Before the 91st Academy Awards in 2019, only nine foreign language films had broken into the Best Picture category across the ceremony’s 90-year history. One of those, “Letters from Iwo Jima,” was actually an American film directed by Clint Eastwood. The success of “Roma” in 2018 and “Parasite” in 2019, combined with an increasingly global Academy voting base, has helped shift the landscape. Over the last seven ceremonies, eight films, primarily in non-English languages, have earned Best Picture nominations, with six of them originating from outside the United States (“Minari” and “Past Lives” being the exceptions).
If multiple foreign language films once again break into the Best Picture lineup at the 98th Academy Awards, as they have in the last two years, then post-2017 ceremonies will have matched the total number of non-English Best Picture nominees from the Oscars’ first 90 years. But which films are poised to make that leap this season? Which international titles are building the momentum needed to become major Oscar contenders?
Thanks to a buying spree at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, distributor NEON has assembled a formidable slate of potential Oscar players from around the world: “The Secret Agent,” “Sirāt,” “No Other Choice,” “Sentimental Value” (which they were attached to even before Cannes), and the 2025 Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just an Accident.” Among these, “Sentimental Value” appears to be emerging as the most likely to be a contender in multiple categories outside of just Best International Feature Film. Director Joachim Trier, who previously earned a surprise Best Original Screenplay nomination for “The Worst Person In The World,” is already on the Academy’s radar and an acclaimed film like “Sentimental Value” which has performed well across the fall film festival circuit could push him to a new level of recognition with Best Picture and Best Director nominations. The film is also looking to get all four of its actors, Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning nominated (it would be each of their first Oscar nominations) along with additional nominations for Original Screenplay, Casting, Score and Editing.
Still, Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” shouldn’t be overlooked. NEON has distributed the last five Palme d’Or winners before “It Was Just an Accident” and secured Best Picture nominations for all but one (“Titane”). “Parasite” and “Anora” even went on to win the top prize. With Panahi—one of world cinema’s most celebrated auteurs—at the helm with a powerful narrative behind him, the film has the kind of international prestige that could translate into major Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and perhaps, even the new casting Oscar.
The Wagner Moura-led transportive, political drama “The Secret Agent,” won more awards at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival than any other competing film, even though it missed out on the Palme d’Or. NEON has given it a prime Thanksgiving 2025 release, and the praise has been overwhelmingly strong from critics and industry professionals. Following “I’m Still Here,” which became the first Brazilian film ever nominated for Best Picture, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s latest could become the second. He could also find himself in the Best Director race, while Moura looks pretty steady for a Best Actor nomination.
Outside of Cannes, another NEON acquisition, Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice,” is also drawing considerable Oscar buzz for the South Korean auteur who has given us so many classic films over the years but has never, not once, been recognized by the Academy. “No Other Choice” has received universal praise, and it’s about time for Park to receive his long overdue Oscar recognition. If the glowing reactions continue, Academy members could seize the opportunity to reward him with nominations across several major categories, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
Germany’s major awards contender, “Sound of Falling,” is another film to watch out for. Distributed domestically by MUBI, the grueling drama drew raves out of Cannes and has been drumming up buzz for Best Director and Cinematography nominations.
Several smaller international films could also gain traction in the increasingly global Oscar landscape. Japan’s official submission, “Kokuho,” has become a massive box office hit at home. If its momentum continues, it could break through to other categories as more voters discover it. Hasan Hadi’s “The President’s Cake” from Iraq has received strong reviews and landed a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classics, although its intimate scale may limit its reach in such a competitive year. Shih-Ching Tsou’s “Left-Handed Girl,” from Taiwan, represents Netflix’s biggest international push this season ever since France selected Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” over Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague.” Given that Sean Baker is tied to that film and Netflix has all their concentration and campaign might behind it, there’s a world where it breaks through into one or two additional categories. Meanwhile, Janus Films is handling Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason’s “The Love That Remains,” and Lav Diaz’s epic “Magellan.” Those two seem like long shots to score any additional nominations but you never know this early in the season.
Among all these hopefuls aiming to become the next “Anatomy of a Fall” or “Drive My Car,” one stands out as a potential heavyweight: Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, dramatizing the true story of a five-year-old girl in Gaza named Hind Rajab, who the IDF killed in January 2024. It received the most extended recorded standing ovation in the festival’s history and won Venice’s Grand Jury Prize. However, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has yet to secure U.S. distribution from a major or arthouse studio, which could hinder its visibility for Academy voters. This was a challenge also faced by last year’s Best Documentary Feature winner, “No Other Land.” While it worked out well for the team behind that film, without a significant campaign push, Ben Hania’s film may struggle to reach Academy voters, especially if it doesn’t receive a theatrical release before the end of 2025.
Nothing is impossible in today’s Oscar race, which has become thrillingly international in scope. Foreign language films were once rare exceptions in the Best Picture category. Now, they’re essential fixtures. With this year’s rich lineup of acclaimed global cinema, the Oscars’ ongoing evolution toward a truly worldwide celebration of film shows no signs of slowing down.
What do you think, though? How many additional Oscar nominations do you think these foreign language films can receive outside of just best International Feature Film? Please let us know in the comments section below and on our X account and check out the team’s latest Oscar predictions here.
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