Oscars 2023: 25 Contenders That Could Make The International Film Shortlist

“Eternal Spring” (Canada)
Watch out for this animated documentary based on the artwork of Chinese-born artist Daxiong.

“EO” (Poland)
This Cannes Jury prize winner (lowest of all wins) follows a donkey through different owners across Eastern Europe. Isabelle Huppert has a small, but memorable role. Poland has been nominated in this category three times over the past 10 years and won in 2015 for “Ida.”

“Girl Picture” (Finland)
This indie coming-of-age flick won the Audience Award for the World Dramatic selection at Sundance this past January. Very much a teen movie, but has a 78 on Metacritic with 17 reviews. Finland has had just two films make the shortlist since “The Man Without A Past” was nominated in 2003.

“The Happiest Man in the World” (North Macedonia)
Another film about the war in Yugoslavia, this TIFF world premiere has barely been reviewed, but the reviews so far are positive. North Macedonia last earned a nomination in 2020 for “Honeyland.”

“January” (Latvia)
This 1991 period piece took the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival Award for International Narrative film.

“Klondike” (Ukraine)
This timely entry, won the Directing Award, World Dramatic at Sundance 2023 and is set during the initial 2014 Russian invasion of the Donbas.

“Holy Spider” (Denmark)
Set in Iran, shot in Jordan, but Denmark’s entry, Ali Abbassi‘s thriller saw Zar Amir Ebrahimi win Best Actress winner at Cannes. Denmark is a power in this category. It’s won twice since 2011, been nominated another five times and made the shortlist another two. For those doing the math at home, that means it’s at least made the shortlist 9 out of the past 12 years. Book it.

“Mars One” (Brazil)
Despite a burgeoning film industry and deserving submissions, Brazil hasn’t made the shortlist since 2008. Gabriel Martis‘ well-regarded Sundance premiere will try to break that streak.

“Nostalgia” (Italy)
This Naples-set drama is director Mario Martone‘s first submission for his homeland. Considering the only filmmaker to make it on the shortlist in over a decade is Paolo Sorrentino (twice, including a win for “The Great Beauty”) his chances of making the cut seem slim.

“Plan 75” (Japan)
Set in the near future, this Cannes drama centers on a woman who decides to take part in a program to legally euthanize citizens over the age of 75. Ryusuke Hamaguchi‘s “Drive My Car” won this category last year, but only three other films have made the shortlist since 2009.

“The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
The Grand Prix winner at Berlin, this 1981 coming of age story is told mostly in the Irish language. Ireland has just one shortlist make out of nine submissions since 2008. The one submission to make it was in Spanish.

“Saint Omer” (France)
Alice Diop’s narrative directing debut took five awards at Venice including the Grand Jury Prize. It won a competitive battle to represent France which has been nominated nine times this century and made the shortlist three other times. France has not won this category since “Indochine” in 1993, although French-language films have triumphed two other times during that timeframe (“Amour,” “The Barbarian Invasions”).

“Tembele” (Uganda)
Here’s a tip. A nation’s first submission usually has a good shot of making the shot at making the shortlist because members will make sure to screen it beyond their required allotment. The subject matter is also right up AMPAS members’ alley.

“Utama” (Bolivia)
This epic drama won the Grand Jury Prize, World Dramatic at Sundance earlier this year (my review). However, Bolivia has never made the shortlist in 13 previous attempts.

“Under the Fig Trees” (Tunisia)
A Director’s Fortnight favorite, Erige Sehiri‘s narrative directorial debut would make history as Tunisia’s first shortlist film ever.

“War Sailor” (Norway)
Effectively a TIFF world premiere early last month, this dramatic thriller hopes to be the fifth shortlisted film from Norway in this category since 2013. “The Worst Person in the World” was nominated in 2022.