This year’s international feature race throws up some “big questions for the Academy”, according to Screen International’s awards experts.
In our second Screen Awards Podcast for the 2024/25 race, Screen’s editor-in-chief Matt Mueller, executive editor, reviews and new talent Fionnuala Halligan, and awards and box-office editor Charles Gant asses the titles competing in Ampas’ international feature and Bafta’s best film not in the English language categories.
Among the strong contenders are films “representing countries that don’t necessarily reflect their own cultures or experiences”, says Mueller, including Spanish-language musical Emilia Perez selected by France, UK submission Santosh, a Hindi-langauage drama set in rural India, and The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, made and set in Iran but competing for Germany after director Mohammad Rasoulof was forced to flee his home country.
“Of course, Iran would not nominate a film like this,” says Halligan, “and that brings into question all the anomalies that we get with the Academy Awards with the international film section… it does chip away at the credibility [of the category]: is it fair, is it equal?”
The trio also look at other titles from across the globe jostling to make Ampas’s 15-strong international feature shortlist, which will be announced on December 17, as well as the titles that could fare well in Bafta’s best film not in the English language category.
Listen to our first podcast of the season, which picks out the early frontrunners, here.
To download or subscribe to future episodes, search for ’The Screen International podcast’, which is available on:
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