Submissions for the Best International Feature Film Award at the 96th Academy Awards ended this October, with several Southeast Asian filmmakers sending in their entries! Initially created in 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) previously gave only honorary awards for international films. It wasn’t until 1956 that the Best Foreign Language Film Award was created to recognize the production of international films and celebrate their achievements, and in 2020 they formally changed the award name to the Best International Feature Film Award.
The criteria for the award according to the Oscars committee are:
- A feature-length motion picture over 40 minutes
- Country-selected film must be released within the timeframe of December 1, 2022, and no later than October 31, 2023
- Produced outside the United States of America and its territories
- Predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track
- Accurate, legible English-language subtitles are required
- Animated and documentary feature films are permitted
Filmmakers from 92 countries submitted their entries for the award, six of whom are from Southeast Asia! The submissions are a diverse set of films that embodies each country’s culture and tackle themes such as coming of age, romance, and other darker aspects of humanity. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
Autobiography (Indonesia)
Makbul Mubarak debuts as a director with Indonesia’s entry, Autobiography. The movie follows Rakhib (Kevin Ardilova) who works as a housekeeper for General Purna (Arswendy Bening Swara). With the general running an election campaign, Rakhib forms a closer bond with him and is driven headfirst into a world of violence. A critique on Indonesia’s military dictatorship, the film explores themes of loyalty and justice in the midst of a power struggle between citizens and the military.
The film premiered at the 79th Venice international Film Festival and has been recognized by several international award-giving bodies as a winner and nominee for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director, among others.
Tiger Stripes (Malaysia)
Earlier this year, Tiger Stripes became the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian film to win the Grand Prix Award at the Cannes’ International Critics’ Week during the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Amanda Nell Eu, this teen body horror follows 12-year-old Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) as she experiences changes in her body that may be more than natural.
This film explores adolescence and coming-of-age through the allegory of supernatural body horror that makes for a terrific watching experience. The film was also nominated for the Caméra d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, which is awarded to the best first feature film by a director.
Iti Mapukpukaw or “The Missing” (Philippines)
Iti Mapukpukaw is the only animated entry submitted by any Southeast Asian filmmaker to the Oscars this year. Directed by Carl Joseph Papa, the rotoscope film follows the mouthless protagonist Eric (Carlo Aquino) as he comes face to face with his deep-seated childhood trauma upon the death of his uncle and the arrival of a familiar alien.
Iti Mapukpukaw garnered three awards earlier this year from Cinemalaya, the Philippines’ national independent film festival: Best Film, Best Supporting Actress, and the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Full-Length Feature Award.
The Breaking Ice (Singapore)
Premiering at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, The Breaking Ice is directed by Anthony Chen and depicts a love triangle between Nana (Zhou Dongyu), Xiao (Qu Chuxiao) and Haofeng (Lui Haoran). The movie follows the protagonists as they navigate the loneliness of living in a small Chinese village near the North Korean border. This poignant film explores the meaning of life from different perspectives.
The Breaking Ice is the third film by Chen to be chosen as Singapore’s entry for Best International Film at the Oscars. The film was also selected by critics from The Hollywood Reporter as one of the best films screened at the festival this year.
Not Friends (Thailand)
Set to premiere on October 26, Not Friends is a coming-of-age movie which marks the debut of director Atta Hemwadee. The movie follows Pae (Anthony Buisseret), the bitter and introverted new kid in town. Joe (Pisitpol Ekaphongpisit), the popular kid in school, attempts to befriend Pae to no avail. Tragedy strikes when Joe dies from a car accident, leaving Pae with the idea to commemorate everybody’s favorite friend in a film for his university application.
Tro Tan Ruc Ro or “Glorious Ashes” (Vietnam)
Directed by Bui Thac Chuyen, Glorious Ashes is an adaptation of short stories by Nguyen Ngoc Tu and tells the tale of three women in the coastal village of Thong Rom as they deal with love, pain and their unique circumstances. Hau (Bao Ngoc Doling) is married to an absent husband who is in love with another woman, Nhan (Phuong Anh Dao). Hau’s hostility to Nhan gradually develops into a genuine friendship as their lives undergo massive changes. In a different part of the village, the third woman in the story – Loan (Ngo Pham Hanh Thuy) – is consumed by revenge when the perpetrator of her childhood trauma is released from prison, resulting in a series of unexpected events.
Glorious Ashes won awards even during its development phase at the Busan 2017 Asian Project Market, and has since received accolades from the Golden Kite Awards, the Three Continents Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The 15 shortlisted films for the 96th Academy Awards will be announced on December 21, 2023, with the official nomination announcement on January 23, 2024 and the awarding ceremony on March 10, 2024.
Have you seen any of these films? Share with us your thoughts about the entries in the comments below. Good luck to our Southeast Asian filmmakers!