Oscar 2025 Shortlist Revealed Intl Feature Film Shortlist: 15 powerful global films, landmark debuts & groundbreaking cinema. from around the world. Learn more!
The shortlist for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards is out, and what a lineup. The extraordinary year for international cinema is reflected in a selection that is truly outstanding. With 15 dazzling films from a wide range of countries and narrative traditions, the international category confirms just how far-reaching the cinematic language really is. From intimate character studies to grand historical dramas, these films address universal human experiences and offer unique cultural viewpoints.
And what makes this year even more special is the presence of Iraq’s The President’s Cake among the shortlist – a first in the country’s history for a film to make it beyond submission. It’s a groundbreaking success that shows how cinema can cross borders and political barriers to bring the stories of countries voices that are often missing in global film talks.
In addition, Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” and France’s “Emilia Pérez,” have already done the unthinkable – Both are nominated for Best Picture in addition to their International Feature nominations.It’s the first year two non-English language films will be up for Best Picture, marking a monumental year for the way the Academy views foreign-language storytelling.
“I’m Still Here” (Brazil) is still among the shrewdest bets, following an astonishing success path. Directed by Walter Salles and with the legendary Fernanda Montenegro (who is also joined by Fernanda Torres in the film) this political biographical drama centers on Eunice Paiva, a mother and activist struggling with the disappearance of her husband during Brazil’s military regime.
Torres has already made history as the first Brazilian actress to ever receive a Golden Globe award in a performance category, shining an international spotlight on this intimate yet politically charged story.
“Emilia Pérez” (France) which continues to captivate with its daring mode of telling a story. Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical crime film in which Karla Sofía Gascón stars as a Mexican cartel leader trying to flee and become her true self, with the aid of a lawyer played by Zoe Saldaña.
Although it has divided audiences–praised for its direction and performances and mocked in Mexico for its cultural representations–its 13 Oscar nominations are proof that it shook the international film scene.
“Homebound” (India) grants a profoundly humanistic gaze upon two best friends as they navigate the cold structural realities of India. Set in present-day India, there is Ulrike Ottinger (Johanna d’Arc) and then Marty Scorsese attached as exec producer on this Karan Johar-produced NIRANJAN GHAYWAN-directed drama, employing Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa as Chandan, a Dalit, and Shoaib, a Muslim, who aspire to become police officers as a means to flee the the daily humiliation of caste/religious bias.
Their hushed conversations while sitting on the riverbank could tell you all you need to know about friendship, solidarity, and a desire to transcend systematized oppression. What allows this film to resonate on a global scale is the way it manages to address the specific social issues in India, while telling a story that everyone can relate to when it comes to dreaming about “belonging.”
“The Secret Agent” (Brazil) however, presents a different side of Brazil’s historical trauma in the figure of ex-teacher Armando, living under the military regime in 1977. Starring Wagner Moura, this political thriller combines resistance, escape attempts and personal survival during one of Latin America’s bleakest eras.
“Sound of Falling” (Germany) is a haunting reflection on history and inherited trauma. This German drama spans four generations of girls at a single farmstead in the Altmark region over the course of the 20th century – from before World War to the 21st century. In addressing guilt, abuse and national memory through the prism of rural family life, the movie asks how historical violence infiltrates families and landscapes.
“All That’s Left of You” (Jordan) follows a single Palestinian family across seven decades as it endures displacement, resistance, and survival. Director and star Cherien Dabis infuses her own family’s generational trauma in this sweeping saga, which was filmed in four countries—in Palestinian refugee camps—after the October 7 escalation of conflict. It does not simplify, portraying how political violence impacts individuals even as it celebrates the resilience of collective life.
“A President’s Cake” (Iraq) is lamia’s story, a nine-year-old girl who makes a desperate run in 1990s Iraq to collect the ingredients necessary for making the required presidential birthday cake. Against the setting of sanctions and dictatorship, the tone is at once darkly comedic and subtly explores issues such as childhood endurance, the ludicrous nature of authoritarian regimes and how far the human spirit can be pushed while living under oppressive conditions.
