FOREIGN FILM PREDICTIONS 2021-2022 (E-K)

Here's the next batch of 32....

33. Ecuador- “Lo invisible” I thought Ecuador had one of the most charming surprises of the Foreign Film race last year, showing that small countries can really shine here even if they aren’t nominated. This year, they actually have quite a competitive three-way race. Javier Andrade has been selected before, so I think post-partum depression drama “Lo invisible” is the front-runner, although thriller “Sumergible”- about a drug gang on a sinking ship- and comedy “Yellow Sunglasses” are also in with a strong chance. UPDATE: "Lo invisible" premiered at Toronto, but "Sumergible" was officially announced as the representative from Ecuador. 

34. Egypt- “Amira” Egypt has an exciting two-way race and either film will definitely give Egypt its best chance in years of snagging its first Oscar nomination. Black comedy “Feathers” won the Grand Prize at Cannes in the International Critics Week section and the film has some pretty great reviews. It’s a strange fantasy story (played mostly seriously) about a conservative patriarch who is accidentally turned into a chicken at a family birthday party, leaving the family without a breadwinner. In any other year, it would be the easy choice but this year it is up against Mohamed Diab’s buzzy Venice premiere, “Amina”. Diab is arguably the most acclaimed Egyptian filmmaker working today and also an Academy member (I don’t think this matters much, but Egypt may feel he has an edge). “Amina”, about a young woman who learns that her father and lifelong hero- an imprisoned Palestinian freedom fighter- may not in fact be her father, hasn’t been screened, but is said to be a great film. But will Egypt be willing to choose what is really a Palestinian film with an Egyptian director? I think they will. “Souad” (Berlin), the story of two sisters, will come in a distant third.

35. Estonia- “Melchior the Apothecary” Estonia’s biggest film of the year- LGBT drama “Firebird”- is in English, but they have a few other options set to be released in the next few months, including Soviet—era coming-of-age drama “On the Water”, psychological drama “Sandra Gets a Job” and medieval mystery “Melchior the Apothecary”, by the director of several of Estonia’s biggest blockbusters. I’m predicting “Melchior” (scheduled for release on October 15) just based on the director’s name. “On the Water” will likely come second.

36. Ethiopia- “Faya Dayi” Ethiopia has randomly sent four films between 2010-2019, usually when the films have some Western filmmaker behind them. (“Running Against the Wind” was directed by a German, “The Athlete” had an American co-director, “Difret” was executive produced by Angelina Jolie and “Lamb” had mostly foreign producers). I don’t think they’ll send a film this year but if they do, it’s sure to be documentary “Faya Dayi” (Sundance), about the influence of qat, a mild narcotic, on the lives of people living in the remote Harar region. Director Jessica Beshir is Mexican-Ethiopian.

37. Fiji- Nothing. Although they sent one film in 2005, Fiji hardly produces any local films and that is probably doubly true during the pandemic. I don’t think they have anything eligible.

38. Finland- “Compartment No. 6”- Everyone expects Finland will probably choose quirky road movie “Compartment No. 6”, which booked prestigious appearance at Cannes, Karlovy Vary and Toronto.  The Russian co-production is about a Finnish woman and Russian man who develop an unusual relationship while onboard a transcontinental train and is the sophomore effort by director Juho Kuosmanen, who is widely believed to have close to an Oscar nod for “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki”. However, I think the movies faces very stiff competition from “The Gravedigger’s Wife” (Cannes) by Finland-based Somali director Khadar Ahmed, a drama set in the East African nation of Djibouti. With these two festival front runners, it would be virtually impossible for any other film, like “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See the Titanic” (Venice), “Omertà 12/6” or “The Wait” to get noticed.

39. France- "The Happening" France had an exciting race, but the (very short) shortlist seems to make this an easy win for abortion drama and Venice winner "The Happening". I had heard that there would be five films on the shortlist, and I expected these to be "The Happening" and "Titane" (who made it), plus "Petite Maman", "Everything Went Fine" and "Lost Illusions". The third finalist- "BAC Nord"- is a box-office crime drama on Netflix. While its inclusion ahead of one-time front-runner "Petite Maman" shows that France's committee does like it, it hasn't won any international awards and appears to be in third place. So, will they choose the Cannes winner or the Venice winner? "Titane" is a weird fantasy-horror-drama genre mishmash and seems likely to divide Oscar winners, while "The Happening" is an issue drama that's more traditional Oscar bait. It's also topical and likely to impress American voters. I know France will be really tempted to default to choose the Cannes winner, which provides the greatest showcase for French cinema...But they're probably choosing "The Happening". Fun fact: the directors of "The Happening" and "BAC Nord" are husband and wife (and she also co-wrote "BAC Nord"). 

