"Best Foreign Language Film" of 2016? - 85 Countries Submit Films for Oscars

85 COUNTRIES IN COMPETITION FOR 2016 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR®

60th anniversary of the Foreign Language Film Category

Eighty-five countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 89th Academy Awards®.  Yemen is a first-time entrant.

The 2016 submissions are:

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

The competitive Foreign Language Film category was introduced in 1956 for the 29th Academy Awards.  In celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Academy has created a complete playlist of acceptance speeches and a poster gallery of all the Foreign Language Film Oscar® winners.

The 89th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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