Canada selects ‘Universal Language’ as 2025 Oscar submission

Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language will fly the flag for Canada as the country’s international feature film submission for the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025.

‘Universal Language’: Cannes Review

A pan-Canadian selection committee organised by non-voting chair Telefilm Canada met on Tuesday to select its top choice from 26 submissions.

Produced by Metafilms, the absurdist Winnipeg-set caper premiered in Cannes and will receive its North American premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, before screening in New York Film Festival and Fantastic Fest.

Universal Language transposes Iran to Winnipeg and weaves together several episodes: children discover money frozen in ice; a walking tour guide leads his bored guests to underwhelming attractions; and a man quits his job and embarks on a journey to visit his estranged grandmother.

The cast features Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi, Pirouz Nemati, Mani Soleymanlou, and Rankin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi. Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil served as producer.

Maison 4:3 is the Canadian distributor while Oscilloscope will release in the US and served as executive producer. Brussels-based Best Friend Forever handles international sales, and producer Corbeil said close to 40 territories had been sold and the UK remained available.

Julie Roy, executive director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, said: “This film is emblematic of our national cinematography: with the success it has enjoyed since its launch at Cannes, no matter what the language, it reaches audiences here and abroad.”

“We are amazed by this improbable selection and we will do our very best to represent Canada at the Oscars,” said Rankin.

Eight Canadian films have been official nominees in the best international feature film category, formerly known as the best foreign language film category: War Witch by Kim Nguyen in 2013; Monsieur Lazhar by Philippe Falardeau and In Darkness, by Agnieszka Holland (a minority co-production with Poland and Germany) in 2012;  Incendies, by Denis Villeneuve in 2011; and Water  by Deepa Mehta in 2007.

Denys Arcand’s The Barbarian Invasions remains the only Canadian film to win the Oscar, in 2004, and the filmmaker’s The Decline Of The American Empire and Jesus Of Montreal earned nominations in 1987 and 1990, respectively.

The 97th Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2025, in Hollywood.

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