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Oscar season is almost upon us, which means that controversies surrounding the awards will become increasingly more reported on. The latest controversy is tied to an international award contender – ‘Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day’ or ‘Lijepa Večer, Lijep Dan’ in Croatian.

‘Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day’ (2024) is a Croatian drama directed by Ivona Juka, featuring actors like Emir Hadžihafizbegović and Elmir Krivalić. The film, selected as Croatia’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, follows four friends who fought against the Nazi regime and later become famous artists.

Despite their past as war heroes, they face criticism from the government for their films and personal lives, leading to an agent being hired to undermine their work.

In the case of “life imitating art” the producer of Ivona Juka’s movie says that the Croatian governing body neglected its Oscar contender because of the film’s LGBTQ+ themes.

The producer of Croatia’s Oscar contender claims the film is getting shortchanged by Croatian officials because its themes, including the oppression of homosexuals by the former communist regime in Yugoslavia, are not to the government’s liking.

Ivona Juka’s Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day was the unanimous pick of Croatia’s 12 film professional associations to represent the country in the Oscar race for best international feature. But the promotional funding provided by the Croatian Audiovisual Center to market the movie to Academy voters is far less than that for Croatia’s Oscar contender from last year.

Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day received 69,550 euro ($73,250) in promotional funding, less than half the budget granted to Dubravka Turić’s Traces last year (the film was not nominated). More egregiously, Nebojsa Slijepcević’s The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, an Oscar contender for best life action short film, received more than twice that amount,...

Ivona Juka’s drama Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day, which is Croatia’s Oscar entry this year and is screening in L.A. today as part of a guerilla awards campaign, breaks fresh ground for its exploration of the persecution of Yugoslavia’s LGBT community under Tito in the 1950s.

Croatian actor Dado Ćosić stars as partisan hero Lovro who fought the local fascist forces of the Ustashas and the Nazis as a young man during WWII and then built a career as a film director in peacetime.

Ćosić is joined in the film by actors from across the ex-Yugoslavia in the roles of ex-resistance comrades and cinema collaborators, including Nenad (Djordje Galic), Stevan (Slaven Doslo) and Ivan (Elmir Krivalic).

Some 16 years after their wartime bravery, Lovro and his friends come under the scrutiny of Tito’s Communist Party for their sexual orientation.

Apparatchik Emir, played by veteran actor Emir Hadzihafizbegovic,...

Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature is made difficult by the three-step process that begins after the October 2, 2024 deadline for countries to submit entries. To be part of the selection process for this category, which was called Best Foreign Language Film before 2020, requires a great deal of dedication. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best International Feature.)

In the days following the deadline for submissions, the academy determines each film’s eligibility. Then the several hundred academy members who serve on the International Feature screening committee are divided into groups and required to watch all their submissions over a six-week period that ends in early December. Their top 15 vote-getters will make it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists will be revealed on December 17, 2024.

These 15 films will be made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final...

France has selected Jacques Audiard’s bold musical “Emilia Perez” to represent the country in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film race, giving that category an instant frontrunner at the 97th Academy Awards.

The Netflix film, which caused a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival with its story of a Mexican drug lord undergoing sex reassignment surgery, is considered one of the year’s likeliest Best Picture nominees, making it a clear favorite in the international category as well.

It was chosen on Wednesday by a selection committee that had narrowed its choices to four: “Emilia Perez,” Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” Matthieu Delaporte’s “The Count of Monte Cristo” and Alain Guiraudie’s “Misericordia.”

Last year, that committee chose “The Taste of Things” over “Anatomy of a Fall,” going with a ravishing romance over an edgier drama that had won the top prize in Cannes. “The Taste of Things...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Exclusive: Drug gang drama to be directed by Belgian directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

Ambitious Amsterdam-based Dutch Features Global Entertainment, headed by CEO Pim van Collem, is to begin world sales at the Afm on Patser, the new feature from L.A. and Brussels based Belgian directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

El Arbi and Fallah are also attached to direct Beverly Hills Cop 4, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Paramount Pictures, and have recently directed the first two episodes for the series Snowfall for FX Networks. Their previous feature, teen gang movie, Black (2015) won the Dropbox Discovery Award at Tiff and became a media phenomenon after provoking riots in a Brussels cinema.

