2025 Oscars Best International Feature Predictions
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
More from Variety
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS
2025 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature
Weekly Commentary (Updated Oct 24, 2024): France has finally aligned its international film strategy, selecting Jacques Audiard’s crime musical “Emilia Perez” as its official Oscar entry. This marks a significant shift after opting for riskier choices in recent years. In 2023, they chose “The Taste of Things” over the Palme d’Or-winning “Anatomy of a Fall,” while in 2021, the controversial “Titane” was picked over “Happening.” With streaming giant Netflix supporting “Emilia Perez” and the film currently building buzz across multiple categories — including best picture — this could be the year France ends its over 30-year Oscar drought. The country last claimed the coveted award in 1992 for “Indochine.”
In contrast, India’s selection this year raises eyebrows. Rather than choosing Payal Kapadia’s Cannes runner-up “All We Imagine as Light,” the country opted for “Laapataa Ladies.” This decision feels reminiscent of the “RRR” snub in 2022, where another internationally acclaimed Indian film was overlooked due to politics and languages. Nevertheless, with Janus Films and Sideshow behind the distribution, there’s hope that “All We Imagine as Light” could still secure a nomination in some capacity.
As the Academy expands its international membership, each Oscar ceremony becomes more global, with non-English language films gaining greater recognition. Brazil’s submission, Walter Salles’ emotionally charged drama “I’m Still Here,” is expected to find love from other Academy branches. The film has all the elements to break into major races, like best director, adapted screenplay, and actress for Fernanda Torres. Its powerful emotional resonance could also make it a dark horse contender for the best picture category if the buzz sustains. This follows last year’s groundbreaking moment, where — for the first time — two non-English language films, “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest,” were nominated for best picture.
Meanwhile, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has garnered substantial attention following the success of his film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which received a special prize at Cannes. Though Rasoulof’s film won’t represent Iran at the Oscars, Germany, which took home the award in 2022 with Edward Berger’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” has chosen the drama to represent it. It was secretly filmed in Iran and centers on an investigating judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, whose life unravels amid rising anti-government protests and personal tragedy. Rasoulof made a daring escape from Iran on foot in May to avoid imprisonment, adding an intense real-life layer to its already gripping narrative.
It’s not unusual for a country to submit a film that isn’t entirely in its native language. In recent years, Denmark selected “Holy Spider,” almost wholly spoken in Farsi, and “Flee,” a multilingual animated documentary featuring English, Danish, Dari, Swedish, and Russian. Last year’s best picture nominee, “The Zone of Interest,” spoken in German and filmed in Poland, represented the U.K. due to its British financiers and writer-director Jonathan Glazer. And this year, we have the Spanish-language musical “Emilia” representing France and a silent animated movie “Flow” repping Latvia. This seems par for the course nowadays.
According to Academy rules, a film can be selected as a country’s official entry if it is financed by producers or companies from that country or has a majority of its crew members from there.
With the backing of Neon — the same studio that propelled Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” to a historic best picture win in 2019 — “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” could find itself competing in the best picture race if the right momentum builds behind it.
The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2. The full rankings are below. All movie listings, titles, and distributors are not final and are subject to change.
** denotes the film has not been named as the official selection for the correlating country. Please note: this list is not final and will be updated as more countries announce their official selections.
And the Predicted Nominees Are
Rank | Performer & Film |
|---|---|
1 | “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) from France |
2 | “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics) from Brazil |
3 | “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) from Germany |
4 | “The Girl with the Needle” (Mubi) from Denmark |
5 | “Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics) from Ireland |
Next in Line
Rank | Performer & Film |
|---|---|
6 | “Dahomey” (Mubi) from Senegal |
7 | “Flow” (Janus Films and Sideshow) from Latvia |
8 | “Grand Tour” (Mubi) from Portugal |
9 | “Sujo” (The Forge) from Mexico |
10 | “Armand” (IFC Films) from Norway |
Other Contenders
Rank | Performer & Film |
|---|---|
11 | “Santosh” (Metrograph Pictures) from United Kingdom |
12 | “In Her Place” (Netflix) from Chile |
13 | “Vermiglio” (Janus Films) from Italy |
14 | “From Ground Zero” (No U.S. Distribution) from Palestine |
15 | “The Devil’s Bath” (IFC Films/Shudder) from Austria |
16 | “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” (Well Go USA) from Hong Kong |
17 | “Memories of a Burning Body” (Metis Films) from Costa Rica |
18 | “Under the Volcano” (TVP Dystrybucja Kinowa) from Poland |
19 | “Laapataa Ladies” (T-Series) from India |
20 | “La Palisiada” (No U.S. Distribution) from Ukraine |
Official Selections (Best International Feature)
This list is incomplete and not yet finalized. Not all films have distribution or release dates. All are subject to change.