40. Georgia- “Brighton 4^th” Georgia has one of the most interesting races of the year, with several really original and wonderful looking films (I haven’t seen any of them yet). Modern-day folktale “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” is the only contender from a Top Three festival (Berlin) and this story of a cursed romance is said to be downright charming. It’s the unofficial favorite. But two other films are equally strong- “Otar’s Death” (Karlovy Vary), a tragicomedy about a poor family trying to raise money to compensate a family for a tragic car accident and keep their 16-year old son (the driver) out of jail,  and “Brighton 4^th” (winner of three awards in Tribeca, including Best International Feature), about a Georgian father who travels to Brooklyn, New York (my hometown) to help his son deal with gambling debts. Director Levan Koguashvili directed by favorite Georgian film (“Street Days”) which was submitted and which deserved an Oscar nod way back in 2010.  As the more experienced director and with a story set in the USA which has won American awards, I think it will be the surprise choice over “What We Do”.  Probably out of luck: “Bebia, à mon seul désir” (Sarajevo), a B&W about a young woman performing funeral rituals for her grandmother and “The Resting Samurai”, a family crime drama. 

41. Germany- “I’m Your Man” Germany has made this a little easier by announcing the ten films being considered. The list includes eight fiction features and two documentaries. Five of the films were Berlinale premieres, including the Silver Jury Prize (3^rd Place) winner, documentary “Herr Bachmann”. Four are nominated for Best Picture at this year’s German Lolas. Two of the directors (Maria Schrader and Dominik Graf) have been submitted before; neither made it to the shortlist stage. Three haven’t been screened yet, making it hard to figure out the frontrunner. The two buzziest films- sci-fi romantic comedy “I’m Your Man” and documentary “Herr Bachmann”- would be unusual choices for Germany who usually play it safe. Germany usually goes with films about war, angst and political activism; falling in love with a robot may be seen as too light for them, even though the film is supposed to be great. “Herr Bachmann” has arguably the best reviews of any film on the list…But even positive reviewers note that this 3 and a half hour film about a dedicated teacher could have left 45 minutes in the editing room. Since Germany does usually play it safe, it’s important to consider “The Last Execution” (a grim look at East German history) “Fabian: Going to the Dogs” (a grim love story set in-between the two World Wars), and “The Royal Game” (a grim tale about a prisoner using chess to fight off those nasty Nazis). The very dark horses are Til Schweiger’s unreleased new movie “Saving the World Known to Us” about a teen with bipolar disorder, and 9/11 terrorist drama “Copilot” (which sounds controversial and fascinating). “I think the other three (“Dear Thomas”, “Femocracy”, “Je suis Karl”) are pretty clear also-rans.  I really don’t want to watch a 3.5 hour documentary but signs are pointing to a victory for “Herr Bachmann”. There’s precedent for this (Germany chose “Pina”… “Collective” got an Oscar nod for Romania) but somehow I think I have it wrong. But what else? “Royal Game” has Nazis but sounds too theatrical. “Last Execution” sounds perfect but has no buzz. In the end, I’m predicting “I’m Your Man”, which people seem to genuinely love, gets the “Toni Erdmann” comic slot that Germany picks once every ten years or so. My Predicted Top Five: “I’m Your Man”, “Herr Bachmann”, “Fabian”, “Royal Game” and “Last Execution”

42. Ghana- “Public Toilet Africa” Ghana had an active selection committee for years before they sent their first film (Netflix drama “Azali”) in 2019. They skipped last year but could come back with weird Locarno adventure “Public Toilet Africa”. Reportedly filmed in five languages, critics say the film is kind of a mess, but it got selected at a major festival and appears to meet the language requirement, so why not? For the record, the film is about a young woman who returns home to Ghana, her ex-lover and two hitchhikers on a bizarre road trip.

