The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (renamed Best International Feature Film in 2020) was first given out at the 20th Oscar ceremony in 1948. At the time it was a special award rather than a competitive award, given by the Academy to a film in a language other than English that was judged to be outstanding. Beginning with the 29th Academy Awards in 1957, the award was changed to a competitive award with a list of nominees that Academy members could vote on, and it has remained as such until this day. Historically, the Oscars have strongly favored films from Europe—Italy and France have won a total of 27 times, while the entire continent of Africa only has two winners, America (outside the U.S.) has five, and the two most populous nations on Earth, China and India, have combined for five nominees and zero winners.
The award for Best International Feature Film has several rules for eligibility, some of which have been controversial:
- Films produced in the United States are not eligible, even if they are largely or entirely in a language other than English.note However, films not in English produced in other predominantly Anglophone countries are eligible, and films from Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia have been nominated.
- If a film has too much English dialogue, it is not eligible. The Band's Visit, a 2007 film submitted by Israel, was rejected by the Academy for including too much English. (Interestingly, films having no dialogue at all, such as 1983 nominee Le Bal, are eligible.)
- Films must be submitted by the countries they are produced in, and countries are limited to one nominee each. This has led to more than one Award Snub. Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Ran wasn't nominated because folks in the Japanese film industry, who were mad at him for not going to a party, refused to submit it.
- A film may be rejected if the country nominating it did not have sufficient artistic control over it. Lust, Caution, nominated by Taiwan, was rejected because the Academy judged the United States and mainland China to be too involved in the production.
Foreign-language films are eligible for the Best Picture award and thirteen have been nominated. The first instance was The Grand Illusion by Jean Renoir before the Foreign Language award was even inaugrated. Other occasions have included Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers, Il Postino, three American productions that were ineligible for the Foreign Language award (Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Minari), and seven films that also appear on the list below. Parasite is the first film to win both awards.
Winners of the Oscar for Best International Feature Film are listed below, as well as nominees with TV Tropes work pages.
Winners, and nominees with TV Tropes pages, by year of eligibility and country of origin:
- 1947: Shoeshine (Italy)
- 1948: Monsieur Vincent (France)
- 1949: The Bicycle Thief (Italy)
- 1950: The Walls of Malapaga (France)
- 1951: Rashomon (Japan)
- 1952: Forbidden Games (France)
- 1953: no award
- 1954: Gate of Hell (Japan)
- 1955: Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (Japan)
- 1956: La Strada (Italy) — first competitive winner
- The Burmese Harp (Japan)
- The Captain from Kopenick (West Germany)
- Gervaise (France)
- Qivitoq (Denmark)
- 1957: Nights of Cabiria (Italy)
- The Devil Strikes at Night (West Germany)
- Gates of Paris (France)
- Mother India (India)
- Nine Lives (Norway)
- 1958: Mon Oncle (France)
- Arms and the Man (West Germany)
- Big Deal on Madonna Street (Italy)
- The Road a Year Long (Yugoslavia)
- La venganza (Spain)
- 1959: Black Orpheus (France; in Portuguese)
- The Bridge (West Germany)
- The Great War (Italy)
- Paw (Denmark)
- Village by the River (The Netherlands)
- 1960: The Virgin Spring (Sweden)
- Kapò (Italy)
- Macario (Mexico)
- The Ninth Circle (Yugoslavia)
- The Truth (France)
- 1961: Through a Glass Darkly (Sweden)
- Animas Trujano (Mexico)
- Harry and the Butler (Denmark)
- Immortal Love (Japan)
- Plácido (Spain)
- 1962: Sundays and Cybèle (France)
- Electra (Greece)
- The Four Days of Naples (Italy)
- O Pagador de Promessas (Brazil)
- Tlayucan (Mexico)
- 1963: 8½ (Italy)
- Knife in the Water (Poland)
- The Red Lanterns (Greece)
- Los Tarantos (Spain)
- Twin Sisters of Kyoto (Japan)
- 1964: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Italy)
- Raven's End (Sweden)
- Sallah Shabati (Israel)
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (France)