Albania — “Waterdrop” — dir. Robert Budina
Algeria — “Algiers” — dir. Chakib Taleb-Bendiab
Argentina — “Kill the Jockey” — dir. Luis Ortega
Armenia — “Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev” — dir. Edgar Baghdasaryan
Austria — “The Devil’s Bath” — dir. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
Bangladesh — “The Wrestler” — dir. Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury
Belgium — “Julie Keeps Quiet” — dir. Leonardo Van Dijl
Bolivia — “Own Hand” — dir. Gory Pati?o
Bosnia and Herzegovina — “My Late Summer” — dir. Danis Tanovi?
Brazil — “I’m Still Here” — dir. Walter Salles
Bulgaria — “Triumph” — dir. Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov
Cambodia — “Meeting with Pol Pot” — dir. Rithy Panh
Cameroon — “Kismet” — dir. Ngang Romanus Ntseh
Canada — “Universal Language” — dir. Matthew Rankin
Chile — “In Her Place” — dir. Maite Alberdi
China — “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” — dir. Fang Li
Colombia — “La Suprema” — dir. Felipe Holguin
Costa Rica — “Memories of a Burning Body” — dir. Antonella Sudasassi
Croatia — “Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” — dir. Ivona Juka
Czech Republic — “Waves” — dir. Ji?í Mádl
Denmark — “The Girl with the Needle” — dir. Magnus von Horn
Dominican Republic — “Aire: Just Breathe” — dir. Leticia Tonos
Ecuador — “Behind the Mist” — dir. Sebastián Cordero
Egypt — “Flight 404” — dir. Hani Khalifa
Estonia — “8 Views of Lake Biwa” — dir. Marko Raat
Finland — “Family Time” — dir. Tia Kouvo
France — “Emilia Pérez” — dir. Jacques Audiard
Georgia — “The Antique” — dir. Rusudan Glurjidze
Germany — “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” — dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
Greece — “Murderess” — dir. Eva Nathena
Haiti — “Kidnapping Inc.” — dir. Bruno Mourral
Hong Kong — “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” — dir. Soi Cheang
Hungary — “Semmelweis” — dir. Lajos Koltai
Iceland — “Touch” — dir. Baltasar Kormákur
India — “Laapataa Ladies” — dir. Kiran Rao
Indonesia — “Women from Rote Island” — dir. Jeremias Nyangoen
Iran — “In the Arms of the Tree” — dir. Babak Lotfi Khajepasha
Ireland — “Kneecap” — dir. Rich Peppiatt
Israel — “Come Closer” — dir. Tom Nesher
Italy — “Vermiglio” — dir. Maura Delpero
Japan — “Cloud” — dir. Kurosawa Kiyoshi
Jordan — “My Sweet Land” — dir. Sareen Hairabedian
Kazakhstan — “Bauryna Salu” — dir. Askhat Kuchencherekov
Kenya — “Nawi” — dir. Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Kevin Schmutzler and Toby Schmutzler
Kyrgyzstan — “Heaven is Beneath Mother’s Feet” — dir. Ruslan Akun
Latvia — “Flow” — dir. Gints Zilbalodis
Lithuania — “Drowning Dry” — dir. Laurynas Barei?a
Malaysia — “Abang Adik” — dir. Jin Ong
Malta — “Castillo” — dir. Abigail Mallia
Mexico — “Sujo” — dir. Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez
Mongolia — “If Only I Could Hibernate” — dir. Zoljargal Purevdash
Montenegro — “Supermarket” — dir. Nemanja Be?anovi?
