Oscars 2025: Best International Feature Film Submissions Are In!

It’s that time of year again—the race for the Oscars 2025 is heating up, and we’re diving straight into one of the most exciting categories: Best International Feature Film. With countries from around the globe submitting their finest cinematic gems, the competition is fierce, the stories are diverse, and the anticipation is building! As of October 2, 2024, 82 films have been submitted, with more trickling in as some territories are still finalizing their picks. So far, we're shy of last year’s 88 entries, but a few surprises may still be coming.

For those new to the category, an international feature is any movie produced outside the United States with over 50% of its dialogue in a non-English language. That means everything from gripping dramas to vibrant animated features and thought-provoking documentaries can compete—making it one of the most varied and culturally rich categories at the Oscars.

The journey doesn’t stop at submissions. From this global pool, only 15 films will make the shortlist announced on December 17, 2024. And come January 17, 2025, just five will emerge as the official nominees for the 97th Academy Awards, set to take place on March 3, 2025, at the legendary Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Check out our comprehensive roundup of Oscars 2025 submissions for Best International Feature Film, where we break down each contender and the stories they bring to the global stage!

Albania - Waterdrop (Director: Robert Budina)

Language: Albanian, Italian; Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Synopsis: Aida, 45, a city hall manager in a small Albanian town by Lake Ohrid, is forced to face her own complicity when her son Mark, 15, is involved in a rape scandal that could send him to jail.

Algeria - Algiers (Director: Chakib Taleb-Bendiab)

Language: Arabic, French; Genre: Mystery/ Thriller

Synopsis: The kidnapping of a little girl creates tension and suspicion in Algiers. Only Dounia, a brilliant psychiatrist, and Sami, a police inspector, can unearth the demons of the past.

Argentina - Kill the Jockey (Director: Luis Ortega)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Sports Comedy-Drama/ Thriller

Synopsis: Remo’s self-destructive behaviour overshadows his talent. Abril, an upcoming jockey is pregnant by Remo and has to decide between his child or continuing to race. They both race for Sirena, a businessman who saved Remo’s life in the past.

Armenia - Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev (Director: Edgar Baghdasaryan)

Language: Armenian, Russian; Genre: Absurdist Tragicomedy

Synopsis: When a hard-working soviet worker realizes how disappointing his pension is, he starts talking to the Secretary General of the USSR and hanging out with the top communist figures from all over the world.

Austria - The Devil’s Bath (Director: Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala)

Language: German; Genre: Historical Horror Drama

Synopsis: Austria in the 18th century. Forests surround villages. Killing a baby gets a woman sentenced to death. Agnes readies for married life with her beloved. But her mind and heart grow heavy. A gloomy path alone, evil thoughts, arising.

Bangladesh - The Wrestler (Director: Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury)

Language: Bengali; Genre: Sports Drama/ Mystery

Synopsis: An elderly man from a fishing village who challenges a wrestling champion to combat.

Belgium - Julie Keeps Quiet (Director: Leonardo Van Dijl)

Language: Dutch, French; Genre: Psychological Drama

Synopsis: As the star player at an elite tennis academy, Julie's life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club's players are encouraged to speak up. But Julie decides to keep quiet.

Bolivia - Own Hand (Director: Gory Patiño)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Social Drama

Synopsis: A prosecutor, a father and his son fight to survive and seek justice amidst a mob-driven lynching in a Bolivian town, exposing the dangerous consequences of vigilante justice.

Bosnia and Herzegovina - My Late Summer (Director: Danis Tanovi?)

Language: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Arriving on an island, a young woman (Maja) embarks on a journey to discover her identity and find her place. Her experiences on the island unravel a tapestry of past events, bringing hidden truths to light. As the situation grows increasingly complex, she is driven towards a profound reconciliation and acceptance, starting with herself and gradually encompassing those around her.