43. Greece- “Digger” I’ve read online that Greece always sends the winner of Best Picture at the Hellenic Film Awards to the Oscars…But actually that hasn’t happened the past five years (“Apples”, “Amerika Square”, “Chevalier” and “Polyxeni” were nominated but lost; “When Tomatoes Met Wagner” won the Doc category). Be that as it may, I’m still predicting “Digger”, a rural father-son drama set against the backdrop of corporate greed, that played at Berlinale Panorama 2020 and which won almost every single Hellenic Film Award it was eligible for, including Picture, Actor, Director and Screenplay. It’s main competition is “The Tailor”, which won the FIPRESCI Award at Thessaloniki and would have automatically represented Greece until a few years ago. But it couldn’t even manage a Best Pic nod at the Hellenic Film Awards, so it seems unlikely. Dark horse: Greek-language Cypriot production “Senior Citizen”.

44. Greenland- “Alanngut Killinganni” Greenland (pop: 56,000) is the smallest country ever to send a film to the Oscars (yes, Greenland is a country, though not yet an independent one…). They had a strong contender two years ago but the director told me the selection committee is no longer active, so it’s unlikely they’ll send a film. If they do, it will be “Alanngut Killinganni”, a horror-thriller and sequel to “Qaqqat Alanngui”, often considered to be the first-ever locally produced film. 

45. Guatemala- “1991” Guatemala’s premier international director Jayro Bustamente came close to an Oscar nomination last year with “La Llorona”. This year, he has co-written coming-of-age drama “1991” with Cesar Diaz (who directed Belgium’s “Our Mothers”) and handed the reins over to Sergio Ramirez, who directed the Guatemalan segment of Central American anthology “Days of Light” (which represented Honduras last year). Easy choice for Guatemala.

46. Haiti- “Freda” Impoverished Haiti submitted a film once in 2017. Because AMPAS generally invites a country for up to five years after they submit, it would seem they should still be invited. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes….a very rare achievement for Haitian cinema that should bring them back to the Oscar competition.

47. Honduras- “La condesa” Honduras may take the year off but if they want to send something they could send haunted house thriller “La condesa”, which is scheduled to be released in September. It will probably be out of its league though.

48. Hong Kong- “Love After Love” Hong Kong got a surprise, first-ever Oscar nomination last year for a locally directed film (their two nominations in the 1990s were for Mainland productions) for anti-bullying youth drama “Better Days”. Hong Kong has a tendency to send noir crime dramas that nobody likes. Perhaps last year’s Oscar nomination will show them that going a little more arthouse is a smarter choice. “Limbo” (Berlinale) would allow Hong Kong to send their favorite genre while also going for a festival film.  It’s about a veteran cop (as most HK submissions are) trying to solve the brutal murder of a Hong Kong woman. 74-year old veteran director Ann Hui, who has been selected four times, also has two films that could be selected. Period drama “Love After Love” premiered at last year’s Venice film festival while short film anthology “Septet” (which also includes films by Johnnie To and Tsui Hark) opened Busan last year. Rounding out the top five options for Hong Kong are the repeatedly-delayed “Sons of the Neon Night” which wrapped filming in 2018 and “Drifting”, about homelessness. I think this is between the bland melodrama of “Love After Love” and the festival noir of “Limbo”. Hui’s name recognition and stellar cast/crew may put her over the edge.

49. Hungary- “Natural Light” Hungary has a competitive two-way race, with the Best Director winner at Cannes (“Natural Light”) competing against the winner of the Hungarian Film Awards (“Ravine”). There’s likely too much competition for horror-drama “Post Mortem”, religious revivalist drama “Hungarian Passion” and a trio of films by previously submitted directors (“Forest: I See You Everywhere” from Berlin, “Evolution” from Cannes, and “Seven Small Coincidences” in Warsaw). I think the Hungarians will want to send “Ravine”, about a successful man who returns to his Romanian village and meets the son- now a violent delinquent- he abandoned when he got a local girl pregnant as a teenager. It has better reviews and beat out “Natural Light” at the Film Awards. But the Cannes label, the WWII theme, the “moral dilemma” drama, and the technical scale of “Natural Light” will probably mean that it will represent Hungary.

50. Iceland- “Lamb” In a relatively weak year, “Lamb”, the winner of the Cannes Un Certain Regard “Prize of Originality” should get this easily. It’s a horror-drama about how a childless couple finds a foundling that ends up destroying their lives. Its chief competition is “Alma”, another thriller, by Iceland’s first female director, who hasn’t made a film in almost thirty years. It was the Icelandic nominee for the 2021 Nordic film Prize and also the final film with acclaimed French actress Emmanuelle Riva. To show how weak the past year has been, the three Edda nominees for Best Picture were a local comedy, a wholly Palestinian feature film, and an audiobook (?!) by Tilda Swinton.

