January 4, 2024

International Feature Oscar Shortlist: Armenia Marks A First, Bhutan Is Back, ‘Godland’ Surprises

The shortlist of 15 films set to vie for a Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination only has a few surprises in the mix. Firstly, there are a couple of crossovers with films also included on the documentary shortlist: Ukraine’s 20 Days in Mariupol and Tunisia’s Four Daughters. At the same time, Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies, also eligible in documentary, landed a shortlist slot only in International Feature. For Ukraine, this is the first inclusion on an International Feature shortlist. For a narrative feature, same goes for Armenia with Michael A. Goorjian’s Amerikatsi. Bhutan, here with The Monk and the Gun, is a comer. After landing the country’s first advancement in 2021 with Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, director Pawo Choyning Dorji is again in the mix. A surprise here is Iceland’s Godland, which debuted in Cannes in 2022 and is handled by Janus domestically. Hlynur Palmason’s movie “strikes that elusive balance of pace and pitch,” said Deadline’s review at the time. Here is the full Oscar shortlist for International Feature Film: Armenia, Amerikatsi Bhutan, The Monk and the Gun Denmark, The Promised Land Finland, Fallen Leaves France, The Taste of Things Germany, The Teachers’ Lounge Iceland, Godland Italy, Io Capitano Japan, Perfect Days Mexico, Totem Morocco, The Mother of All Lies Spain, Society of the Snow Tunisia, Four Daughters Ukraine, 20 Days in Mariupol United Kingdom, The Zone of Interest