Morocco — “Everybody Loves Touda” — dir. Nabil Ayouch
Nepal — “Shambhala” — dir. Min Bahadur Bham
Netherlands — “Memory Lane” — dir. Jelle de Jonge
Norway — “Armand” — dir. Halfdan Ullmann T?ndel
Pakistan — “The Glassworker” — dir. Usman Riaz
Palestine — “From Ground Zero” — dir. Aws Al-Banna, Ahmed Al-Danf, Basil Al-Maqousi, Mustafa Al-Nabih, Muhammad Alshareef, Ala Ayob, Bashar Al Balbisi, Alaa Damo, Awad Hana, Ahmad Hassunah, Mustafa Kallab, Satoum Kareem, Mahdi Karera, Rabab Khamees, Khamees Masharawi, Wissam Moussa, Tamer Najm, Abu Hasna Nidaa, Damo Nidal, Mahmoud Reema, Etimad Weshah and Islam Al Zrieai
Panama — “Wake Up Mom” — dir. Arianne Benedetti
Paraguay — “The Last” — dir. Sebastián Pe?a Escobar
Peru — “Yana-Wara” — dir. óscar Catacora and Tito Catacora
Philippines — “And So It Begins” — dir. Ramona S. Diaz
Poland — “Under the Volcano” — dir. Damian Kocur
Portugal — “Grand Tour” — dir. Miguel Gomes
Romania — “Three Kilometres to the End of the World” — dir. Emanuel Parvu
Senegal — “Dahomey” — dir. Mati Diop
Serbia — “Russian Consul” — dir. Miroslav Leki?
Singapore — “La Luna” — dir. M. Raihan Halim
Slovakia — “The Hungarian Dressmaker” — dir. Iveta Grófová
Slovenia — “Family Therapy” — dir. Sonja Prosenc
South Africa — “Old Righteous Blues” — dir. Muneera Sallies
South Korea — “12.12: The Day” — dir. Kim Sung-su
Spain — “Saturn Return” — dir. Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez
Sweden — “The Last Journey” — dir. Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson
Switzerland — “Reinas” — dir. Klaudia Reynicke
Taiwan — “Old Fox” — dir. Hsiao Ya-chuan
Tajikistan — “Melody” — dir. Behrouz Sebt Rasoul
Thailand — “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” — dir. Pat Boonnitipat
Tunisia — “Take My Breath” — dir. Nada Mezni Hafaiedh
Turkey — “Life” — dir. Zeki Demirkubuz
Ukraine — “La Palisiada” — dir. Philip Sotnychenko
United Kingdom — “Santosh” — dir. Sandhya Suri
Uruguay — “The Door is There” — dir. Facundo Ponce de León and Juan Ponce de León
Venezuela — “Back to Life” — dir. Luis Carlos Hueck and Alfredo Hueck
Vietnam — “Peach Blossom Pho and Piano” — dir. Phi Ti?n S?n
More Information (Oscars: Best International Feature)
2024 category winner: “The Zone of Interest” (A24) from United Kingdom
2024-2025 Oscars Calendar and Timeline – Full awards season calendar here
Eligibility period: Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2024
General entry, best picture, RAISE submission deadline: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
Governors Awards: Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024
Preliminary voting begins Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at 9 a.m. PT.
Preliminary voting ends Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at 5 p.m. PT.
Oscar Shortlists Announcement: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024
Eligibility period ends: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024
Nominations voting begins Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT.
Nominations voting ends Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT.
Oscar Nominations Announcement: Friday, Jan. 17, 2025
Oscar Nominees Luncheon: Monday, Feb. 10, 2025
Final voting begins Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT
Final voting ends: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT
Scientific and Technical Awards: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
97th Oscars: Sunday, March 2, 2025
Oscars Prediction Categories
— | — |
|---|---|
Makeup and Hairstyling | |
Sound | Visual Effects |
Animated Short | Documentary Short |
Live Action Short | Casting (coming in 2026) |
About the Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. Since 1927, nominees and winners have been selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nineteen branches are represented within the nearly 11,000-person membership. The branches are actors, animators, associates, casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentary, executives, film editors, makeup and hairstylists, marketing and public relations, members-at-large, members-at-large (artists’ representatives), music, producers, production design, short films, sound, visual effects and writers.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.