2025 Oscars: The Race for Best International Feature and What to Expect
Last updated on December 13th, 2024 at 07:28 am
The voting for nominations for Oscars 2025 will begins from January 8-12, 2025. This nomination will be official nominees will be announced on January 17, 2025. A wide range of films from around the world competing for a spot in this prestigious category.
The Oscars are famous for recognizing outstanding films from different countries. As always, there are more films in the running than there are available spots. Here’s a look at some of the top contenders and notable submissions for Best International Feature in 2025.
| Contender | Country | Director | Notes |
| Dahomey | Senegal | Mati Diop | A major contender from Africa, awarded at Berlin Film Festival. |
| Emilia Pérez | France | Jacques Audiard | A frontrunner for Best Picture, already gaining attention. |
| Flow | Latvia | Gints Zilbalodis | Likely to be nominated for Best Animated Feature. |
| How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies | Thailand | Pat Boonnitipat | Gaining significant support, especially with a Netflix release. |
| Kneecap | Ireland | Rich Peppiatt | Strong contender after taking British Independent Film Awards by storm. |
| The Seed of the Sacred Fig | Germany | Mohammad Rasoulof | A dark horse contender, with a dramatic story of the filmmaker’s escape from Iran. |
| I’m Still Here | Brazil | Walter Salles | Winning global acclaim, it’s a contender for both Best International Feature and Best Director. |
| Vermiglio | Italy | Maura Delpero | A strong screenplay contender, awarded Best Screenplay at Venice Film Festival. |
A Global Outlook: The Year of Diversity in Cinema
This year’s race highlights films from diverse regions, with submissions from Africa, South America, and Asia gaining more attention than ever before. Senegal’s Dahomey, a drama that won the Golden Bear at Berlin, is considered one of the strongest contenders from Africa. Meanwhile, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies from Thailand, which already gained massive support through Netflix, is a strong example of how streaming platforms are influencing the Oscars race.
In addition, Mexico’s Sujo and Costa Rica’s Memories of a Burning Body are also rising in prominence, adding to the strength of South American submissions this year. The focus on global voices continues as countries like Kenya, with Nawi, are gaining traction for their powerful and unique stories.
While European films such as The Seed of the Sacred Fig from Germany and Emilia Pérez from France are in the running, films from other regions, including Dahomey from Senegal and Kneecap from Ireland, are providing exciting new perspectives.
Choosing 15 flims out of 90 best movies is difficult for the jury. But after final nomination of 15 films, nominees will showcase the global talent. Stay connected to witness the Oscars 2025!
Also Read | Who Made the Cut? The Complete List of 2025 Golden Globe Nominees