Brazil - I’m Still Here (Director: Walter Salles)

Language: Portuguese; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: In Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, during the dictatorship, former deputy Rubens Paiva was taken from his home by soldiers to be interrogated. He was never found again. The search for truth lasts 30 long years. And when the answers begin to appear, Eunice Paiva feels the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Bulgaria - Triumph (Director: Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov)

Language: Bulgarian; Genre: Black Comedy

Synopsis: The film is a military satire inspired by wild real-life events from the 1990s when, in the chaotic aftermath of the fall of communism, a task force comprised of high-ranking Bulgarian army officers and psychics embarked on a top-secret military operation in the small village of Tsarichina to dig up an elusive alien artefact that would change the course of history and make Bulgaria great again.

Cambodia - Meeting with Pol Pot (Director: Rithy Panh)

Language: French, Khmer; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Three French journalists travel to Cambodia in 1978 after receiving an invitation from the Khmer Rouge regime, embarking on a perilous adventure. Three French journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime's leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country.

Cameroon - Kismet (Director: Ngang Romanus Ntseh)

Language: Cameroonian Pidgin English; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Amidst religious tensions and societal norms, a courageous young woman risks everything to bridge the gap between two warring factions and protect her love. Amidst the backdrop of intercultural differences and religious tensions over land disputes, Wambo, a 25-year-old Christian woman, defies societal norms and prejudices by falling in love with Ibrahim, a Muslim man. Their relationship blossoms, but it also thrusts Wambo into the role of a reluctant mediator between conflicting factions.

Canada - Universal Language (Director: Matthew Rankin)

Language: French, Persian (Farsi), English; Genre: Absurdist Comedy Drama

Synopsis: In Winnipeg, Nazgol and Hossein try to help a classmate recover an Iranian banknote. At the same time, Matthew Rankin quits his job in Montreal to be closer to his family in Winnipeg, where he meets Massoud, a tour guide who also takes care of Rankin's mother. Both the storylines intertwine surreally as identities blur in a disorienting comedy.

Chile - In Her Place (Director: Maite Alberdi)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Historical Crime Drama

Synopsis: In Chile, in 1955, it's the case of Maria Carolina Geel, a popular writer who murders her lover and captivates Mercedes, a shy secretary working for the judge assigned to defend the accused.

China - The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru (Director: Fang Li)

Language: Mandarin, English; Genre: Documentary

Synopsis: This is the "Dunkirk" of the East, a documentary movie commemorating the great feat of Chinese fishermen. Filmmaker Fang Li and the film crew try to find the truth of the World War II "Death Ship" - Lisbon Maru.

Colombia - La Suprema (Director: Felipe Holguin)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: In a remote town erased from the maps where there is not even electricity, a teenage girl dreams of being a boxer. When she learns that her uncle will box for the world title and the event will be broadcast live on television, she and the community will go out of their way to watch the fight while fighting for her dignity and against oblivion.

Costa Rica - Memories of a Burning Body (Director: Antonella Sudasassi)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Repression and taboos have shaped the image of womanhood for Ana (68 years old), Patricia (69 years old) and Mayela (71 years old). Their stories poetically combine to form a kaleidoscope of memories, secrets and longing that are incarnated by another woman's body.

Croatia - Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day (Director: Ivona Juka)

Language: Croatian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Four young queer friends, Lovro, Nenad, Stevan and Ivan rebelled against the Nazi regime and joined the NOB. Sixteen years later, they are renowned artists who feel entitled to criticize the society they fought for. Although they are veterans worthy of the NOB, the party doesn't like the films they create, and when their sexuality becomes suspicious, they hire Agent Emir to sabotage their work.

Czech Republic - Waves (Director: Ji?í Mádl)

Language: Czech; Genre: Historical Thriller Drama

Synopsis: The film is the story of two brothers whose cinematic fate intersects with real events surrounding a group of correspondents of the international editorial office of Czechoslovak Radio in the period 1967-1968. The prototypes for the film characters were real members of the then Editorial Board of International Life, headed by Milan Weiner.

Denmark - The Girl with the Needle (Director: Magnus von Horn)

Language: Danish; Genre: Crime Drama

Synopsis: Karoline, a young factory worker, finds herself abandoned and pregnant while striving to climb out of poverty in post-WW 1 Copenhagen. Amidst her struggles, she meets Dagmar, a charismatic woman running a hidden adoption agency within a candy store, helping poor mothers find foster homes for their unwanted children. Karoline grows close to Dagmar, but she is soon faced with the nightmarish reality she unwittingly entered.