- Woman in the Dunes (Japan)
- 1965: The Shop on Main Street (Czechoslovakia)
- Dear John (Sweden)
- Blood on the Land (Greece)
- Kwaidan (Japan)
- Marriage Italian Style (Italy)
- 1966: A Man and a Woman (France)
- The Battle of Algiers (France/Italy)
- The Loves of a Blonde (Czechoslovakia)
- Pharaoh (Poland)
- Tri (Yugoslavia)
- 1967: Closely Watched Trains (Czechoslovakia)
- El amor brujo (Spain)
- I Even Met Happy Gypsies (Yugoslavia)
- Live for Life (France)
- Portrait of Chieko (Japan)
- 1968: War and Peace (Soviet Union)
- The Boys of Paul Street (Hungary)
- The Firemen's Ball (Czechoslovakia)
- The Girl with the Pistol (Italy)
- Stolen Kisses (France)
- 1969: Z (Algeria; in French) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Ådalen 31 (Sweden)
- The Battle of Neretva (Yugoslavia)
- The Brothers Karamazov (Soviet Union)
- My Night at Maud's (France)
- 1970: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Italy)
- First Love (Switzerland)
- Hoa-Binh (France)
- Paix sur les champs (Belgium)
- Tristana (Spain)
- 1971: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Italy)
- Dodes'ka-den (Japan)
- The Emigrants (Sweden) (also nominated for Best Picture)note
- The Policeman (Israel)
- Tchaikovsky (Soviet Union)
- 1972: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (France)
- The Dawns Here Are Quiet (Soviet Union)
- I Love You Rosa (Israel)
- The New Land (Sweden)
- 1973: Day for Night (France)
- The House on Chelouche Street (Israel)
- L'Invitation (Switzerland)
- The Pedestrian (West Germany)
- Turkish Delight (The Netherlands)
- 1974: Amarcord (Italy)
- Cat's Play (Hungary)
- The Deluge (Poland)
- Lacombe, Lucien (France)
- 1975: Dersu Uzala (Soviet Union)
- Letters From Marusia (Mexico)
- Profumo di donna (Italy)
- The Promised Land (Poland)
- Sandakan No. 8 (Japan)
- 1976: Black and White in Color (Ivory Coast; in French)
- Cousin Cousine (France)
- Jacob the Liar (East Germany)
- Nights and Days (Poland)
- Seven Beauties (Italy)
- 1977: Madame Rosa (France)
- Iphigenia (Greece)
- Operation Thunderbolt (Israel)
- That Obscure Object of Desire (Spain)
- A Special Day (Italy)
- 1978: Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (France)
- The Glass Cell (West Germany)
- Hungarians (Hungary)
- White Bim Black Ear (Soviet Union)
- 1979: The Tin Drum (West Germany)
- The Maids of Wilko (Poland)
- Mama Turns 100 (Spain)
- To Forget Venice (Italy)
- 1980: Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (Soviet Union)
- Bizalom (Hungary)
- Kagemusha (Japan)
- The Last Metro (France)
- The Nest (Spain)
- 1981: Mephisto (Hungary; in German)
- The Boat Is Full (Switzerland)
- Man of Iron (Poland)
- Muddy River (Japan)
- Three Brothers (Italy)
- 1982: Begin the Beguine (Spain)
- Alsino and the Condor (Nicaragua)
- Coup de Torchon (France)
- Flight of the Eagle (Sweden)
- Private Life (Soviet Union)
- 1983: Fanny and Alexander (Sweden)
- Le Bal (Algeria)
- Carmen (Spain)
- Entre Nous (France)
- The Revolt of Job (Hungary)
- 1984: Dangerous Moves (Switzerland)
- Beyond the Walls (Israel)
- Camila (Argentina)
- Sesión continua (Spain)
- Wartime Romance (Soviet Union)
- 1985: The Official Story (Argentina)
- Angry Harvest (West Germany)
- Colonel Redl (Hungary)
- Three Men and a Cradle (France)
- When Father Was Away on Business (Yugoslavia)
- 1986: The Assault (The Netherlands)
- Betty Blue (France)
- The Decline of the American Empire (Canada)
- My Sweet Little Village (Czechoslovakia)
- 38 (Austria)
- 1987: Babette's Feast (Denmark)
- Au revoir les enfants (France)
- Course Completed (Spain)
- Pathfinder (Norway)
- 1988: Pelle the Conqueror (Denmark)
- Hanussen (Hungary)
- The Music Teacher (Belgium)
- Salaam Bombay! (India)
- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Spain)
- 1989: Cinema Paradiso (Italy)
- Camille Claudel (France)
- Jesus of Montreal (Canada)
- What Happened to Santiago (Puerto Rico)
- 1990: Journey of Hope (Switzerland)
- Cyrano de Bergerac (France)
- Ju Dou (China)
- The Nasty Girl (Germany)
- Open Doors (Italy)
- 1991: Mediterraneo (Italy)
- Children of Nature (Iceland)
- The Elementary School (Czechoslovakia)
- The Ox (Sweden)
- Raise the Red Lantern (Hong Kong)
- 1992: Indochine (France)
- Close to Eden (Russia)
- Daens (Belgium)
- Schtonk! (Germany)
- 1993: Belle Époque (Spain)
- Farewell My Concubine (Hong Kong)
- Hedd Wyn (United Kingdom)(in Welsh)
- The Scent of Green Papaya (Vietnam)
- The Wedding Banquet (Taiwan)
- 1994: Burnt by the Sun (Russia)
- Before the Rain (Macedonia)
- Eat Drink Man Woman (Taiwan)
