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Index | Picture | Actress | Actor | Supp Actor | Supp ActressDirector 
Screenplays | Visuals | Music and Sound | Animation & Docs | International Film

98th Oscars. Predictions for the Films of 2025
 For prediction, discussion, entertainment purposes only discuss on the blog

 

SUBMISSION CHARTS
most recent update: 09/21/2025

CHART 2: HUNGARY through NORWAY
19 OFFICIAL SUBMISSIONs + 3 FINALIST LISTS (THUS FAR) 

Haiti
never nominated

Hong Kong
3 nominations | + 1 finalist | submitting since 1959

Hungary
10 noms | 2 wins | + 2 finalists | submitting since 1965

ORPHAN
dir. Laszlo Nemes
no US distribution yet

132 minutes
Hungarian

Set in the aftermath of the Hungarian rising against Communism (1950s) it's the story of a young boy learning about his mother's experience in World War II.

This is Nemes third picture and his third submission. He won the category for Son of Saul (2015) 

3 key submissions:
2017- On Body and Soul
2014 - White God
2011 - the Turin Horse

Iceland
1 nomination | + 4 finalists | submitting since 1980

THE LOVE THAT REMAINS
Hylmur Palmasson
playing at NYFF this yr

109 minutes
Icelandic.

As expected they've chosen the autobiographical divorce film from one of their favourite sons. The directors children appear as the protagonists children. This is Palmasson's third submission after A White White Day and the acclaimed finalist Godland.

3 underappreciated submissions
2019 - A White White Day
2018 - Woman at War
2013 - Of Horses and Men

India
3 nominations | +1 finalist
submitting since 1957

HOMEBOUND
dir. Neeraj Ghaywan

122 minutes
Hindi

The screenplay was inspired by a New York Times essay from 2020 about two migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

This is the first Hindi language submission from India in six years. They used to primarily submit Hindi language films (all three of their nominees are Hindi language films)

3 key submissions
2022 - Last Film Show
2015 - Court
2022 - Devdas

 

Indonesia
never nominated | submitting since 1987

SORE: WIFE FROM THE FUTURE
dir. Yandy Laurens

119 minutes
Indonesian, English, Croatian

a premise film: what would happen if your spouse came from the future and wanted you to change your life?

3 key submissions
2023 - Autobiography
2021 - Yuni
2019 - Memories of My Body

Iran
3 noms | 2 wins | + 2 finalists | submitting since 1977

CAUSE OF DEATH UNKNOWN
dir. Ali Zarnegar
no US distribution yet

104 minutes
Persian

TEXT

Not selected:
The other four finalists were...Call Me Ziba by Rasul Sadr AmeliThe Old Bachelor by Oktay Baraheni, Raha by Hesam Farahmand, and Woman and Child by Saeed Roustayi

Iraq
never nominated | submitting since 2005

THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE
dir. Hasan Hadi
TBA in US
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

102 minutes
Arabic

Winner of the Camera d'Or at Cannes this drama is about a young girl forced to bake a birthday cake in honor of Sadam Hussein

3 key submissions
2024 - Baghdad Messi
2023 - Hanging Gardens
2005 - Requiem of Snow

Ireland
1 nominee | + 2 finalists | submitting spottily since 2005

SANATORIUM
dir Gar O'Rourke
no US Distribution Yet

90 minutes
Ukrainian

A documentary about a former Soviet health center now treating Ukrainians as the war rages. 

Trivia: of Ireland's 12 submissions thus far, 3 of them have been documentaries (Gaza, In the Shadow of Bierut, Sanatorium)

3 key submissions
2024 - Kneecap
2022 - The Quiet Girl
2015  -Viva

Israel
10 noms | 0 wins | + 1 finalist |  submitting since 1964

THE SEA
dir. Shai Carmeli-Pollak
no US distribution yet

93 minutes
Arabic and Hebrew

A drama about a 12 year old Palestinian boy who is thrilled to see the sea for the first time on a school trip until Israeli military checkpoint soldiers refuse to let him continue with his class.

