Nominations for the 98th Oscars will be announced in 24 categories on Thursday, January 22nd. From a list of 86 eligible films, 15 have been shortlisted. Five of those will be nominated. Read below for an assessment of the contenders and the predicted nominees.
The shortlist:
Belén (Argentina)
As a country, Argentina has eight previous nominations, most recently in 2022 for Argentina, 1985 and in 2014 for Wild Tales. Its two wins were in 1985 for The Official Story and in 2009 for The Secret in Their Eyes. This is director Dolores Fonzi’s second feature film. It contended for Best Foreign Language Film at the Critics Choice Awards.
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
Though Brazil has only been nominated in this category five times, it’s coming off its first-ever win last year for I’m Still Here, which also contended for Best Picture. Kleber Mendonça Filho has directed two previous submissions, Neighboring Sounds and Pictures of Ghosts. In addition to a Golden Globe win in this category, this film also contended for Best Motion Picture – Drama and won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama there. It has also been Oscar-shortlisted for Best Casting.
It Was Just an Accident (France)
France is officially the most-nominated country in this category, with forty-two previous nominations and twelve wins. It was nominated last year for Emilia Pérez, which was also not in French, and last won in 1992 for Indochine. Another film by an Iranian director, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, was nominated last year as Germany’s submission. Jafar Panahi directed The White Balloon in 1985, which was Iran’s submission for Best International Feature that year but did not win. In addition to a Golden Globe nomination in this category, this film also contended for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
Sound of Falling (Germany)
Germany has been nominated twenty-two times, winning four times, most recently in 2022 for All Quiet on the Western Front. It’s on a particularly impressive streak now after making the shortlist in 2021 for I’m Your Man, winning the following year, and then receiving consecutive bids for The Teachers’ Lounge and The Seed of the Sacred Fig. This is the second feature film from Mascha Schilinski.
Homebound (India)
India has only been nominated in this category three times, most recently in 2001 for Lagaan. It last made the shortlist in 2022 for Last Film Show. This is Neeraj Ghaywan’s second feature film.
The President’s Cake (Iraq)
While Iraq has been submitting films in this category since 2005, missing a few years since then, it has yet to be nominated. This is the first feature film from director Hasan Hadi.
Kokuho (Japan)
Japan has been nominated eighteen times, winning twice, in 2008 for Departures and in 2021 for Drive My Car. Its most recent nomination came two years ago for Perfect Days. Sang-il Lee is an established director, and Kokuho is also on the Oscar shortlist for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
All That’s Left of You (Jordan)
Out of eight submissions since 2008, two of which were withdrawn, Jordan has been nominated once, for Theeb in 2015. This is Cherien Dabis’ third feature film as director.
Sentimental Value (Norway)
Norway has been nominated six times, most recently for another film by director Joachim Trier, The Worst Person in the World, in 2021, the fourth film he’s made that was submitted on behalf of his country. Also on the Oscar shortlists for Best Casting and Best Cinematography, it was up for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the Golden Globes and Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards, also contending for its directing, screenplay, and performances by Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas with both groups.
Palestine 36 (Palestine)
Palestine has submitted films most years since 2003 and has been nominated twice, for Paradise Now in 2005 and Omar in 2013. It also made the shortlist last year for From Ground Zero. Annemarie Jacir has directed three previous Palestinian submissions, Salt of this Sea, When I Saw You, and Wajib.
No Other Choice (South Korea)
Despite submitting occasionally since 1962 and every year since 2002, South Korea has been nominated for an Oscar exactly one, for Parasite in 2019, which is also the only foreign-language film to date to win Best Picture. It made the shortlist in 2018 for Burning and also in 2022 for Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook’s previous film. No Other Choice contended for Best Foreign Language Film at both the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, and was also up for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical and star Lee Byung-hun at the former and Best Adapted Screenplay at the latter.
Sirât (Spain)
Spain has been nominated twenty-one times, winning four times, most recently for The Sea Inside in 2004. Its only nominations since then have come in 2019 for Pain and Glory and in 2023 for Society of the Snow. Sirât contended for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, and was also up for Best Original Score at the former and Best Sound at the latter. It’s on the Oscar shortlist for Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound. This is the fourth film from director Oliver Laxe.
Late Shift (Switzerland)
Switzerland has been nominated five times, winning in 1984 for Dangerous Moves and in 1990 for Journey of Hope, which was also its most recent nomination. It was last on the shortlist in 2016 for My Life as a Zucchini. Petra Volpe’s previous film, The Divine Order, was Switzerland’s submission in 2017. Star Leonie Benesch headlined a 2023 nominee in this category, The Teachers’ Lounge, from Germany.
Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan)
Taiwan has been nominated three times, winning on its last try in 2000 for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ang Lee directed all three nominated films. Since then, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale and A Sun have made the shortlist, in 2011 and 2020, respectively. This is director Shih-Ching Tsou’s first solo feature film after co-directing Take Out in 2004 with Sean Baker, who co-wrote, co-produced, and edited this film after winning all three of those Oscars and Best Director last year for Anora. It contended for Best Foreign Language Film at the Critics Choice Awards.
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
Tunisia has submitted eleven times previously and been nominated once, in 2020 for The Man Who Sold His Skin, also directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, who helmed the 2018 submission Beauty and the Dogs and the shortlisted 2023 submission Four Daughters, which did earn a nomination for Best Documentary Feature. It contended for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the Golden Globes.
It’s a question of whether all five NEON films can make the cut, which were all honored by the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards (Sentimental Value was only nominated for Best Picture thanks to a new rule). The Voice of Hind Rijab was also nominated at the Golden Globes while Belén and Left-Handed Girl rounded out the list at the Critics Choice Awards. The Secret Agent took home both prizes. The BAFTA longlist includes the five NEON titles, Left-Handed Girl, and The Voice of Hind Rijab.
Predicted nominees:
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
France, “It Was Just an Accident”
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
South Korea, “No Other Choice”
Spain, “Sirât”