51. India- TBD

52. Indonesia- “Paranoia” So, if a developing country like Indonesia wins one of the Class-A Film Festivals, will they automatically send that picture to the Oscars? You’ll probably say yes. Now, what if that film is a weird tongue-in-cheek, wannabe Tarantino action flick about a guy constantly talking about erectile dysfunction? That’s the big question for the Indonesian Academy and “Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash”. I know Indonesia did send “Marlina the Murderer” (also described as Tarantino-esque) but that was a pretty great film and the Locarno jury is always a little weird. I’m putting “Vengeance” is second place behind “Paranoia”, a thriller by acclaimed director Riri Riza and starring Nicholas Saputra. Set during COVID, it’s about a woman who flees her abusive husband with her young daughter. Riza has only been chosen once and reviews for this thriller look good. Some people are also mentioning coming-of-age tale “Yuni”, which will premiere at Toronto. The Indonesian Film Award (the Citras) nominations won’t come out until October 10.

53. Iran- “A Hero” Cannes Grand Prix (2^nd Place) winner “A Hero” by two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi is certainly the obvious choice to represent Iran. While the Iranians can be unpredictable, they sent all four of his Iranian films since 2009 (even “The Past”, which didn’t conform to the Islamic Republic’s usual cinematic rules) and “A Hero” is much better placed to represent Iran than the last two. I can’t wait to see it on Amazon. It’s chief competition is “Without Anything” which won Best Picture at Fajr 2021 and which is about a wealthy man who returns to his ancestral village with unfinished business (is this a remake of “Hyenas”?). Very, very dark horses: “Ballad of a White Cow” (Fajr 2020, Berlin 2021) about a woman seeking justice for her executed husband and supernatural exorcist drama “Zalava”.

54. Iraq- “The Exam” Despite incredible challenges, Iraq submitted films every year from 2014-2018- including the Oscar-worthy “Reseba: The Dark Wind”- but has taken the last two years off. They have two really wonderful candidates that have played at major festivals. “The Exam” (Karlovy Vary) is about an unhappily married woman trying to help her sister pass her final exams so that she will not be married off as she was. “Our River, Our Sky” (Sarajevo), about ordinary citizens of Baghdad trying to live through intensive sectarian fighting in 2006. Iraq usually selects Kurdish films and “The Exam” has a higher profile, so it has the edge. But both would be worthy selections and I hope Iraq returns.

55. Ireland- “Doineann” For years, there would be one Irish-language feature made every few years in Ireland. This year, there appear to be three new releases- “Doineann” (Stormy Weather), “Fanacht” (The Quiet Girl) and “Foscadh” (Shelter). Though island mystery “Doinenan” sounds a lot more interesting, it was “Foscadh” that won an award at the Galway Irish Festival and lead actor Donall O’Healai starred (to great effect) in last year’s “Arracht”. So, that probably has the edge. But I’m predicting an upset for the more mainstream-looking mystery.

56. Israel- “Let There Be Morning” The winner of Best Picture at the Ophir Awards (scheduled for early October) automatically goes to the Oscars, so we already know the five finalists- two dramas that premiered at Cannes (“Ahed’s Knee” and “Let There Be Morning”),  an animated film (“Legend of Destruction”), an odd docudrama (“The Death of Cinema and My Father Too”) and an unscreened history movie (“Portrait of Victory”) by a senior director. Although “The Death of Cinema” won Best Israeli Film in Jerusalem (over “Asia”), none of the other nominees were competing and this odd film about a filmmaker and his dying father isn’t likely to have wide appeal. And although “Legend of Destruction” has gotten great reviews for its innovative new animation techniques, I think most voters will think a cartoon about Jewish history won’t be able to compete (I haven’t forgotten “Waltz with Bashir”…but that was always seen as a frontrunner and not a throwaway vote). So, that leaves the three “straight” dramas. Selecting “Ahed’s Knee”, an oddly structured film about the director’s views on Israeli artistic censorship, will probably divide the film industry. “Portrait of Victory”, a big-scale film about Israel’s war with Egypt, looks like the obvious choice…but nobody has seen it and director Avi Nesher has famously not been nominated at the Ophirs during his 30-year career (until now), suggesting he isn’t widely liked. So, I think Arabic-language “Let There Be Morning”, about an Arab-Israeli family’s struggle to get around a new Israeli border wall will be selected. It’s by the director of “The Band’s Visit” which was famously disqualified for having too much English. So, this is also a nice way to give him a second chance.

