We’ll soon see a plethora of lists dictating the “Best of…” the year etc. as we push forward towards 2015, and it’s sad that you can almost predict what those films will be. However, one list that can always throw up surprises and new discoveries is the list of films put forward for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It’s once again a diverse bunch, and this year there are a record breaking 83 films put forward. Representing the UK is the Turkish language LITTLE HAPPINESS directed by Nihat Seven. Personally I’d love to see a World Cup style award ceremony where these 83 films just battle it out between themselves. The OScar nominations are announced on Thursday, 15th January 2015, with the awards taking place on 22nd February.
Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi, director
Argentina, Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón, director
Australia, Charlie’s Country, Rolf de Heer, director
Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska, director
Azerbaijan, Nabat, Elchin Musaoglu, director
Bangladesh, Glow of the Firefly, Khalid Mahmood Mithu, director
Belgium, Two Days, One Night, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, directors
Bolivia, Forgotten, Carlos Bolado, director
Bosnia and Herzegovina, With Mom, Faruk Lon?arevi?, director
Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro, director
Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev, director
Canada, Mommy, Xavier Dolan, director
Chile, To Kill a Man, Alejandro Fernández Almendras, director
China, The Nightingale, Philippe Muyl, director
Colombia, Mateo, María Gamboa, director
Costa Rica, Red Princesses, Laura Astorga Carrera, director
Croatia, Cowboys, Tomislav Mrši?, director
Cuba, Conducta, Ernesto Daranas Serrano, director
Czech Republic, Fair Play, Andrea Sedlá?ková, director
Denmark, Sorrow and Joy, Nils Malmros, director
Dominican Republic, Cristo Rey, Leticia Tonos, director
Ecuador, Silence in Dreamland, Tito Molina, director
Egypt, Factory Girl, Mohamed Khan, director
Estonia, Tangerines, Zaza Urushadze, director
Ethiopia, Difret, Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, director
Finland, Concrete Night, Pirjo Honkasalo, director
France, Saint Laurent, Bertrand Bonello, director
Georgia, Corn Island, George Ovashvili, director
Germany, Beloved Sisters, Dominik Graf, director
Greece, Little England, Pantelis Voulgaris, director
Hong Kong, The Golden Era, Ann Hui, director
Hungary, White God, Kornél Mundruczó, director
Iceland, Life in a Fishbowl, Baldvin Zophoníasson, director
India, Liar’s Dice, Geetu Mohandas, director
Indonesia, Soekarno, Hanung Bramantyo, director
Iran, Today, Reza Mirkarimi, director
Iraq, Mardan, Batin Ghobadi, director
Ireland, The Gift, Tom Collins, director
Israel, Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz, directors
Italy, Human Capital, Paolo Virzì, director
Japan, The Light Shines Only There, Mipo O, director
Kosovo, Three Windows and a Hanging, Isa Qosja, director
Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains, Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, director
Latvia, Rocks in My Pockets, Signe Baumane, director
Lebanon, Ghadi, Amin Dora, director
Lithuania, The Gambler, Ignas Jonynas, director
Luxembourg, Never Die Young, Pol Cruchten, director
Macedonia, To the Hilt, Stole Popov, director
Malta, Simshar, Rebecca Cremona, director
Mauritania, Timbuktu, Abderrahmane Sissako, director
Mexico, Cantinflas, Sebastián del Amo, director
Moldova, The Unsaved, Igor Cobileanski, director
Montenegro, The Kids from the Marx and Engels Street, Nikola Vuk?evi?, director
Morocco, The Red Moon, Hassan Benjelloun, director
Nepal, Jhola, Yadav Kumar Bhattarai, director
Netherlands, Accused, Paula van der Oest, director
New Zealand, The Dead Lands, Toa Fraser, director
Norway, 1001 Grams, Bent Hamer, director
Pakistan, Dukhtar, Afia Nathaniel, director
Palestine, Eyes of a Thief, Najwa Najjar, director
Panama, Invasion, Abner Benaim, director
Peru, The Gospel of the Flesh, Eduardo Mendoza, director
Philippines, Norte, the End of History, Lav Diaz, director
Poland, Ida, Pawe? Pawlikowski, director
Portugal, What Now? Remind Me, Joaquim Pinto, director
Romania, The Japanese Dog, Tudor Cristian Jurgiu, director
Russia, Leviathan, Andrey Zvyagintsev, director
Serbia, See You in Montevideo, Dragan Bjelogrli?, director
Singapore, Sayang Disayang, Sanif Olek, director
Slovakia, A Step into the Dark, Miloslav Luther, director
Slovenia, Seduce Me, Marko Šanti?, director
South Africa, Elelwani, Ntshavheni Wa Luruli, director
South Korea, Haemoo, Shim Sung-bo, director
Spain, Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed, David Trueba, director
Sweden, Force Majeure, Ruben Östlund, director
Switzerland, The Circle, Stefan Haupt, director
Taiwan, Ice Poison, Midi Z, director
Thailand, The Teacher’s Diary, Nithiwat Tharathorn, director
Turkey, Winter Sleep, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director
Ukraine, The Guide, Oles Sanin, director
United Kingdom, Little Happiness, Nihat Seven, director
Uruguay, Mr. Kaplan, Álvaro Brechner, director
Venezuela, The Liberator, Alberto Arvelo, director
Source: AMPAS