Patser tells the tale of four ne’er-do-wells from the neighbourhood ‘t Kiel’ in Antwerp, aspiring to become gangster legends. They foolishly get involved in high-profile drug affairs, and start a war between gangs from Antwerp, Amsterdam and even...

Mirjana Karanovic’s A Good Wife wins best first film; audience award goes to Iciar Bollain’s The Olive Tree.

The 14th edition of the Brussels Film Festival closed with the Golden Iris award going to Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann, with a prize of €10,000 to distributor September Film. The film also won best screenplay and the Rtbf Vt Prize of best film.

The jury was comprised of Flemish actress Natali Broods, Italian director Emanuele Crialese, Belgian actor Pierre Dherte, Dutch actor Derek De Lint and Croatian director Ivona Juka.

The White Iris award for best first film in competition went to A Good Wife by Mirjana Karanovic.

The jury award went to Callback by Carles Torras; best photography went to Giorgos Arvanitis for Blind Sun; the Cineruopa award went to Pikadero by Ben Sharrock; Ups cinephile award went to Suntan by Argyris Papadimitropoulos.

The audience award went to The Olive Tree by Iciar Bollain, which also won...

Exclusive: Acquisitions by Svod giant include Ivona Juka’s You Carry Me.

On the eve of Cannes, Pim van Collem’s Amsterdam-based sales outfit Dutch Features Global Entertainment has signed an eye-catching deal with Netflix for four of its titles.

The films that Netflix has grabbed are Ivona Juka’s You Carry Me (the Montenegrin entry to last year’s foreign language Oscar race), Benny Fredman’s Jerusalem-set action thriller Suicide, and the Dutch box office hits Bon Bini Holland and A Noble Intention (formerly known as Public Works).

“The deal that we have contracted with Netflix is the most significant Svod contract for Dutch Features since its foundation in 2012,” said Pim van Collem.

“We are delighted to see a global platform and major player like Netflix simultaneously commit to multiple movies, which confirms the global potential and high quality of our rapidly expanding slate.

“The exposure these movies will gain on the Netflix service is also...

Berlinale title Humidity scores hat-trick at national awards during Belgrade Fest; Diary Of A Teenage Girl wins in international strand.

Serbia, the last of the former Yugoslav countries eligible to join the Media programme, officially launched its Media Desk on Friday [March 4].

“Membership in the Media sub-programme of Creative Europe is of crucial importance for Serbian cinema,” Boban Jevtic - appointed as director of Film Centre Serbia last summer - told Screen.

“Our film-makers, production companies and other film professionals will now have access to its 17 different categories of support, and we will immediately start training sessions in order to get them acquainted with the programme and process of project submission and grants.”

The first such session was held the next day, as part of Fest Forward, the fledgling industry section of the 44th Belgrade International Film Festival (Feb 26 - Mar 6).

The festival included the official national competition. Serbia hasn’t had national awards since 2007, and last year...

Dfge to begin sales at the upcoming Efm.

Dutch Features Global Entertainment (Dfge) has secured the rights to You Carry Me, the official Montenegrin entry for the 88th Academy Awards.

Netherlands-based Dfge will return to Berlinale’s European Film Market (Feb 11-19) to commence world sales for the female-led story, which marks the debut of Ivona Juka.

Set in Croatia, the film tells the story of three of three daughters who battle for acceptance, redemption and new opportunities. Dora is a neglected girl, who dreams about becoming a football coach.

Suddenly, her outlaw father enters her life. Ives, a soap opera director, loses her relationship with her father who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Natasa, a successful producer is pregnant. When things go awry for her, she decides to confront her estranged father.

