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| Everyone wants Sandy to give them an Oscar |
Today is the due date for the Academy Awards foreign film submissions, and all across the globe different countries are submitting their films in hopes of gaining both Oscar and financial gold (frequently, an Oscar nomination in this category in particular can mean millions for your bottom line, and in some cases, simply get you distributed, particularly averse United States).
However, there are a number of countries that continue to hunt for both an Oscar nomination, and in some cases, an Oscar win. With this two part series, we’re going to be profiling both (first nominations, then later this week (likely tomorrow) those without a win). Below are the Top 9 (there was a three-way tie for tenth between Serbia, Thailand, and Turkey, hence the uneven number) countries with the most submissions to the Foreign Language Film Oscar category without yet receiving an actual nomination.
9. Croatia
Number of Submissions: 22
First Year of Submission: 1992 (upon the breakup of Yugoslavia, which means they have submitted every year since they became a country)
Most Popular Directors: Both Branko Schmidt and Arsen Anton Ostojic have been submitted three times from the country.
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes-Tomislav Mrsic’s Cowboys has been submitted this year-this is his first submission.
A Wee Bit More Trivia: While Croatia has never been nominated, that doesn’t mean that Croatian filmmakers haven’t. Both 1958’s The Road a Year Long and 1960’s the Ninth Circle were made by Croatians, though they were representing Yugoslavia.
7. Venezuela (tie)
Number of Submissions: 23
First Year of Submission: 1978
Most Popular Director: Alberto Arvelo, who has been submitted three times.
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes, they once again chose Arvelo, who made a historical drama starring Edgar Ramirez about Simon Bolivar (famous international actor, biopic…could this be the year they make it?)
A Wee Bit More Trivia: In 2005, their contender 1888 was involved in a scandal as the public wanted the controversial smash hit Secuestro Express to be submitted. Their film did not arrive in time to be nominated, and so neither film was considered.
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| Catalina Sandino Moreno |
7. Colombia (tie)
Number of Submissions: 23
First Year of Submission: 1980
Most Popular Directors: Sergio Cabrera, Ciro Guerra, Carlos Moreno, and Jorge Ali Triana have all been selected twice for the submission.
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes, Mateo-in one of the most intriguing contenders of the year, a mob boss asks his nephew to join a theater group to investigate their political leanings.
A Wee Bit More Trivia: In 2004, Maria Full of Grace, the country’s original choice for the nomination (and a film that was expected to cruise to a nomination and a win), was deemed “insufficiently Colombian” and therefore the country was deprived of what was easily its best chance ever at a nomination. The film did go on to earn its star Catalina Sandino Moreno an Oscar nomination, making her the only Colombian actor ever nominated for an Oscar.
4. The Philippines (tie)
Number of Submissions: 25
First Year of Submission: 1953
Most Popular Directors: Gil Portes and Marilou Diaz-Abaya have both had films submitted three times.
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes, Norte, the End of History was selected (the film also screened Un Certain Regard at Cannes).
A Wee Bit More Trivia: The Philippines has submitted for this category since before there were even official nominations for the category. The 1953 submission (Genghis Khan) was actually to win the Honorary Foreign Language Film award (no film won that year).
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| Shin Sang-ok (right) with his wife Choi Eun Hee |
4. South Korea (tie)
Number of Submissions: 25
First Year of Submission: 1962
Most Popular Director: Shin Sang-ok received the first three submissions for Korea (more on him in a second).
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes, Sea Fog a very sad looking true story about illegal immigration.
A Wee Bit More Trivia: Shin Sang-ok, one of the most famous Korean filmmakers, was actually kidnapped along with his ex-wife (they remarried years later) by Kim Jong-Il in 1978 and eventually had to make propaganda films for North Korea before finally escaping and seeking freedom at the US Embassy in Vienna during a film festival.
4. Bulgaria (tie)
Number of Submissions: 25
First Year of Submission: 1971
Most Popular Director: Christo Christov, Ivan Nitchev, and Ludmil Staikov have all been shortlisted twice.
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes-they selected Bulgarian Rhapsody, directed by Ivan Nitchev
A Wee Bit More Trivia: Though they haven’t been nominated, with the new shortlisting system they have been very close; in 2009, The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner was shortlisted for the prize but failed to make the final cut.
2. Egypt (tie)
Number of Submissions: 29
First Year of Submission: 1958
Most Popular Director: Youssef Chahine has been submitted four times and is one of Egypt’s most celebrated directors
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes, they have the romantic drama Factory Girl in contention.
A Wee Bit More Trivia: Youssef Chahine is credited with discovering Oscar nominee Omar Sharif, who got his first starring role in a Chahine picture, The Blazing Sun.
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| Cristian Mungiu winning the Palme d'or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks... |
2. Romania (tie)
Number of Submissions: 29
First Year of Submission: 1966
Most Popular Director: Sergiu Nicolaescu, who was submitted five times before his death last year.
Did They Submit This Year?: Yes-they chose The Japanese Dog to compete this year.
A Wee Bit More Trivia: It’s kind of stunning in recent years that Romania hasn’t broken through. They have had both a Palme d’or winner (the critically-acclaimed Four Months, Three Weeks, and 2 Days) and a film that was eventually shortlisted for the prize (Beyond the Hills) but are still in the dark on their first nomination.
1. Portugal
Number of Submissions: 30 (can you believe that? Thirty times without a nomination!)
First Year of Submission: 1980
Most Popular Director: Manoel de Oliveira, who has made up nearly a third of the contenders with nine submissions.
Did They Submit This Year?: Portugal is trying a different tactic that worked for Cambodia last year on their first nomination: they’re submitting a documentary (What Now? Remind Me).
A Wee Bit More Trivia: We have talked about Manoel de Oliveira before, oddly enough (click here for the link), as he is one of the only living people to have starred in a Silent Era film (and is still working some 87 years later!)
There is the list-what are your thoughts? Every couple of years a country receives a breakthrough and gets their first nomination, though clearly all of these countries have been struggling for decades. Which do you think will be the first to gain a nomination? Which ones clearly should have by now? Share in the comments!
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