Dominican Republic - Aire: Just Breathe (Director: Leticia Tonos)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Synopsis: In a nearby future a conservation biologist battles extinction with the help of an A.I., but after the arrival of an enigmatic traveller with a hidden past, the tension in this ménage à trois will be as toxic as the world they live in.

Ecuador - Behind the Mist (Director: Sebastián Cordero)

Language: Spanish, English, Nepali; Genre: 3D Documentary

Synopsis: Iván Vallejo, the first Ecuadorian to conquer Everest (in 1999), decides to make a film commemorating his journey and invites Sebastián Cordero, an Ecuadorian filmmaker who premiered his debut feature in Venice the same year Iván achieved his feat. Both will embark on a trip to Nepal to climb again and, amid their odyssey, debates and philosophical and existential conversations will break out in them as they face the dangers of being a mountaineer.

Egypt - Flight 404 (Director: Hani Khalifa)

Language: Arabic; Genre: Thriller, Drama

Synopsis: Ghada attempts to obtain money for her mother's sudden emergency surgery while preparing to depart Egypt to perform the Hajj. She is forced to reconnect with people from her tainted past and make difficult ethical decisions.

Estonia - 8 Views of Lake Biwa (Director: Marko Raat)

Language: Estonian; Genre: Drama, Romance

Synopsis: On the shimmering shores of Europe’s otherworldly edge, two teenage girls, Hanake and her best friend are discussing their first love interest while gazing out at yachts sailing to Kyoto. They whisper prayers and poems, the language of their longings. But the magic is fading in their isolated fishing village as they come to terms with a recent disaster, with some indulging in acts of erotic art, some in spiritual spells. It becomes clear that intimacy alone won't help them process their loss.

Finland - Family Time (Director: Tia Kouvo)

Language: Finnish; Genre: Comedy, Drama

Synopsis: It's Christmas time and the family has gathered. Everything goes on as it did the previous Christmases, with Grandpa drinking too much and Grandma trying to keep everyone in the mood. After the Christmas holidays, everyone returns to their own homes until it's time to gather again, this time for a funeral.

France - Emilia Pérez (Director: Jacques Audiard)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Thriller, Drama

Synopsis: In Mexico, an underrated lawyer (Rita) working for a large law firm more interested in getting criminals out of jail than bringing them to justice, is hired by the leader of a criminal organization. She receives an unexpected offer to help a feared cartel boss retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he’s always dreamed of being.

Georgia - The Antique (Director: Rusudan Glurjidze)

Language: Georgian, Russian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Lado, a young smuggler from Georgia, transports antiques to St. Petersburg, where he crosses paths with Medea, an immigrant working in an antique shop. Medea purchases an apartment in the city’s historic centre and forms an unexpected bond with a lonely elderly man, Vadim. Amidst the mass deportation of Georgians from Russia, Lado is caught and sent back, intertwining their lives through smuggling, survival, and fleeting connections.

Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Director: Mohammad Rasoulof)

Language: Persian; Genre: Crime Drama

Synopsis: Investigating Judge Iman in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, grapples with mistrust and paranoia amid nationwide political protests intensify. When his gun mysteriously disappears, he suspects the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana and imposes drastic measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

Greece - Murderess (Director: Eva Nathena)

Language: Greek; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: It is the early 20th century on a dystopian Greek Island. Hadoula, a widow who lost her husband, Ioannis Fragkos, at a young age, is a woman who has learned how to survive in a male-dominated and extremely patriarchal society. Hadoula carries a difficult burden within her. Like a baton passed on to her from her mother, and the generations before her, she is meant to accept the belittling and degradation of women.

Haiti - Kidnapping Inc. (Director: Bruno Mourral)

Language: French, Haitian Creole; Genre: Thriller, Drama

Synopsis: Doc and Zoe are two hapless kidnappers tasked with what appears to be a simple abduction for hire, only to find out that it’s anything but and end up in the middle of a political conspiracy.