“Palestine 36” (Palestine), by Annemarie Jacir, returns to the 1936 Arab uprising against the British mandate, based on extensive archival material to follow Palestinian laborers and militants in the nascent stages of dispossession.
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia), a docudrama by Kaouther Ben Hania, investigates the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab at the hands of the Israel Defense Forces and the Red Crescent’s treatment of the incident. The film received the prestigious Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, where it was said to have been greeted by the longest standing ovation in the history of the festival. From executive producers Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Alfonso Cuarón, and Rooney Mara, this film is one of the most important in contemporary global consciousness.
“Late Shift” (Switzerland), by Petra Volpe, rethinks the hospital thriller from the perspective of an overburdened nurse, Floria, on a disastrous night shift. In a time when a global shortage of thirteen million nurses is predicted, this film has ignited policy dialogues across Europe while garnering unexpected box office success in German-speaking countries.
“Kokuho” (Japan) is a groundbreaking achievement in Japanese cinema—smashing the domestic box office record for live action films with over $112 million. Set against this background, this sweeping drama, directed by Lee Sang-il and featuring Ken Watanabe, depicts a man who rejects his yakuza family roots to pursue a life as a celebrated Kabuki actor over the course of five decades. The film has been so successful that Tom Cruise himself introduced special Academy screenings.
‘Left-Handed Girl’ (Taiwan) by Shih-Ching Tsou, with Sean Baker as co-writer and editor, is about a single mom and two daughters coming back to Taipei to run a noodle stall at a night market. Shot entirely on an iPhone, the film is a blend of intimate family portraiture and cultural specificity that was met with universal critical praise and garnered awards at several international film festivals.
Belén (Argentina), from the director and lead Dolores Fonzi, is based on the real-life struggle of lawyer Soledad Deza to win the release of Julieta, a woman who was thrown behind bars in a nation with notoriously complicated abortion laws after suffering a miscarriage. This courtroom drama sparked women’s rights activism in Argentina and has relevance in global conversations on reproductive justice.
“No Other Choice,” spearheaded by Park Chan-wook, is a darkly comedic thriller adaptation of Donald Westlake’s The Ax. The plot chronicles the life of an unemployed man who turns to killing as a way to get a job. With Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, it is Chan-wook’s highest grossing film opener in South Korea. The film deals with themes of hopelessness, class stratification and modern capitalism’s brutal realities, and continues the tradition of questioning these issues in entertaining and intellectually challenging cinema.
Sirât (Spain) awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival – narrates the story of a father and a son in pursuit of the man’s kidnapped daughter in the arid lands of southern Morocco. Soon a personal mission is transformed into an end-of-the-world trek when global warfare breaks out, weaving family drama with science-fiction filmmaking.
The International Feature category lineup for 2025 shows that filmmakers from around the world continue to boldly confront their nations’ most complicated histories, social issues and current crises. These films resist simplifications, instead they dwell with an ambiguous, traumatized, and resilient population confronting the seemingly impossible.
Even if their ambition is modest, by focusing on characters or making sweeping historical narratives, specific cultural contexts or universal strings, all the 15 films bring us vision why international cinema should matter, it is a window into how people from the different parts of the world experience love, loss, justice and hope.
The bizarre, darkly comic human story telling of Jia Zhangke, Ida and The Good Boss among other illustrious contenders on the Oscar 2025 International Feature shortlist point to a boom year for world cinema, with provocative films, historic firsts and non-English language productions all firmly at the heart of the Academy discussion. These films demonstrate that compelling storytelling has no nationality, and that international filmmakers are defining the future of cinema.
As the Academy pares down this shortlist to five nominees in the weeks ahead, audiences around the world have been bestowed an extraordinary gift: a handpicked group of vital contemporary films that insist on being seen and heard.
Fandomfans gives a quick overview of the Oscar 2025 Best International Feature Film shortlist, focusing on their deep storyline and performance.
