I am delighted to report that this year’s submissions foe the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar have broken several records.
First, it’s the largest entries in contention in the 60 year history of this category. No less than 85 countries–Yemen for the first time–have submitted their features. The previous record was in 2014, which saw 83 entries.
Second and more significantly, 16 of the 85 submitted films (about 19 percent) are directed by women.
They are (in alphabetical order):
Maren Ade
Khadija al-Salami
Leyla Bouzid
Pietra Brettkelly
Rusudan Gluridze
Kadri Koussar
Mai Masri
Laha Mebow
Laila Pakalnina
Tunky Mona Riza
Mananr Rodriguez Maria Schrader
Athina Rachel Tsangari
Paula van der Oest
Julia Vargas-Weise
Elite Zexer