- Farinelli (Belgium)
- Strawberry and Chocolate (Cuba)
- 1995: Antonia's Line (The Netherlands)
- All Things Fair (Sweden)
- O Quatrilho (Brazil)
- The Star Maker (Italy)
- 1996: Kolya (Czech Republic)
- The Other Side of Sunday (Norway)
- Prisoner of the Mountains (Russia)
- Ridicule (France)
- 1997: Character (The Netherlands)
- Beyond Silence (Germany)
- Four Days in September (Brazil)
- Secrets of the Heart (Spain)
- The Thief (Russia)
- 1998: Life Is Beautiful (Italy) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Central Station (Brazil)
- Children of Heaven (Iran)
- The Grandfather (Spain)
- Tango (Argentina)
- 1999: All About My Mother (Spain)
- East/West (France)
- Himalaya (Nepal)
- Solomon & Gaenor (United Kingdom) (in Welsh and Yiddish)
- Under the Sun (Sweden)
- 2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Amores Perros (Mexico)
- Divided We Fall (Czech Republic)
- Everybody's Famous (Belgium)
- The Taste of Others (France)
- 2001: No Man's Land (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Amélie (France)
- Elling (Norway)
- Lagaan (India)
- Son of the Bride (Argentina)
- 2002: Nowhere in Africa (Germany)
- The Crime of Father Amaro (Mexico)
- Hero (2002) (China)
- The Man Without a Past (Finland)
- Zus & Zo (The Netherlands)
- 2003: The Barbarian Invasions (Canada)
- Evil (Sweden)
- The Twilight Samurai (Japan)
- Twin Sisters (The Netherlands)
- Zelary (Czech Republic)
- 2004: The Sea Inside (Spain)
- As It Is in Heaven (Sweden)
- Downfall (Germany)
- Yesterday (South Africa)
- The Chorus (France)
- 2005: Tsotsi (South Africa)
- Don't Tell (Italy)
- Joyeux Noël (France)
- Paradise Now (Palestine)
- Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (Germany)
- 2006: The Lives of Others (Germany)
- After the Wedding (Denmark)
- Days of Glory (Algeria)
- Pan's Labyrinth (Mexico)
- Water (Canada)
- 2007: The Counterfeiters (Austria)
- 2008: Departures (Japan)
- The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
- The Class (2008) (France)
- Revanche (Austria)
- Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
- 2009: The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina)
- Ajami (Israel)
- The Milk of Sorrow (Peru)
- A Prophet (France)
- The White Ribbon (Germany)
- 2010: In a Better World (Denmark)
- Biutiful (Mexico)
- Dogtooth (Greece)
- Incendies (Canada)
- Outside the Law (Algeria)
- 2011: A Separation (Iran)
- Bullhead (Belgium)
- Footnote (Israel)
- In Darkness (Poland)
- Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
- 2012: Amour (Austria) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Kon-Tiki (Norway)
- No (Chile)
- A Royal Affair (Denmark)
- War Witch (Canada)
- 2013: The Great Beauty (Italy)
- The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
- The Hunt (Denmark)
- The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
- Omar (Palestine)
- 2014: Ida (Poland)
- Leviathan (Russia)
- Tangerines (Estonia)
- Timbuktu (Mauritania)
- Wild Tales (Argentina)
- 2015: Son of Saul (Hungary)
- Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia)
- Mustang (Turkey/France)
- Theeb (Jordan)
- A War (Denmark)
- 2016: The Salesman (Iran)
- Land of Mine (Denmark)
- A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
- Tanna (Australia)
- Toni Erdmann (Germany)
- 2017: A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
- The Insult (Lebanon)
- Loveless (Russia)
- On Body and Soul (Hungary)
- The Square (Sweden)
- 2018: Roma (Mexico) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Capernaum (Lebanon)
- Cold War (Poland)
- Never Look Away (Germany)
- Shoplifters (Japan)
- 2019: Parasite (South Korea) (also won Best Picture)
- Corpus Christi (Poland)
- Honeyland (Macedonia)
- Les Miserables (France)
- Pain and Glory (Spain)
- 2020-21: Another Round (Denmark)
- Better Days (Hong Kong)
- Collective (Romania)
- The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)
- Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- 2021: Drive My Car (Japan) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Flee (Denmark)
- The Hand of God (Italy)
- Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan)
- The Worst Person in the World (Norway)
- 2022: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)
- Close (Belgium)
- EO (Poland)
- The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
- 2023: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) (also nominated for Best Picture)
- Io Capitano (Italy)
- Perfect Days (Japan)
- Society of the Snow (Spain)
- The Teachers Lounge (Germany)