Discover the the story, cast, themes and awards of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and find out how the Cliff Booth sequel widens Tarantino’s nostalgic world.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a masterpiece of Quentin Tarantino which wraps up with a warm, sun-kissed love letter to the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Mixing true history with invention, the 2019 movie about friendship, waning fame and a shifting business is set against the backdrop of 1969 and the Tate murders. With its razor-sharp dialogue, iconic soundtrack and Tarantino’s most personal storytelling, it’s nostalgic and hypnotic — and with Cliff Booth making a comeback on Netflix in 2026, this cinematic universe is just expanding.
At its core “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is a dramedy with historical elements and a dash of Tarantino’s style of revisionist history. The relative core tensions are the bittersweet decline of stardom, the allure (and dangers) of the counter-culture movement, and the power of camaraderie.
The setting is unmistakably Los Angeles, 1969, and that cataclysmic moment in culture is brilliantly conveyed ultimately not just through detailed period detail. From the classic cars to the classic clothes to the iconic Hollywood Hills — it’s a visual feast.
There was only one name that could be leading this offbeat vision: Quentin Tarantino. He wrote and directed the original screenplay and is an extraordinary storyteller.
Robert Richardson, a long-time Tarantino collaborator, shot the film’s gorgeous cinematography which perfectly captured the golden-hued era.
Barbara Ling’s production design and Arianne Phillips’ costume design transport us further into the world of the late 60s.
The story focuses on Rick’s destructive life and his struggles, in the year 1969 Los Angeles. There’s also his longtime pal and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) — a disarming yet enigmatic war vet and the bangers and bangettes, among them his crony Max Cherry (Willem Dafoe). Two intersections in their lives are the shadow of the Manson Family and Rick’s neighbour, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).
The film soars in its weaving of their three tales, building to a cathartic and unforeseeable final act that re-imagines a historical tragedy. The slow burn lets us take in the atmosphere and character dynamics before a relentless finish.
Popular cast that played wonderful characters in the film:
Among the plethora of famous names, there are Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Luke Perry, Margaret Qualley and many, many more actors of renown to be found in roles of significance, and it is not even close to just the primary three.
Watching both wonderful actors DiCaprio and Pitt together on their best performances is amazing. That’s what this movie is – their chemistry. Tarantino’s unique, nonlinear form of storytelling (with a few pop culture references), is a great, entertaining journey.
The soundtrack is tightly curated to evoke the feel of nostalgia that the film has at the center of it, and is overflowing with 60’s music, and practically narrates the story of one of the characters.
Production was mostly day for night, and indoor for outdoor in situ among the urban sprawls of Los Angeles, with several famous sites redressed or employed. From the outside of the Hollywood Boulevard stores to the classic cars and trucks twenty-six block Hollywood re-creation of 1969 is mesmerizing. The producers genuinely did go all out to make the viewers feel as though they were seeing something that was truly from the past.
The 2026 follow-up (The Adventures of Cliff Booth) keeps this pedigree intact but with a twist. Though it is written by Tarantino and produced by his long-time partners at Heyday Films, it is directed by David Fincher. News is a hefty $200 million budget, much of that used to recreate the gritty, neon-drenched aesthetic of ’70s L.A.
Due to its violence, language and drug use, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood received an R rating in the US. It was rated R (18+) by the Commission. This fits right into the pattern of Tarantino’s filmography which is always populated by films which bend the rules.
Film’s authenticity to the period, direction, and performances get critical acclaim. While its slow burn is felt by some viewers but still captivated by the unique combination of humor, drama and suspense.
It was well-reviewed, successful at the box office, and won a number of awards, among them the Academy Awards for Best Production Design and Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt).
For the sequel, the hype is at an all-time high due to the Fincher-Tarantino-Pitt “holy trinity” of talent.
The initial teaser for The Adventures of Cliff Booth made an unexpected appearance at Super Bowl LX Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (February 2026).
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is more than a film — it’s an experience. It’s nostalgia, reinvention, friendship, loss and love of cinema, all wrapped up in the unmistakable style of Tarantino. With its iconic performances, its hazy 1969 backdrop and its daring rewriting of history, it remains one of the most emotionally visceral chapters in Tarantino’s career. And with The Adventures of Cliff Booth on the horizon, this universe isn’t ending — it’s evolving.