Hong Kong - Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Director: Soi Cheang)

Language: Cantonese, Teochew Min, Japanese; Genre: Adventure Drama

Synopsis: In 1980s Hong Kong, troubled youth Chan Lok-kwun accidentally entered the notorious Kowloon Walled City. Lok-kwun, a refugee from the mainland, struggles to survive by participating in underground fighting rings.

Hungary - Semmelweis (Director: Lajos Koltai)

Language: Hungarian; Genre: Historical Drama

Synopsis: Set in 19th-century Vienna, Ignác Semmelweis, a short-tempered, passionate doctor, delivers babies and carries out autopsies daily while looking for the cause of puerperal fever, the mysterious epidemic that decimates patients in the hospital.

Iceland - Touch (Director: Baltasar Kormákur)

Language: English, Japanese, Icelandic; Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance

Synopsis: Soon after the break of the pandemic and realizing that his clock is ticking, Kristofer gets the urge to embark on a journey to try and find out what happened when his Japanese girlfriend mysteriously vanished without a trace from London fifty years earlier.

India - Laapataa Ladies (Director: Kiran Rao)

Language: Hindi; Genre: Comedy, Drama

Synopsis: Set in 2001, somewhere in rural India, this light-hearted satire on the patriarchy follows the mayhem that ensues when two young brides get accidentally swapped on the same train on their wedding day. From mistaken identities to laugh-out-aloud escapades, the ensuing chaos guarantees laughter galore, unexpected consequences and heartwarming moments.

Indonesia - Women from Rote Island (Director: Jeremias Nyangoen)

Language: Indonesian; Genre: Thriller, Drama

Synopsis: Nine days after his death, Abraham has not been buried, to fulfill Abraham's last message: "There's no funeral before Martha returns." The return of Martha from Sabah, Malaysia is of course a special joy for the family, especially Orpha, her mother, and Bertha, her sister. However, after two years abroad, Martha is severely depressed due to the rape she experienced while working as a labourer on a palm oil plantation.

Iran - In the Arms of the Tree (Director: Babak Lotfi Khajepasha)

Language: Persian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: The life crisis of Kimia and Farid, who have been married for twelve years, destroys the world of their children.

Iraq - Baghdad Messi (Director: Sahim Omar Kalifa)

Language: Arabic, Kurdish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: The talented Hamoudi is an 11-year-old boy with a passion for soccer and an ultimate dream to one day reach the level of his idol Lionel Messi. The day Hamoudi is caught in a horrific suicide attempt, he wakes up severely injured in a hospital. As his parents struggle to keep the family safe, Hamoudi is determined to fight for his shattered dream.

Ireland - Kneecap (Director: Rich Peppiatt)

Language: Irish, English; Genre: Dark Comedy

Synopsis: When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of confessed "low life scum" Naoise and Liam, the needle drops on a hip-hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.

Israel - Come Closer (Director: Tom Nesher)

Language: Hebrew; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: When her beloved brother dies, Eden's grief takes a dangerous turn as she discovers his secret girlfriend. With stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack, this poignant drama explores the depths of love, loss and obsession.

Italy - Vermiglio (Director: Maura Delpero)

Language: Italian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: In 1944, Vermiglio, a remote mountain village. The arrival of Pietro, a deserter, into the family of the local teacher, and his love for the teacher's eldest daughter, will change the course of everyone's life.

Japan - Cloud (Director: Kurosawa Kiyoshi)

Language: Japanese; Genre: Horror, Drama

Synopsis: Ryosuke Yoshii is an ordinary person, who supports himself by reselling things on the internet. He carelessly earns grudges from people around him and, in the end, he is dragged into a desperate struggle that risks his life.

Jordan - My Sweet Land (Director: Sareen Hairabedian)

Language: Armenian; Genre: Documentary

Synopsis: For 11-year-old Vrej, life in his homeland, Artsakh is like a paradise, but when the war starts again, can he carry a nation’s hopes on his young shoulders?

