The International Contenders Face Off

Once again, it’s time to scan our memories as we pour over the submissions of the world’s film industries for the Best International Feature Film at the 96^th Academy Awards, and ponder which one is destined to become the next Drive My Car or All Quiet on the Western Front.

Out of the 92 films proposed this year to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Film Verdict will focus on the highlights in a week of celebrating the International Contenders. Our coverage includes not just reviews, interviews and profiles but, for Academy members, futuristic screenings of selected films in the Milc Metaverse.

This year’s international selection is varied and includes work by some of the most popular and revered directors – Wim Wenders (Perfect Days, the entry from Japan) and Finland’s beloved Aki Kaurismaki (Fallen Leaves), Romania’s Radu Jude (Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World) and Turkey’s Nuri Bilge Ceylan (About Dry Grasses), for example.  But with the international scene dominated by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, there are strong titles dealing with current issues, like Matteo Garrone’s striking description of an African boy’s immigration to Italy in Io, Capitano and Jonathan Glazer’s chilling vision of the everyday life of a Nazi concentration camp commandant in The Zone of Interest.

We also salute the increasing presence of women directors on the submission list, from the well-known Kaouther Ben Hania from Tunisia and her striking Four Daughters to first features from Senegal’s Ramata Toulaye Sy (Banel & Adama), Morocco’s Asmae El Moudir (The Mother of All Lies) and Palestine’s Lina Soualem (Bye Bye Tiberias), among many others.

So cheers to diversity and good luck to all the contenders, as we wait for the 15-title shortlist to be announced on December 21 and official nominations to appear next January 23.