Other titles on Dfge’s Berlin slate include Riphagen, Roadduster and Murdered Memory.

Films from 81 countries have been subitted for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

The Us Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed that 81 countries have submitted films for consideration for this year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film.

Paraguay is the only first-time entrant.

The figure is down on last year, when a record 83 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Polish feature Ida, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski.

Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 14, 2016.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb 28, 2016, televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

The 2015 submissions are:

Afghanistan Utopia, Hassan Nazer

Albania Bota, Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci

Algeria Twilight of Shadows, Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina

Argentina The Clan, Pablo Trapero

Australia Arrows of the Thunder, Dragon Greg Sneddon

Austria Goodnight Mommy, Veronika Franz, [link...

Films from 81 countries have been subitted for this year’s Foreign Language Film Oscar, among them Felix and Meira, Under Milk Wood, Labyrinth of Lies and Sunstroke (click through for full list).

The Us Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed that 81 countries have submitted films for consideration for this year’s Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Paraguay is the only first-time entrant.

The 2015 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Utopia,” Hassan Nazer, director.

Albania, “Bota,” Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci, directors.

Algeria, “Twilight of Shadows,” Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, director.

Argentina: “The Clan,” Pablo Trapero, director.

Australia: “Arrows of the Thunder Dragon,” Greg Sneddon, director.

Austria, “Goodnight Mommy,” Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, directors;

Bangladesh, “Jalal’s Story,” Abu Shahed Emon, director;

Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” Jaco Van Dormael, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Our Everyday Story,” Ines Tanović, director;

Brazil, “The Second Mother,” Anna Muylaert, director;

Bulgaria, “The Judgment,” Stephan Komandarev, director;

Cambodia, “The Last Reel,” Sotho...

Films from 81 countries have been subitted for this year’s Foreign Language Film Oscar, among them Felix and Meira, Under Milk Wood, Labyrinth of Lies and Sunstroke (click through for full list).

The Us Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed that 81 countries have submitted films for consideration for this year’s Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Paraguay is the only first-time entrant.

The 2015 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Utopia,” Hassan Nazer, director.

Albania, “Bota,” Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci, directors.

Algeria, “Twilight of Shadows,” Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, director.

Argentina: “The Clan,” Pablo Trapero, director.

Australia: “Arrows of the Thunder Dragon,” Greg Sneddon, director.

Austria, “Goodnight Mommy,” Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, directors;

Bangladesh, “Jalal’s Story,” Abu Shahed Emon, director;

Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” Jaco Van Dormael, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Our Everyday Story,” Ines Tanović, director;

Brazil, “The Second Mother,” Anna Muylaert, director;

Bulgaria, “The Judgment,” Stephan Komandarev, director;

Cambodia, “The Last Reel,” Sotho...

Writer-director-producer Greg Sneddon.s Bhutan-set drama Arrows of the Thunder Dragon is Australia.s entry for the best foreign language film Oscar.

Set in the 1970s, the story follows brother and sister Kuenphen and Jamyang who live in a remote Bhutanese village where they learn traditional archery from their old warrior grandfather.

Their mother's sudden sickness gives Kuenphen the opportunity to explore the world outside the village while Jamyang must stay home to weave, cook and get married- a fate she is not willing to accept without a fight.

The self-financed film was shot on location in the Himalayan mountains with a cast of local highland village people and a Bhutanese crew including DoP Leki Dorji, none of whom had worked on a feature. Jill Bilock is the editor.

"I'm thrilled to bits," Sneddon tell If. A former Buddhist monk, he got the idea for the film while on a pilgrimage to the country.

Son Of Saul

The Academy has announced that eighty-one countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Oscars.

The Holocaust drama, Son Of Saul, won the Grand Prix at Cannes in May.

Paraguay is a first-time entrant.

