Force Majeure Makes Academy Awards’ Foreign Language Shortlist

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are film industries around the world that are not centered on Hollywood. After all, one of the largest film markets is India, with Bollywood productions making up a huge swath of worldwide film production. Nigeria also recently made headlines as one of the world’s biggest film industries (according to UNESCO).

With the Academy Awards announcing their shortlist for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film contenders, we are once more reminded that some of the most interesting movies produced this year do not come out of Los Angeles, and indeed could probably never be made within the Hollywood system.

Out of 83 films submitted, only 9 advanced to the shortlist, and quite a few critical favorites did not make the cut. Turkey’s Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep was snipped out, as was the Cannes jury prize winner Mommy (out of Canada), and Two Days, One Night, which starred Marion Cotillard.

Here is the full list of films advancing:

• Argentina, Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón, director
• Estonia, Tangerines, Zaza Urushadze, director
• Georgia, Corn Island, George Ovashvili, director
• Mauritania, Timbuktu, Abderrahmane Sissako, director
• Netherlands, Accused, Paula van der Oest, director
• Poland, Ida, Paweł Pawlikowski, director
• Russia, Leviathan, Andrey Zvyagintsev, director
• Sweden, Force Majeure, Ruben Östlund, director
• Venezuela, The Liberator, Alberto Arvelo, director

Force Majeure is a particular critical favorite, and one of the few films on the list to have a wider release stateside – though maybe we can hold out some hope for the others, now that they are on a shortlist.

Tell us, which film would you like to see take home the golden statue come Oscar night?