The Best International Feature Film category will again be very competitive this year. About a dozen or so countries submitted their official picks these last few days, including three bonafide contenders: Italy’s “The Hand of God,” Denmark’s “Flee,” and Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World.”  

For the 80 or so countries this year, the goal is simple; make it to the shortlist of 15 nominees; Easier said than done as the process, a complicated one involving voting percentages, sometimes spurs a number of snubs and surprises every given year. 

With that being said, there have been 70 submissions so far this year snd there are 10 major contenders not only vying to get nominated in the category, but to win the whole Megillah. 

Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World
Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God
Jonas Rasmussen’s Flee
Julia Ducournau’s Titane
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car
Juho Kuosammen’s Compartment No. 6
Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers For the Stolen
Maria Schrader’s I’m Your Man
Valdimar Jóhannsson‘s Lamb

Nathaniel Rogers over at The Film Experience has had, year-in and year-out, the best coverage of this category. He actually tries to watch every single submission.

The last ten winners of this category have been Thomas Vinterberg, Alfonso Cuaron, Bong Joon-ho, Sebastien Lelio, Asghar Farhadi (twice), Pawel Pawlikowski, Paolo Sorrentino, Michael Haneke, and Laszlo Nemes.