The Israeli government is furious that this film won Best Picture.

not selected:
Israel sends the Ophir winner each year. The other nominees were...  Dead Language (based on an Oscar-nominated short!), an Israeli lawyer in Georgia drama Nandauri,  an intense mother son drama Oxgyen, and the political satire from Nadav Lapid called Yes.

3 key snubbed submissions:
2012 - Fill the Void
2010 - The Human Resources Manager
2001 - Late Marriage

 

 

Italy
29 noms | 11 wins | + 3 honoraries | + 2 finalists | submitting since 1956

SPECULATION
While no official announcements have been made we suspect it will be between Duse (Pietro Marcello) and La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino) which are both biopics that were well received in Venice, with a longshot contender being the documentary Below the Clouds (Gianfranco Rosi) 

Japan
15 noms | 2 wins | + 3 honoraries | + 1 finalist | submitting since 1956

KOKUHO
dir. Lee Sang-Il
no US distribution yet

175 minutes
Japanese

We are predicting this epic drama about two kabuki performers, one the son of gangsters, the other his mentor (Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe)

3 recent nominees:
2023 - Perfect Days
2021 - Drive My Car
2018 -Shoplifters

Jordan
1 nom | submitting since 2008

ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU
dir. Cherien Dabis
Nov 20 in US 
Distributor?

145 minutes
Arabic

A Palestinian mother recounts her son's journey to a moment when he is confronted by Israeli soldiers. The director Dabis also co-stars in the picture.

3 key submissions:
2023 - Inshallah A Boy
2020 - 200 Meters
2015 - Thesis

Kazakhstan
1 nomination | + 2 finalists | submitting since 1992

Kenya
never nominated |  submitting since 2012

 

 

Kosovo
never nominated | 
submitting since 1992

Kyrgyzstan
never nominated | submitting since 1998

BLACK RED YELLOW
dir. Aktan Abdykalykov
No US distribution yet

93 minutes
Kyrgyz, Russian

The film, based on a collection of short stories, centers on a carpet weaver and a horse herder. It won the top prize at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Latvia
1 nomination| 
submitting since 1992

DOG OF GOD
dir. Lauris Ābele and Raitis Ābele
no US distribution yet

92 minutes
Latvian and German

A supernatural horror comedy about a self-proclaimed werewolf and a witchcraft trial in a 17th century village

3 key submissions
2024 - Flow
2020 - Blizzard of Souls
2014 - Rocks in My Pocketrs

Lebanon
2 nominations | submitting since 1978

Lithuania
never nominated | submitting since 2006

SOUTHERN CHRONICLES
dir. Ignas Miskinis
No US Distribution Yet

120 minutes
Lithuanian

The film, about a 17 year old who isn't interested in studying until he falls in love with a middle class girl, has become the highest grossing Lithuanian film of all time.

 

Luxembourg
never nominated | submitting since 2006

Malaysia
never nominated | submitting since 2004

Malta
never nominated | submitting since 2014

They will not be submitting this year. Their only possibility was a film called Ciao Ciao.

Mexico
9 noms |  1 win | + 5 finalists | submitting since 1957

TBA

FINALISTS
They were choosing between ten films which were: 1938: When Mexico Recovered Its Oil by Sergio OlhovichConcerto for Other Hands by Ernesto González Díaz, Corina by Urzula Barba Hopfner, Cracked by Alana Simões, Dead Man's Switch by Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Fine Young Men by Alejandro Andrade Pease, The Follies by Rodrigo García, I Am Frankelda by Rodolfo Ambriz and Arturo Ambriz, Rain by Rodrigo García Saiz, and We Shall Not Be Moved by Pierre Saint-Martin

Moldova
noms

 

 

 

 

Mongolia
never nominated | submitting infrequently since 2003

Montenegro
never nominated | submitting since 2013

Montenegro
never nominated | submitting since 2013

TOWER OF STRENGTH
dir. Nikola Vukcevek
No US Distribution Yet

95 minutes
Serbo-Croatian, ALbanian

A drama taking place in Yugoslavia during WOrld War II about a Montenegrin child  who escapes an ALbanian attack and finds shelter with an Albanian Muslim man.