The 2015 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Utopia,” Hassan Nazer, director;

Albania, “Bota,” Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci, directors;

Algeria, “Twilight of Shadows,” Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, director;

Argentina, “The Clan,” Pablo Trapero, director;

Australia, “Arrows of the Thunder Dragon,” Greg Sneddon, director;

Austria, “Goodnight Mommy,” Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, directors;

Bangladesh, “Jalal’s Story,” Abu Shahed Emon, director;

Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” Jaco Van Dormael, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Our Everyday Story,” Ines Tanović, director;

Brazil, “The Second Mother,” Anna Muylaert, director;

Bulgaria, “The Judgment,” Stephan Komandarev, director;

Cambodia, “The Last Reel,” Sotho Kulikar, director;

Canada, “Félix and Meira,” Maxime Giroux, director;

Chile, “The Club,” Pablo Larraín, director;

China,...

Entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.

Last year, a record 83 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Polish feature Ida, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski.

This year’s nominations must be submitted by Oct 1.

Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 14, 2016.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb 28, 2016.

Afghanistan: Utopia, Hassan Nazer

Albania: Bota, Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci

Austria: Goodnight Mommy, Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz

Bangladesh: Jalal’s Story, Abu Shahed Emon

Belgium: The Brand New Testament, Jaco Van Dormael

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Our Everyday Life, Ines Tanović

Brazil: The Second Mother, Anna Muylaert

Bulgaria: The Judgement, Stephan Komandarev

Cambodia:...

Debut features dominate this year’s competition lineup; Radu Jude, Radu Muntean among In Focus lineup.Full lineups below

The competition lineup of the 21st Sarajevo Film Festival (August 14 – 22) will include world premieres of two first features and the regional premieres of László Nemes’ Son of Saul and Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Chevalier.

Debut features dominate the competition programme this year, with six out of the ten selected films competing for the Heart of Sarajevo Award first films.

Three films are from directors returning to the festival’s competition - Dalibor Matanić from Croatia, Corneliu Porumboiu from Romania, and Karl Markovics from Austria – and the lineup is rounded out with Tsangari from Greece.

Competition Programme – Feature Film 2015

World Premieres

Our Everyday Life / NAŠA Svakodnevna PRIČA

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, 2015, 90 min, dir. Ines Tanović (first feature)

Entanglement / Dolanma

Turkey, 2015, 86 min, dir. Tunç Davut (first feature)

International Premieres

Back Home / ACASĂ La Tata

Romania, 2014, 91 min. dir. Andrei Cohn...

Anti-Nazi satire from Stations of the Cross director Dietrich Bruggemann and a new documentary from Mark Cousins among titles.Scroll down for competition line-ups

The 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 3-11) has unveiled the competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West, Forum of Independents and Documentary sections.

The main competition will comprise seven world premieres and six international premieres, including the new film from Stations of the Cross director Dietrich Brüggemann, Heil, a satirical comedy centred on neo-Nazis.

Polish documentary director Marcin Koszałkaʼs will present his feature debut, The Red Spider, a psychological thriller inspired by true events from the 1950s that delves into the mechanisms that give rise to a mass murderer.

Danish documentary maker Daniel Dencik will present his first feature, Gold Coast, about a young anti-colonial idealist who sets out for Danish Guinea to set up a coffee plantation - but not everything goes to plan. The music is...

Taormina, Italy -- The Taormina Film Festival on Monday bowed to Italy's passion for soccer, temporarily suspending the festival Monday during the Italian side's opening-round World Cup match against Paraguay and screening several films related to the sport.

The threat of rain prevented the game from screening at the festival's famous Teatro Antico venue, but a standing-room-only crowd filled Taormina's main indoor venue to watch the Italian side open its World Cup defense with a 1-1 tie. The festival used the game's intermission to show highlights from some of the soccer-themed films at the festival, and to conduct a short interview with Barry Hilton, the comic star of "Finding Lenny," the South Africa-set film that screened after the match.

"Lenny," Monday's nightcap, tells the lighthearted story of how the main character, amid a period of personal turmoil, uses soccer to pull his life together while also helping settle an unlikely land dispute.