The stage is set for the films that are contention for the Best Foreign-Language Film category for the 89th Academy Awards. 85countries have submitted homegrown movies, out of which five will eventually be nominated with a victor announced on the Oscar telecast on February 27, 2017. The films in contention include global hits and festival favorites from around the globe and come from some of the most internationally celebrated filmmakers all over the world – include Pedro Almodóvar, Danis Tanovic, Paul Verhoeven, Asghar Farhadi, as well as Polish legend Andrzej Wajda who passed away this past Sunday at the age of 90.
The foreign-language category is particularly festive this time around as it celebrates the 60th anniversary in which the category was adopted to become part of the competitive Oscar line-up. Take a look at this year’s roster below:
- Albania: Chromium – directed by Bujar Alimani
- Algeria: The Well – directed by Lotfi Bouchouch
- Argentina: The Distinguished Citizen – directed by Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat
- Australia: Tanna – directed by Bentley Dean, Martin Butler
- Austria: Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe – directed by Maria Schrader
- Bangladesh: The Unnamed – directed byTauquir Ahmed
- Belgium: The Ardennes – directed by Robin Pront
- Bolivia: Sealed Cargo – directed by Julia Vargas Weise
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Death in Sarajevo – directed by Danis Tanovic
- Brazil: Little Secret – directed by David Schurmann
- Bulgaria, Losers – directed by Ivaylo Hristov
- Cambodia: Before the Fall – directed by Ian White
- Canada: It’s Only the End of the World – directed by Xavier Dolan
- Chile: Neruda – directed by Pablo Larraín
- China: Xuan Zang – directed by Huo Jianqi
- Colombia: Alias Maria – directed by José Luis Rugeles
- Costa Rica: About Us – directed by Hernán Jiménez
- Croatia: On the Other Side – directed by Zrinko Ogresta
- Cuba: The Companion – directed by Pavel Giroud
- Czech Republic: Lost in Munich – directed by Petr Zelenka
- Denmark: Land of Mine – directed by Martin Zandvliet
- Dominican Republic: Sugar Fields – directed by Fernando Báez
- Ecuador: Such Is Life in the Tropics – directed by Sebastián Cordero
- Egypt: Clash – directed by Mohamed Diab
- Estonia: Mother – directed by Kadri Kõusaar
- Finland: The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki – directed by Juho Kuosmanen
- France: Elle – directed by Paul Verhoeven
- Georgia: House of Others – directed by Rusudan Glurjidze
- Germany: Toni Erdmann – directed by Maren Ade
- Greece: Chevalier – directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari
- Hong Kong: Port of Call – directed by Philip Yung
- Hungary: Kills on Wheels – directed by Attila Till
- Iceland: Sparrows – directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson
- India: Interrogation – directed by Vetri Maaran
- Indonesia: Letters from Prague – directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko
- Iran: The Salesman – directed by Asghar Farhadi
- Iraq: El Clásico – directed by Halkawt Mustafa
- Israel: Sand Storm – directed by Elite Zexer
- Italy: Fire at Sea – directed by Gianfranco Rosi
- Japan: Nagasaki: Memories of My Son – directed by Yoji Yamada
- Jordan: 3000 Nights – directed by Mai Masri
- Kazakhstan: Amanat – directed by Satybaldy Narymbetov
- Kosovo: Home Sweet Home – directed by Faton Bajraktari
- Kyrgyzstan: A Father’s Will – directed by Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu
- Latvia: Dawn – directed by Laila Pakalnina
- Lebanon: Very Big Shot – directed by Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya
- Lithuania: Seneca’s Day – directed by Kristijonas Vildziunas
- Luxembourg: Voices from Chernobyl – directed by Pol Cruchten
- Macedonia: The Liberation of Skopje – directed by Rade Šerbedžija, Danilo Šerbedžija
- Malaysia: Beautiful Pain – directed by Tunku Mona Riza
- Mexico: Desierto – directed by Jonás Cuarón
- Montenegro: The Black Pin – directed by Ivan Marinović
- Morocco: A Mile in My Shoes – directed by Said Khallaf
- Nepal: The Black Hen – directed by Min Bahadur Bham
- Netherlands: Tonio – directed by Paula van der Oest
- New Zealand: A Flickering Truth – directed by Pietra Brettkelly
- Norway: The King’s Choice – directed by Erik Poppe
- Pakistan: Mah-e-Mir – directed by Anjum Shahzad
- Palestine: The Idol – directed by Hany Abu-Assad
- Panama: Salsipuedes – directed by Ricardo Aguilar Navarro, Manolito Rodríguez
- Peru: Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes) – directed by Juan Daniel F. Molero
- Philippines: Ma’ Rosa – directed by Brillante Ma Mendoza
- Poland: Afterimage – directed by Andrzej Wajda
- Portugal: Letters from War – directed by Ivo M. Ferreira
- Romania: Sieranevada – directed by Cristi Puiu
- Russia: Paradise – directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
- Saudi Arabia: Barakah Meets Barakah – directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh
- Serbia: Train Driver’s Diary – directed by Milos Radovic
- Singapore: Apprentice – directed by Boo Junfeng
- Slovakia: Eva Nová – directed by Marko Skop
- Slovenia: Houston, We Have a Problem! – directed by Žiga Virc
- South Africa: Call Me Thief – directed by Daryne Joshua
- South Korea: The Age of Shadows – directed by Kim Jee-woon
- Spain: Julieta – directed by Pedro Almodóvar
- Sweden: A Man Called Ove – directed by Hannes Holm
- Switzerland: My Life as a Zucchini – directed by Claude Barras
- Taiwan: Hang in There, Kids! – directed by Laha Mebow
- Thailand: Karma – directed by Kanittha Kwunyoo
- Turkey: Cold of Kalandar – directed by Mustafa Kara
- Ukraine: Ukrainian Sheriffs – directed by Roman Bondarchuk
- United Kingdom: Under the Shadow – directed by Babak Anvar
- Uruguay: Breadcrumbs – directed by Manane Rodríguez
- Venezuela: From Afar – directed by Lorenzo Vigas
- Vietnam: Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass – directed by Victor Vu
- Yemen: I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced – directed by Khadija Al-Salami
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