The year of 1960 marks some kind of turning point, in the sense that the small elitist Directors Branch opened its gates to foreign (non-U.S.) directors, or American directors who worked in other languages and countries.
Of the five estimable nominees:
1960: Jules Dassin (US born) but nominated for Greek comedy, Never on Sunday
1961: Italian Fellini is nominated for La Dolce Vita
1962: Italian Piero Germi,
1963: Italian Fellini, 81/2
1964: Michael Cacoyannis, Greek, Zorba the Greek (the film is in English)
1965: Teshigahara, Japan, Woman in the Dunes
1966: two of five nominees were foreign:
Antonion, Italian, Blow-Up (film in English)
Claude Lelouch, A Man and a Woman
1967: None
1968: Pontecorvo, Italian, Battle of Algiers;
Franco Zeffirelli, Italian, Romeo and Juliet (in English)
1969: Costa-Gavras, Greek, Z
1970: Ken Russell, British, Women in Love
Fellini, Italian
1971: None
1972: Jan Troell, The Emigrants
1973: Bertolucci, Italian, Last Tango in Paris; Ingmar Bergman, Cries and Whispers
1974: Francois Truffaut, French, Day for Night;
Polanski, Polish-born, Chinatown (in English)
1975: Fellini, Italian, Amarcord
1976: Ingmar Bergman, Swedish, Face to Face
Lina Wertmueller, Seven Beauties
1977: None
1978: None
1979: Molinaro, French, La Cage Aux Folles