Foreign Films at the Academy Awards

With the 2010 Academy Awards approaching, many people are making predictions and organizing office pools and viewing parties. But lots of people stop short when it comes to the foreign language film category, not knowing enough about the foreign films as the other Oscar-nominated films.

Even devotees of world and arthouse cinemas may be baffled by the list of foreign films up for Academy Awards, since some critics’ favorites tend to be overlooked year after year.

The Academy Awards’ foreign language film category has different rules and restrictions than any other category at the awards.

Foreign Film Nomination Process

Each country is allowed one submission in a language other than English. As a recent New York Times article discussed, some controversy begins at this level.

Each country has a different method of selecting the picture to submit to the Academy Awards. For countries like France and Italy, which produce hundreds of acclaimed films each year, it can be difficult to decide what kind of film to go with: a small, powerful independent drama? A high-grossing blockbuster? Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, put it bluntly to The New York Times: “Do we pick what we think is the best film, or do we pick what we think the Americans will vote for?”

Once the films are submitted, members of the Academy go to special screenings and must see at least 80 percent of the foreign films nominated to be able to vote for the best one. The Academy then takes the top six choices of the voting members and adds three wild-card choices. The three wild-card choices are selected by a special group whose members are appointed by the chairman of the Academy’s foreign film committee.

Then, yet another Academy committee watches the nine shortlisted foreign films and eliminates four of the films from the running. The five remaining foreign films receive official Academy Award nominations. Once the official nominations are set, voting for the best foreign film is open to all members of the Academy.

Having multiple committees choose the nominations for best foreign film is a new process. Academy members were concerned that having only one committee was resulting in the same subject matter being nominated time and time again. Multiple committees and the institution of the wild-card selection means that more genres and styles of film will have a shot at the Academy Award.

Notable Oscar-Winning Foreign Films

Not all highly acclaimed foreign films win Academy Awards; in turn, not all Academy Award-winning foreign films are highly acclaimed, or even well-known. However, some foreign films that won the Academy Award have stood the test of time and are still beloved by movie aficionados around the world.

“The Bicycle Thief,” 1949

This Italian film (“Ladri di biciclette”) tells the story of a man whose livelihood and ability to provide for his family depends on his owning a bicycle, which is stolen on his first day on the job. Directed by Vittorio De Sica.

“8½,” 1963

Many of Italian director Federico Fellini’s films were recognized by the Academy, and many regard “8½” — a film about a director (based on Fellini himself) who escapes into a surreal world of fantasies and memories — as his masterpiece.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” 2000

China, Taiwan and Hong Kong’s entry (“Wo hu cang long” in Mandarin Chinese) revolves around the story of a stolen sword, but it is also a tale of love, pain, duty and revenge. This film by Ang Lee garnered an unprecedented 10 Academy Award nominations and ended up winning in four categories.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Foreign Language Film Winner
2. 2010 Foreign Language Film Oscar Nominees
3. Turning to Cinema to Preserve the Catalan Language
4. When Languages Influence Each Other
5. Raising Bilingual Children: A Growing Trend