57. Italy- “King of Laughter” Italy has a huge film industry, but most online pundits are talking about three films by previously submitted directors- Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino’s “Hand of God” (Netflix/Venice), Palme d’Or winner Nanni Moretti’s “Three Floors” (Cannes) and Jonas Carpignano’s “A Chiara” (Cannes). To that list, I’d add period drama “Caravaggio’s Shadow” (co-starring Isabelle Huppert), the frenetic “King of Laughter” and Pupi Avati’s “We Still Talk”, about a 65-year marriage and (if it’s released) “Leonora Addio”, Paolo Taviani’s first solo effort since the death of his brother, as frontrunners. Of these seven films, “Three Floors” has gotten poor reviews, “Leonora” isn’t guaranteed of a release, and “We Still Talk” has no buzz. So that leaves us with four equally likely films. “Hand of God” has Sorrentino but it’s not considered his strongest film while “A Chiara” is considered to be Carpignano’s best film yet. “Hand of God” and “King of Laughter’ have US distribution deals. “Caravaggio” is lavish period drama with incredible star power but nobody has even seen it. Italy isn’t afraid to snub the frontrunner (last year “Notturno” was picked over Sophia Loren) so I think this will be a surprise win for “King of Laughter”, a comedian biopic that premiered in Venice. Sorrentino win come second place with Carpignano third, Pupi Avati in fourth, and “Caravaggio” and “Leonora” strong threats if they are released in time. Also likely to appear on Italy’s (very long) shortlist- “Freaks Out”, “The Hole” and “Small Body”. I thought we might have a late favorite with Gianni Amelio’s “Ants Man”, but it’s set for 2022.  

58. Japan- “Drive My Car” The Japanese are usually unpredictable but there is a general consensus online that they will go with “Drive My Car”, winner of three awards including Best Screenplay at Cannes. Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi was the only director in competition at one the Big Three festivals (Berlin, Cannes and Venice) this year. Interestingly enough, he also had “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” at Berlin, but “Drive My Car”, about a happily married man whose wife disappears, is the frontrunner of the two. A potential spoiler is upcoming samurai drama “The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai” with an all-star cast including Koji Yakusho (winner of 4 Japanese Oscars), Takako Matsu (star of “Confessions”) and 88-year old veteran Tatsuya Nakadai, plus director Takashi Koizumi who represented Japan in 1999. Of course, Japan has plenty of movies to choose from and they sometimes choose something very, very weird (like “Weathering with You”, a forgettable anime film from the land of superb anime films, the drab arthouse “The Light Shines Only There”, and the creaky and poorly received “Nagasaki: Memories of My Son”). Among their other options: Takeshi Kitano biopic “Asakusa Kid”, docudrama “A Balance” (Berlin), animated film “Belle: The Dragon and the Princess” (Cannes, Locarno), all-star murder mystery “In the Wake”, old-fashioned family drama “It’s a Flickering Life” (directed by 90-year old Yoji Yamada who has repped Japan five times, including Oscar nominee “Twilight Samurai”) and Mongolian road movie “Under the Turquoise Sky”. Possible spoiler: Could French film “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” (which is in Japanese with a Japanese cast) attempt to compete for Japan?

59. Jordan- “Farha” It’s a tight two-way race in Jordan between two new films that debuted within a month of each other. Jordan got an Oscar nomination for “Theeb” and the film’s screenwriter is making his directorial debut with “The Alleys” (Locarno), a twisty multi-character drama set in contemporary Amman. It would be a shoo-in if it weren’t for the premiere this week of “Farha” in Toronto, about a young Arab girl in 1948 Palestine when the British mandate was partitioned, and accompanied by some of the first Arab-Israeli violence. I think the historical context (and the US-educated director) will make “Farha” the selection…but it will be close.

