UK are my alternates.
From what I've seen there is one absolute masterpiece, Toni Erdmann, a lot of great movies, like Elle, Julieta, Neruda and Sieranevada, but I think something mediocre like The Salesman will win.
Sorry, but Le Passé ruined Farhadi for me forever. All his tricks, the way he hides things to conjure twists (ha!) and his heavy-handed writing are exposed in that movie and I could not realize I was seeing the same tricks all over again in The Salesman. I think I'll never see A Separation again.
"The Past" was brilliant, actually, but I agree that "The Salesman" is quite mediocre.
The best movies from this list that I've already seen are from Romania, Iceland, Venezuela and Germany. And it would be awesome if all of theme were nominated! But that's probably impossible.
"Elle" or "Julieta" (and few other movies - for example from Czech Republic or Italy) are interesting but in the same time - quite disappointing.
I've seen 36 of those 85 and the best of those are:
**** Germany, Denmark, Vietnam and Sweden
***1/2 Yemen, France, Chile, Canada, Greece
That's my persinal 9.
Also ok were:
*** Belgium, Australia, Estonia, Hungary, India, Slovenia, Spain
The movies I haven't yet seen, but have buzz:
Finland, Bosnia, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland.
I didn't like much at all Venezuela, Italy, UK, Romania, Poland.
But my guess would be, that the 5 nominated at the end will be:
Germany, Denmark, France, Chile, Iran.
With possible Finland, Yemen, Sweden, Vietnam, Australia, Spain, Netherlands or Norway getting in the mix. I don't see Singapore getting a spot. It was too dark for my taste and I feel it's even darker for academy's taste. The same thing with UK.
1-Germany
2-Iran
3-France
4-Cuba
5-Venezuela
6-Norway
7-Sweden
8-Chile
9-Philippines
Andrzej Wajda died few weeks ago, shortly after the premiere of his film in Poland. Do you think that this will have any effect on the nomination process, Nathaniel?
Marek -- i imagine they would have given that a strong look even if he hadn't died since they like his films. I assume it will make the finals.
I've watched almost a half of the entries, unfortunetally, most of them are unclaimed.
From the those that have buzz, I haven't seen: Chile, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Iran, Netherlands.
My personal list:
1. UK (Under the Shadow)
2. Denmark (Land of Mine)
3. Poland (Afterimage)
4. Spain (Julieta)
5. Israel (Sand Storm) - My country
6. Belgium (The Ardennes)
7. Switzerland (My Life as Zunnichi)
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Death in Sarajevo)
9. Singapore (Apprentice)
I don't know how much of it is wishfull thinking or things that may somehow come true, but I predict possible upset for France, Sweden and maybe even Germany.
Chile (Neruda)
Denmark (Land of Mine)
Egypt (Clash) - (Elite Committee Save)
Finalnd (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki) - (Elite Committee Save)
Germany (Toni Erdmann ) - (Elite Committee Save)
Israel (Sand Storm)
Iran (The Salesman)
The Netherlands (Tonio)
Spain (Julieta)
It may also be Argentinian "The Distinguished Citizen", Norwegian "The King's Choice" or Polish "Afterimage" for the Large Committe.
And the Elite one may choose a dark/violent film (but not "Elle) or a spiritual one from one of small countries (though I can't see one on the list that will be good enough).
It's been announced: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iran, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.
Out: Chile, France (!), South Korea, Spain
I've seen A Man Called Ove. TV sitcom level drivel. Bet it gets nominated.
Nominees will be Australia, Canada, Germany, Iran and Norway.
Possibly Switzerland, but that double eligibility confuses me.
Russia would seem likely, but this year? Russia? We'll see.
So my Canada prediction came to pass. "lol" you might say.
Nice, I managed to mention all 9 among my personal favorites and the films I haven't seen, but felt had the buzz :)
**** Germany, Denmark, Sweden
***1/2 Canada
Also ok were:
*** Australia
The movies I haven't yet seen, but have buzz:
Iran, Norway, Russia, Switzerland.
The locks should be Germany and Denmark.
I really loved the swedish film also, a warm mix of comedy and sadness. And the canadian film was so sad - coming home to tell your family, that you have aids and you're going to die, not being able to do that, but the family knows it regardless... that was deep and very sensitive to my mind. I don't understand why there has been so much criticism towords Dolan's film. Of course it's not as complexed as "Lawrence anyways", but it's deep and good and what an army of top notch acting.
Australian film was beautiful with all the green and the non professional actors were amazingly good, but as a whole I don't think it's worth a nomination. Although it was about love... :)
Now have to see those other 4 to have an opinion about the rest.
I think the nominees could be Germany, Denmark, Iran and (subject matters) Russia...for the fifth spot I'm not sure (Australia maybe or Switzerland if they don't decide for a nom in the Animation category)