With the unveiling of the Academy’s shortlists, we now know the final 15 films in contention for Best International Feature Film. There were no notable snubs to be found here, and we still stand on the cusp of one of the most exciting battles in years for this category. Predicting the final five is the first part of the challenge.
The biggest question mark centres around NEON and whether it can actually pull off the unthinkable and secure nominations for all five of its international films. They all deserve to be there, but can it actually happen? The way the cards are falling with precursor nominations, it sure seems plausible.
The six films that landed a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the Golden Globes are likely the final contenders vying for those five spots with the Academy. Given It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, and Sentimental Value also scored a nod for Best Motion Picture – Drama (remember when foreign language films were bafflingly ineligible for that award?), you’d have to say those are our top three right now.
Then there’s the surprise dark horse Sirāt. While it may not have received any additional Golden Globe nominations, it did achieve five mentions on the Oscars shortlists, including rather surprising categories like Best Casting, Cinematography, and Sound. That kind of adoration is hard to ignore, making it feel like a stronger contender for a nomination than previously suspected. Maybe it’s even in with a chance at a Best Picture nod too.
That leaves the fifth spot likely down to a battle between No Other Choice and The Voice of Hind Rajab. One would think a new Park Chan-wook satire would be a no-brainer for a nomination. And it did score a Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical at the Globes. But the pertinence of the latter’s subject matter could lead voters down that path instead. For now, I’m sticking with NEON taking all five spots, but my mind could shift in the next month.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE PREDICTIONS:
1. It Was Just an Accident (France) – CCA, GG, Gotham
2. Sentimental Value (Norway) – GG
3. The Secret Agent (Brazil) – CCA, GG
4. Sirāt (Spain) – CCA, GG
5. No Other Choice (South Korea) – CCA, GG, Gotham
IN CONTENTION
All That’s Left of You (Jordan)
Belén (Argentina) – CCA
Homebound (India)
Kokuhô (Japan)
Late Shift (Switzerland)
Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan)
Palestine 36 (Palestine)
The President’s Cake (Iraq)
Sound of Falling (Germany) – Gotham
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia) – GG