 60. Kazakhstan- “Mukagali” Kazakhstan has one of the most interesting and confusing races this year. Release dates are especially confusing and several end-of-year releases may or may not be eligible. I’m really hoping Kazakhstan surprises everyone with “Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It” a gonzo, violent horror-comedy that has probably attracted the most enthusiastic reviews for a Kazakh film, and netting a prestigious nomination at the Russian Nika Awards for Best CIS Film (it lost to “Shambala” from neighboring Kyrgyzstan).  But the Kazakh Academy almost always chooses bleak tragedies (In 2016, 2017 and 2020 they picked movies about Soviet-era atrocities….In 2018, the shortlisted “Ayka” was about a woman struggling to make ends meet in modern-day Russia) or gaudy medieval costume dramas (2012, 2019). Two of Kazakhstan’s most important young directors have new films, and they’re both overdue to go to the Oscars- Farkhat Sharipov (who made the sorely underrated “Tale of a Pink Hare”) and festival favorite Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Cannes “The Gentle Indifference of the World” and four Nika nominations). Will Kazakhstan reward them, or do they just not like them? For the record, Yerzhanov has three possibilities dramedy “Yellow Cat” (Venice 2020) about a man who wants to open a cinema in a mountain village, “Ademoka’s Education” (a classic “old man’s life is enriched by young person” drama) and “Ulbolsyn” (Istanbul), about a strong-willed woman, while Sharipov has youth drama “18 kHz” (Moscow; winner in Warsaw). But none of these very intriguing films looks like what Kazakhstan usually ends up sending….and this year could see the release of rural youth drama “Sunflower” and biopics “Mukagali” (a poet) and “Qajymuqan” (a wrestler). “Mukagali” is probably the worst possible choice. Poetry doesn’t translate and Americans certainly don’t know who Mukagali is….but that fits the profile. I’ll put “Yellow Cat” in second place and “18 kHz” in third though I’m crossing my fingers for “Sweetie”.

 61. Kenya- “Blind Love” Like Cameroon and Nigeria, Kenya has been having some success lately getting some indie films acquired by Netflix. The most promising- thriller “40 Sticks”- was released in November so it’s not eligible. Kenya has now submitted four years in a row (something that has almost never happened in sub-Saharan Africa) and their most likely choice this year is “Blind Love", a Swahili-language movie about the controversial romance between a deaf woman and a blind man. But that film has a Swiss director so if they want to go local, they also have Taliya”, a low-budget folktale about a fisherman and a water sprite with the power to grant wishes. 

62. Korea (South)- “Book of Fish” Although I haven’t seen any sort of official announcement, I’ve heard that South Korea is considering six films from a fairly weak list (two of them aren’t even in the Internet Movie Database). None of the films have played at any major festivals or won awards outside Korea…that’s pretty disappointing two years after “Parasite” won Best Picture. Most people are predicting it will be “Book of Fish” by default. The B&W period drama has gotten decent reviews, a number of nominations at local film awards, and director Lee Joon-ik has been selected to go to the Oscars once before. But most of all, it just seems more likely than Korea picking an unknown documentary about conscription (“Men Who Won’t Pick Up Guns 2”) or three obscure “issue-based” melodramas nobody has heard of- “Dust-Man” (homelessness) “I” (child abuse) and “Ten Months” (pregnancy). Its main competition is “Escape from Mogadishu”, a well-received action film about North and South Korean diplomats working together to leave war-torn Somalia. I think the period drama will win over action…but we’ll see. What happened to “Emergency Declaration” (Cannes) and “Introduction” (Berlin)? 

63. Kosovo- “Hive” Tiny Kosovo has had a great film year. Although they are almost certain to choose “Hive”, the winner of three awards including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards at Sundance,  they also had two films in competition at Sarajevo- “The Hill Where Lionesses Roar” (also at Cannes) and “Looking for Venera” and one in Venice, "Vera Dreams of the Sea". Interestingly, all four options are written, directed by and about women. Sundance winner “Hive”, about a woman struggling to operate a business in the face of a repressive village patriarchy, will certainly be selected. UPDATE: "Hive" is officially confirmed. 

64. Kuwait- “al-Maht” Kuwait last sent a film in 1978….the only one of the 127 countries to be absent for such a long time. So, it’s highly unlikely they’ll enter, but for the sake of completion I’ll predict “al-Maht”, the first-ever Kuwaiti animated feature film, and the first domestic film to be released after COVID closed down the national cinemas.  

POSSIBLE DEBUTS:

El Salvador is the only Latin American country never to send a film...They were rumored to be entering in 2019, but they didn't. This year, they could send "The Whisper of Silence", a coming-of-age tale about a young woman on a coffee plantation with an incredible sense of smell. It's representing El Salvador at the 2021 AFI Latin American Film Festival. I wondered if Jamaica would try to send a film in Creole- they applied to send films to the competition in 2010 way before last year's rule change. But other than a Shakespeare-themed comedy called "Star Crossed", I'm not sure what they would have to send.