List of Lebanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Lebanon has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film since 1978. The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue.[1]
As of 2016 Lebanon has submitted thirteen films for the award, but none has yet been nominated for an Oscar.
Submissions
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film since 1956. The Foreign Language Film Award Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via secret ballot to determine the five nominees for the award.[1] Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Lebanon for review by the Academy for the award by year and the respective Academy Awards ceremony.
| Year (Ceremony) | Film title used in nomination | French & Arabic titles | Director | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 (51st) |
Promise of Love | Promesse d'amour Սիրո Խոստումը [2] |
Mouradian, SarkySarky Mouradian | Not Nominated |
| 1998 (71st) |
West Beirut | West Beyrouth بيروت الغربية |
Doueiri, ZiadZiad Doueiri | Not Nominated |
| 1999 (72nd) |
Around the Pink House | Autour de la maison rose البيت الزهري |
Hadjithomas, JoanaJoana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige |
Not Nominated |
| 2002 (75th) |
When Maryam Spoke Out | Quand Mariam s’est dévoilée لمّا حكيت مريم |
Fouladkar, AssadAssad Fouladkar | Not Nominated |
| 2003 (76th) |
The Kite | Le cerf-volant طيّارة من ورق |
Sabag, Randa ChahalRanda Chahal Sabag | Not Nominated |
| 2006 (79th) |
Bosta | Bosta بوسطة |
Aractingi, PhilippePhilippe Aractingi | Not Nominated |
| 2007 (80th) |
Caramel | Caramel سكر بنات |
Labaki, NadineNadine Labaki | Not Nominated |
| 2008 (81st) |
Under the Bombs | Sous les bombes تحت القصف |
Aractingi, PhilippePhilippe Aractingi | Not Nominated |
| 2011 (84th) |
Where Do We Go Now?[3] | Where Do We Go Now? و هلّق لوين |
Labaki, NadineNadine Labaki | Not Nominated |
| 2013 (86th) |
Blind Intersections[4] | قصة ثواني | Saba, LaraLara Saba | Not Nominated |
| 2014 (87th) |
Ghadi[5] | غدي | Dora, AminAmin Dora | Not Nominated |
| 2015 (88th) |
Void[6] | وينن | Tarek Korkomaz, Zeina Makki, Jad Beyrouthy, Christelle Ighniades, Salim Habr, Maria Abdel Karim, Naji Bechara | Not Nominated |
| 2016 (89th) |
Very Big Shot[7] | فيلم كتير كبير | Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya | TBD |
Lebanon's submitted for the first time with Promise of Love, a US co-production in Armenian. Twenty years later, Lebanon began submitting Arabic language films on a regular basis, many of which also featured French.
Recent Lebanese history, particularly the country's wars and ethnic divisions, has been featured prominently in their national submissions. West Beyrouth is about friendship between Muslim and Christian teenagers during the 1975 Civil War, while Autour de la Maison Rouge deals with a community re-building itself afterwards. Under the Bombs takes place amidst the rubble of Lebanon's brief 2006 war with Israel while The Kite focuses on a once tight-knit community, split in two by the current Lebanese-Israeli border. Caramel, a comedy-drama about a women's beauty salon, and Bosta, a musical about a modern-day troupe of travelling musicians, were major box-office hits at home about close friends from different religious backgrounds. When Maryam Spoke Out did not fit the above profile, and instead featured a loving couple whose marriage is threatened by the wife's infertility.
Caramel, the first Lebanese film to get a major theatrical release in the United States, was often cited as a dark horse favorite for a nomination, but did not make it to the next stage.
See also
- List of Academy Award winners and nominees for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Academy Award-winning foreign language films
References
- 1 2 "Rule Thirteen: Special Rules for the Foreign Language Film Award". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
- ↑ Armenian language
- ↑ "63 Countries Vie for 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ↑ "Lebanese Filmmaker, Between Beirut and the Oscars". al-Monitor. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ↑ "Araiji nomme "Ghadi" pour représenter le Liban aux Oscars 2014". Lebanese Ministry of Information. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ↑ "Georges Khabbaz' new film 'Waynon' to represent Lebanon at the Oscars". Entertainment. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ↑ Salazar, Francisco (20 September 2016). "Oscar 2017 Predictions: Lebanon selects TIFF film 'Very Big Shot'". Latin Post. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