Dive deeper into the world of cinema with Fandomfans and get every detail from movies and series.
Avengers: Doomsday signals a major MCU reset with the return of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. The whole story and theory.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is now experiencing fundamental change at the executive level. What was once considered to be a steady industry growing is now pivoting into a “hail mary” to bring back the cultural and financial peak from the Infinity Saga. Changing the subtitle for the fifth Avengers movie from The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday is not just a branding adjustment, it represents a complete overhaul of the franchise’s core narrative.
By recasting Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) as Victor Von Doom and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Marvel is gambling $1.5 billion that the foundations of the past will hold the weight of the future.
The shift to “Doomsday” comes out of an era of unparalleled chaos. Post Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has had trouble keeping a lid on its sprawling Multiverse Saga. The disappointment of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania confirmed that Kang the Conqueror despite Jonathan Majors’ performance wasn’t gelling as a Thanos-tier menace.
Marvel brass feared even before Majors’ legal troubles that Kang “wasn’t big enough,” according to IGN. Among the new additions is the return of the Russo Brothers and writer Stephen McFeely—the “old guard” responsible for the MCU’s biggest hits—to guide the way to Doctor Doom.
| Strategic Component | Original Multiverse Plan | The Doomsday Realignment |
| Primary Antagonist | Kang the Conqueror | Doctor Doom (RDJ) |
| Main Anchor | New Generational Heroes | Legacy “Anchor Beings” |
| Creative Leadership | Fluctuating Directors | The Russo Brothers |
The news that Robert Downey Jr would be returning as Victor Von Doom rocked the fandom. He’s playing Doom, after all, but the narrative implications of the face are impossible to ignore. This has given rise to the “Anchor Being” theory based on Stark’s death in Endgame earth-616 has been “deteriorating”, the multiverse may be supplying an “dark mirror” alternative.
Screenrant suggests a 1970 Retcon. “In Endgame, when Tony goes to 1970, the timing of Maria Stark’s pregnancy seems a bit wonky.” The buzz is that the “real” Tony Stark was actually an adopted Von Doom. In this case, RDJ is not playing a variant of Tony, but instead playing the man Tony was always meant to be before he was a Stark.
Doomsday (presumably appearing next to Avatar: Fire and Ash) teasers were leaked that confirmed that Chris Evans is back. But this isn’t the Captain America we know. In the footage, Rogers is seen in a domestic situation that looks like the 1950s and he’s a father, presumably retired, living with Peggy Carter.
This “Nomad” paradigm is a creative challenge. So how does Marvel get Steve Rogers back without undercutting Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson?
The Sacrifice Play: Comicbookmovie that Rogers is going to get the “Loki treatment” — dying early in Doomsday to drive home how dangerous Doom is.
The Mentor Role: Rogers could be cast as an inter-dimensional tactician, with Sam Wilson holding on to the shield and the mantle of Captain America.
The most contentious issue is whether this was “planned all along.” While the Kang-to-Doom shift was brought forward by outside influences, the breadcrumbs are there. In Age of Ultron, Tony’s vision of the fallen Avengers brought Steve Rogers saying,
“You could have saved us. Why didn’t you do more?”
In Doomsday, a Stark-faced Doom could be the man who ultimately takes the leap and decides to “do more” out of a genuine desire to save not just his world but all realities alike. Kevin Feige’s revelation that he talked through the Doom idea with RDJ long before the Kang story stalled suggests that Marvel always kept this “In Case of Emergency” glass box ready to break.
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Avengers: Doomsday is an admission that the post-Endgame approach should be abolished. By casting the man who began the MCU to be the man who might end it, Marvel has ensured Doomsday will be the most scrutinized superhero film in history.
With the release in 2026 looming, the MCU finds itself in a bit of a crossroads. It has to show that it can borrow nostalgia to tell a new, deep story, or be remembered as a franchise that ran away into its own shadow because it was too scared of a murky future.
Fandomfansis delivering detailed theories on celebrity joining the blockbuster films. We are focusing on Marvel, DC, and big hits to give you the latest updates.