 

Morocco
never nominated | + 3 finalists | submitting since 1977

CALLE MÁLAGA
dir. Maryam Touzani
no US distribution yet

116 minutes
Spanish, Arabic

César, EFA, and Goya winning goddess Carmen Maura -- star of classic Oscar nominee Women on the Verge... and two other classic submissions (Ay Carmela, Volver) -- plays a woman determined to keep her family home when her daughter intends to sell it.

This is Touzani's third submission. It was cowritten by her husband Nabil Ayouch who is Morocco's most submitted director with five films. (Touzani is currently the second-most submitted)

3 flnalists so far:
2023 - Mother of All Lies
2022 - The Blue Caftan
2011 - Omar Killed Me

Namibia

 

 

Nepal
1 nomination | submitting since 1999

ANJILA
dir. Milan Chams
Released earlier this year in US

146 minutes
Nepali

A sports drama about the first female captain of a football team. (The athlete plays herself in this biographical picture)

The Netherlands
7 noms | 3 wins | + 3 finalists | submitting since 1959

REEDLANDS
dir. Sven Bresser
no US distribution yet

105 minutes
Dutch

In this mystery a reed cutter finds a dead girl on his land. This is a debut for Bresser and it premiered at Cannes

Not Selected:
The other pther seven finalists were: father/son adventure Alpha, a father/son dramedy in black and white Three Days of Fish, crime drama Fabula, child immigrant drama Live For Me, vacation drama Our Girls (from the director of the Oscar winning Character), and two documentaries The Propagandist, and The System

3 key snubbed submissions:
2006 - Black Book
2013 - Borgman
1988 - The Vanishing

Nigeria
never nominated | submitting since 2019

North Macedonia
2 noms | submitting since 1994

THE TALE OF THE SILYIAN
dir. Tamara Kotevska
no US distribution yet

TIFF Review

80 minutes
Macedonian

A documentary about a farmer and a white stork.  Kotevska was previously nominated in this category as co-director of the great doc Honeyland.

North Macedonia did not submit last year. This year we thought it might be the popular festival film DJ Ahmet but perhaps it wasn't eligible or they liked this one better.

3 key submissions:
2023 - Housekeeping for Beginners
2019 - Honeyland
1994 - Before the Rain

Norway
6 nominations | + 3 finalists |  submitting since 1957

SENTIMENTAL VALUE
dir. Joachim Trier
Nov in US
NEON

Cannes Capsule
TIFF Review

135 minutes
Norwegian and English

This Cannes Grand Prix winner Revolves around a filmmaker (Stellan Skarsgaard) and his estranged relationship with his actress daughter (Reinata Reinsve) who refuses to star in his new movie about their family. 

This is Trier's 3rd submission after his incredible debut Reprise (2006) the supernatural lesbian drama Thelma (2017) and the Oscar-nominated instant classic Worst Person in the World (2021).

Not Selected:
The other finalists were the Golden Bear winning Dreams (Sex Love) from fast-rising wonderful auteur Dag Johan Haugerud, and the documentary Stoltenberg Facing War.

3 classic nominees:
2021 - Worst Person in the World
1987 - Pathfinder
1957 - Nine Lives

 

Current Predictions

Pt 1 - ALBANIA through GREECE  
➡️ Pt 3 - PAKISTAN through VIETNAM

 

Index | Picture | Actress | Actor | Supp Actor | Supp Actress | Director 
Screenplays | Visuals | Music and Sound | Animation & Docs | International Film