Seven of the 16 directors are women, five titles are debut features, two are documentaries and two are animated films. Malta has chosen not to select any film in 2023.
The shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on 21 December 2023, the nominees will be known on 23 January 2024 and the 96th Academy Awards will be held on 10 March 2024.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA:
Excursion / Ekskurzija (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Norway, France)
Directed by Una Gunjak
Produced by SCCA/pro.ba
Coproduced by Baš Čelik, Nukleus Film, Mer Film, Salaud Morisset
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Canton Sarajevo, Film Fund Sarajevo, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Sorfond, Film Center Serbia, Hubert Bals Fund, Eurimages
BULGARIA:
Blaga’s Lessons / Urotcite na Blaga (Bulgaria, Germany)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev
Produced by Argo film
Coproduced by 42film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center
CROATIA:
Traces / Tragovi (Croatia, Lithuania, Serbia)
Directed by Dubravka Turić
Produced by Kinorama
Coproduced by Tremora, Corona
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Lithuanian Film Centre, Film Center Serbia, Eurimages, HRT, Creative Europe – MEDIA
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Brothers / Bratři (Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia)
Directed by Tomáš Mašín
Produced by FilmBrigade
Coproduced by Rohfilm Productions, PubRes
Supported by the Czech Film Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Czech Television, Eurimages
ESTONIA:
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood / Savvusanna sõsarad (Estonia, France, Iceland)
Directed by Anna Hints
Produced by Alexandra Film
Coproduced by Kepler 22 Productions, Ursus Parvus
Supported by the Estonian Film Institute, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Tartu Film Fund, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Sacem, the Icelandic Film Centre, the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund
GEORGIA:
Citizen Saint (Georgia, France, Bulgaria)
Directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili
Produced by Studio Artizm, Gemini
Coproduced by Mandra Films, Chouchkov Brothers
Supported by the Georgian National Film Center, Eurimages
HUNGARY:
Four Souls of Coyote / Kojot négy lelke (Hungary)
Directed by Áron Gauder
Produced by Cinemon Entertainment
Supported by the National Film Institute – Hungary
LATVIA:
My Freedom / Mana Brīvība (Latvia, Lithuania)
Directed by Ilze Kunga-Melgaile
Produced by TASSE Film
Coproduced by M-Films
Supported by the National Film Centre of Latvia, the State Cultural Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Lithuanian Film Centre, Creative Europe MEDIA
LITHUANIA:
Slow / Tu man nieko neprimeni (Lithuania, Spain, Sweden)
Directed by Marija Kavtaradze
Produced by M-Films
Coproduced by Frida Films, Garagefilms
Supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Institute of Cinematography / Ministry of Culture and Sport / Spanish Government, the Swedish Film Institute, Creative Europe MEDIA, Axencia Galega das Industrias Culturais / Xunta de Galicia, the Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund
MONTENEGRO:
Sirin (Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France)
Directed by Senad Šahmanović
Produced by Cut Up Films
Coproduced by Croatian Sekvenca, On Film Production, Buka Production, Dokument, Alliance de Production Cinématographique
Supported by the Film Centre of Montenegro, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Albanian National Center of Cinematography, the Kosovo Cinematography Center, Eurimages
NORTH MACEDONIA;
Housekeeping for Beginners / Domakinstvo za pocetnici (North Macedonia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo)
Directed by Goran Stolevski
Produced by List Production, Madants, Kinorama, Sense Production, Industria Film
Coproduced by Film I Väst, CommonGround Pictures and Causeway Films, in association with Tango, New Europe Film Sales, the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund
Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Film Center Serbia, the Polish Film Institute, the Kosovo Cinematography Center
POLAND:
The Peasants / Chłopi (Poland, Lithuania, Serbia)
Directed by DK Welchman (aka Dorota Kobiela) and Hugh Welchman
Produced by Breakthru Films
Coproduced by Digitalkraft, Art Shot, Breakthru Productions, Canal+, National Culture Center, Mazowiecki Instytut Kultury, SKP Ślusarek Kubiak Pieczyk
Supported by the Polish Film Institute, BGG Management, Steve Muench and Sita Saviolo, Jeffrey & Laurie Ubben, the Lithuanian Film Center, Film Center Serbia
ROMANIA:
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World / Nu aștepta prea mult de la sfârșitul lumii (Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia)
Directed by Radu Jude
Produced by 4Proof Film, microFILM
Coproduced by Paul Thiltges Distributions, Les Films d’Ici and Kinorama, in association with Bord Cadre Films (Switzerland) and Sovereign Films (UK)
Supported by the Romanian Film Centre (CNC), the Film Fund Luxembourg, Eurimages, Arte Cofinova/19 and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), as well as Cineplexx România, EssenceMediacom and the Romanian Public Television
SERBIA:
The Duke and the Poet / Sto se bore misli moje (Serbia)
Directed by Milorad Milinkovic
Produced by Art&Popcorn, Living Pictures
SLOVAKIA:
Photophobia (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine)
Directed by Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík
Produced by Punkchart films, Cinémotif Films
Coproduced by the Radio and Television of Slovakia, Arthouse Traffic, the Czech Television
Supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Czech Film Fund, the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic
SLOVENIA:
Riders / Jezdeca (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy)
Directed by Dominik Mencej
Produced by Staragara
Coproduced by Antitalent, SENSE production, Novi film, Transmedia, Nuframe, RTV Slovenija
Supported by the Slovenian Film Centre, Film Center Serbia, the Sarajevo Cinema Foundation, MEDIA – Single Development and RE-ACT Developing Award
