For the 93rd Academy Awards, the submitted pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between 1 October 2019 and 31 December 2020.
A total of 97 countries submitted a film, with a record number of 93 being accepted.
Three countries submitted a film for the first time. Lesotho sent This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection; Sudan submitted You Will Die at Twenty, and Suriname sent Wiren.
Bhutan sent Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom after a gap of 21 years from their last submission, but the film did not appear on the final list.
The shortlist was announced on February 9, 2021, and due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was extended to 15 films from the original 10.
Unlike the previous years, no additions will be made by the International Executive Committee.