Kazakhstan - Bauryna Salu (Director: Askhat Kuchencherekov)

Language: Kazakh; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Following an old nomadic tradition "bauryna salu," Yersultan was given at birth to his grandmother so that she could raise him. He grew up with resentment and disconnection with his parents. When he turns 12, his grandmother dies and he has to move back with the family he barely knows.

Kenya - Nawi (Director: Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Kevin Schmutzler and Toby Schmutzler)

Language: Swahili, English; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of contemporary Kenya, the story follows a young woman navigating the complexities of her traditional upbringing and modern aspirations. As she grapples with familial expectations and her desires, Nawi embarks on a journey of self-discovery, ultimately seeking to reconcile her past with her future.

Kyrgyzstan - Heaven is Beneath Mother’s Feet (Director: Ruslan Akun)

Language: Kyrgyz, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Russian, Turkish, Uzbek; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: The film is the story of 35-year-old Adil. He lives in a small village with his 75-year-old mother who always tells Adil that the Almighty loves him in special ways, and therefore he will go straight to heaven. But Adil doesn't want to go to Heaven without his mother, so he decides to take his mother on foot to the holy city of Mecca.

Latvia - Flow (Director: Gints Zilbalodis)

Language: No spoken language; Genre: Animated Drama

Synopsis: The cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world.

Lithuania - Drowning Dry (Director: Laurynas Bareiša)

Language: Lithuanian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Together with her sister Juste's family, Ernesta, her husband Lukas, and their son Kristupas are spending their weekend at a country house after her husband's victory in the fighting cage. After a tragic accident, the sisters become single mothers.

Malaysia - Abang Adik (Director: Jin Ong)

Language: Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay; Genre: Crime Drama

Synopsis: Abang and Adik are undocumented orphans in Malaysia. While the older brother, a deaf-mute, has resigned himself to a life of poverty, his younger sibling burns with indignation, and a brutal accident upsets the fragile balance of their relationship.

Malta - Castillo (Director: Abigail Mallia)

Language: Maltese, English; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Amanda reunites with her mother after her father's death. Her mother admits killing two men in revenge for her sister's 1996 assassination. Amanda uncovers her family's dark history involving these past events.

Mexico - Sujo (Director: Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: When a cartel gunman is killed, he leaves behind Sujo, his 4-year-old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father’s destiny may be inescapable.

Mongolia - If Only I Could Hibernate (Director: Zoljargal Purevdash)

Language: Mongolian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Ulzii, a teenager from a poor neighbourhood in Ulaanbaatar, is determined to win a science-physics competition to get a scholarship. His illiterate mother finds a job in the countryside, leaving him and his brother and sister in the middle of winter. Ulzii wanders at night looking for things to burn for heat while preparing for the national competition.

Montenegro - Supermarket (Director: Nemanja Be?anovi?)

Language: Serbian, Croatian; Genre: Comedy Drama

Synopsis: The supermarket closes its doors, the buyers leave the place step by step and the shiny and colourful corridors remain quiet and alone, with no one to seduce. No one? A man is hiding out, appearing when everyone is gone, making this flashy landscape his kingdom. He enjoys the products on offer, samples various flavours and makes himself at home, but gradually begins to suspect he is being watched.

Morocco - Everybody Loves Touda (Director: Nabil Ayouch)

Language: Arabic; Genre: Musical Drama

Synopsis: Touda is a Sheikha, a traditional Moroccan singer, who performs in dingy bars to make ends meet. But she has a passion and struggled for her art to be recognised to ensure a better future for her deaf and mute son.

Nepal - Shambhala (Director: Min Bahadur Bham)

Language: Tibetan, Nepali; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: In a Himalayan polyandrous village in Nepal, pregnant Pema tries to make the best of her new life. But soon, her first husband Tashi vanishes on the trade route to Lhasa. Accompanied by her monk de facto husband, Karma, she embarks on a journey into the unforgiving wilderness to find him.

