It’s a strange year for the International Feature category, given the main precursor winner isn’t part of the Oscar race. Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari scooped up the equivalent of this award at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards plus wins from a dozen critics groups. However, as an American-made film, it’s naturally not considered an international feature film by the Academy and is competing in the Best Picture race instead.
Even without major victories elsewhere, Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round had been the presumed Oscar frontrunner for International Feature, especially after numerous wins from the critics groups. But it wasn’t until Vinterberg scored a surprise Best Director nomination and the film beat Minari to win Best Film Not in the English Language at the BAFTAs that its frontrunner status was truly solidified and it now seems practically unbeatable.
There is always the slight chance of an upset, particularly in a category that has thrown a few curveball wins in the past. Something like Quo Vadis, Aida? is certainly waiting in the wings to steal this one. And with an additional nomination for Documentary Feature, there’s clearly a lot of love for Collective. But the buzz (no pun intended) is with Another Round and it’s hard to see anything beating it.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FINAL PREDICTION:
1. Another Round (Denmark)
2. Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
3. Collective (Romania)
4. The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)
5. Better Days (Hong Kong)
Will win: Another Round
Should win: Another Round
Possible shocker: Quo Vadis, Aida?