Netherlands - Memory Lane (Director: Jelle de Jonge)

Language: Dutch, English, French, Spanish; Genre: Comedy Drama

Synopsis: Jaap and Maartje have been together for 50 years. Grumpy old Jaap is no longer interested in doing much, but Maartje, despite her occasional confusion, is still keen to embrace everything life has to offer. When the couple receives a letter from an old holiday friend, Maartje convinces her reluctant husband to visit him in Southern Europe.

Norway - Armand (Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel)

Language: Norwegian; Genre: Thriller Drama

Synopsis: Armand, a 6-year-old boy, is accused of crossing boundaries against his best friend at elementary school. While no one knows what happened between the two boys, the incident triggers a series of events, forcing parents and school staff into a captivating battle of redemption where madness, desire and obsession arise.

Pakistan - The Glassworker (Director: Usman Riaz)

Language: Urdu, English; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A young Vincent and his father Tomas run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an impending war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young, talented, violinist daughter, Alliz, shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son.

Palestine - From Ground Zero (Director: Various)

Language: Arabic

Synopsis: From Ground Zero is a collection of 22 short films made in Gaza. Initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, the project was born to give a voice to 22 Gazan filmmakers to tell the untold stories of the current war on film.

Panama - Wake Up Mom (Director: Arianne Benedetti)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Ali decides to move to a small town in the mountains with her little daughter Sofía after her devastating separation from her husband. Weeks later, she will be immersed in the mysterious atmosphere of the place and then have an accident and realize that her daughter has disappeared.

Peru - Yana-Wara (Director: Óscar Catacora and Tito Catacora)

Language: Aymara; Genre: Mystery, Drama

Synopsis: The communal justice system accuses Don Evaristo, 80 years old, of the murder of his granddaughter Yana-Wara, 13 years old. During the hearing, everyone learns the tragic story of this young girl.

Philippines - And So It Begins (Director: Ramona S. Diaz)

Language: Filipino, English; Genre: Mystery, Drama

Synopsis: Amid Filipino elections, a grassroots movement emerges to protect truth and democracy from growing threats. People unite in joyful acts of resistance, kindling hope while autocracy expands.

Poland - Under the Volcano (Director: Damian Kocur)

Language: Ukrainian, Spanish, English, Russian, German, Wolof; Genre: War Drama

Synopsis: A Ukrainian family of four is spending the last day of their vacation on the island of Tenerife. They do not know yet that the next day, their flight to Kyiv will be cancelled and Russian bombs will start falling on their country.

Portugal - Grand Tour (Director: Miguel Gomes)

Language: Portuguese; Genre: Comedy, Drama

Synopsis: In 1917 Burma (now Myanmar), a British diplomat is set to marry his fiancee but after a last-minute panic, he escapes to Singapore, sending her on what evolves into a chase across Asia.

Romania - Three Kilometres to the End of the World (Director: Emanuel Pârvu)

Language: Romanian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Set in a conservative Danube Delta community, a gay teenager’s journey of self-discovery clashes with the traditional values upheld by his parents and neighbours.

Senegal - Dahomey (Director: Mati Diop)

Language: French, English; Genre: Documentary

Synopsis: The journey of 26 plundered royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey exhibited in Paris, is now being returned to Benin. Diop artistically voices a new generation’s demands.

Serbia - Russian Consul (Director: Miroslav Leki?)

Language: Serbian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: In the year 1973, there was turmoil between Kosovo Serbs and Albanians in the autonomous province of Kosovo.  The film is a story that describes the beginning of the crisis in Kosovo.

Slovakia - The Hungarian Dressmaker (Director: Iveta Grófová)

Language: Slovak, German, Hungarian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Marika, a Hungarian widow dressmaker shelters a Jewish boy in her home on the Slovak-Hungarian border during the turbulent years of WW2 and the Wartime Slovak State.

Slovenia - Family Therapy (Director: Sonja Prosenc)

Language: Slovenian, English, French; Genre: Dark Comedy

Synopsis: We meet a seemingly perfect family consisting of Olivia, Aleksander and their daughter Agata. With the arrival of 25-year-old Julien in their home, their lives are turned upside down and their dysfunctional relationships are revealed.

South Korea - 12.12: The Day (Director: Kim Sung-Su)

Language: Korean; Genre: Crime Comedy

Synopsis: Following the assassination of President Park in 1979, various military factions wrestle for control during a violent coup in this tense South Korean period action drama.

Spain - Saturn Return (Director: Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Musical Comedy

Synopsis: At the end of the 90s, Granada is in the middle of a cultural boom. Los Planetas, the cult Spanish rock band, is about to break up. Mario, a young music-loving student, is the privileged witness of this imminent break-up. Plunged into the heart of their tensions, he will play a role in the mythical history of this group.

Sweden - The Last Journey (Director: Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson)

Language: Swedish, French; Genre: Documentary

Synopsis: Lars Hammar's retirement didn't go as planned. Instead of a new beginning with travels and experiences, Lars has become more passive to his wife and son Filip's dismay. Filip gets an idea: to take his rugged old father on a journey to his beloved France and let him revisit his beloved places.

Switzerland - Reinas (Director: Klaudia Reynicke)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Surrounded by social and political chaos in Lima during the summer of 1992, Lucia, Aurora, and their mother, Elena, plan to leave and seek opportunities in the United States. Their farewell involves reconnecting with their estranged father, Carlos, adding turbulence to the regrets, hopes, and fears of their emotional departure.

Taiwan - Old Fox (Director: Hsiao Ya-Chuan)

Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hokkien, Japanese; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: This family drama is about an 11-year-old boy who befriends his landlord, nicknamed Old Fox, and learns from him how to survive in a rapidly changing world and things his poor father would never be able to teach him.

Thailand - How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Director: Pat Boonnitipat)

Language: Thai, Teochew Min; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: M, a university dropout low on money and luck, volunteers to take care of his terminally ill grandmother, in the hope of pocketing an inheritance.

Tunisia - Take My Breath (Director: Nada Mezni Hafaiedh)

Language: Arabic; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: When Shams' intersex identity is exposed, the young seamstress' tranquil life unravels. Engaged in a steamy love triangle and targeted by an obsessive attacker, they escape to the capital city. Taking refuge with their lover's mystic cousin, they grapple with their complex sense of self. 

Turkey - Life (Director: Zeki Demirkubuz)

Language: Turkish; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A fiancée lost on the streets of Istanbul, a man who sets out to find the truth. Escape or love? The fate of the duo is written in Istanbul.

Ukraine - La Palisiada (Director: Philip Sotnychenko)

Language: Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Russian; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Set in Ukraine in 1996, 5 months before the moratorium on capital punishment, two old friends, a police detective and a forensic psychiatrist, investigate the murder of their colleague. A long time ago, both of them were in love with the widow of the deceased. Immersed in the complicated case and long-forgotten memories, they create a future where their children have to live, inheriting the unrealized aspirations of their parents.

United Kingdom - Santosh (Director: Sandhya Suri)

Language: Hindi; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband's job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low-caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.

Uruguay - The Door is There (Director: Facundo Ponce de León and Juan Ponce de León)

Language: Spanish; Genre: Documentary

Synopsis: The film is a portrait of the birth of a friendship between two men, while one helps the other to die.  The film is about the acceptance of pain, the sense of humour and the commitment to family and friends.

Venezuela - Children of Las Brisas (Director: Marianela Maldonado)

Language: Spanish, English; Genre: Drama

Synopsis: In 1996, Ricardo returns home to Caracas after a year of exchange in New York. On a trip through the beautiful coasts of Venezuela, after reconnecting with his friends, Ricardo suffers a strong pain that transforms his life and that of his family forever.

Vietnam - Peach Blossom, Pho and Piano (Director: Phi Tien Son)

Language: Vietnamese; Genre: War Drama

Synopsis: The film is set in the winter-spring battle that lasted 60 days and nights from late 1946 to early 1946 in Hanoi. The story follows the militiaman Van Dan and his love story with the piano-loving lady Thuc Huong. When others had evacuated away from the war zone, they decided to defend the capital that had been devastated by bombs and bullets, despite the dangers that awaited them.