Walter Salles '
Central do Brasil was the last Brazilian film nominated in 1999 in this category.
Brazil has submitted films for the
Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
[nb 1] since 1960. The award is handed out annually by the
United States -based
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a
feature length motion picture produced outside the U.S. that contains primarily non-
English language dialogue.
[3] It was not created until the
1956 Academy Awards , in which a competitive Academy Award of Merit was created for non-English speaking films, and has been given annually since.
[4]
As of 2023, 52 Brazilian films have been submitted for the award. Four of these submissions resulted in nominations for the Best Foreign Language Film category, but none of them won.
Black Orpheus , a
Portuguese language film shot in Brazil by
French director
Marcel Camus , won the award at the
1959 ceremony , but it was submitted by the French government and thus France was credited as the recipient country of the award.
Statistics
Films directed by
Carlos Diegues (also known as Cacá Diegues) have been chosen to represent Brazil at the Academy Awards seven times, more than any other director. He is followed by
Nelson Pereira dos Santos , which had four of his films selected. None of their films, however, managed to achieve an Oscar nomination.
Three films by
Bruno Barreto were submitted, although his biggest success,
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands , the second highest-grossing film in the history of Brazilian cinema, was not chosen.
Four Days in September (1997) got nominated in 1998.
Suzana Amaral 's
Hour of the Star (1987) became the first film directed by a woman to be submitted, only twenty-nine years later another film directed by a female filmmaker was selected to be submitted as the Brazilian's entry,
Anna Muylaert 's
The Second Mother (2015), with
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die (2019), by
Bárbara Paz , being the last.
Brazilian last nomination in the category was
Central Station (1998), at the
71st Academy Awards , with
Fernanda Montenegro being nominated in the
Best Actress category that night. Even though
City of God was selected as the Brazilian submission for the
75th Academy Awards , the film was famously snubbed, and subsequently nominated in the following ceremony, the
76th Academy Awards , for the
Best Director ,
Best Adapted Screenplay ,
Best Cinematography and
Best Film Editing , categories.
Submissions
Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by the Brazilian government for Academy Award consideration. The Brazilian nominee is selected annually by a committee assembled by the
Ministry of Culture (formerly the Ministry of Education and Culture).
Year(Ceremony)
Film title used in nomination
Original title
Language(s)
Director(s)
Result
1960
(33rd)
Death Commands Brigandage
A Morte Comanda o Cangaço
Portuguese
Carlos Coimbra , Walter Guimarães Motta
Not nominated
1962
(34th)
Keeper of Promises
[a]
O Pagador de Promessas
Anselmo Duarte
Nominated
[5]
1964
(37th)
Black God, White Devil
Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol
Glauber Rocha
Not nominated
1965
(38th)
São Paulo, Incorporated
São Paulo, Sociedade Anônima
Luis Sérgio Person
Not nominated
1967
(40th)
Case of the Naves Brothers
O Caso dos Irmãos Naves
Not nominated
1968
(41st)
The Amorous Ones
As Amorosas
Walter Hugo Khouri
Not nominated
1969
(42nd)
Antonio das Mortes
O Dragão da Maldade contra o Santo Guerreiro
Glauber Rocha
Not nominated
1970
(43rd)
Mortal Sin
Pecado Mortal
Miguel Faria Jr.
Not nominated
1971
(44th)
Pra Quem Fica, Tchau
Reginaldo Faria
Not nominated
1972
(45th)
How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman
Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês
Portuguese ,
French ,
Tupi
Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Not nominated
1973
(46th)
João and the Knife
A Faca e o Rio
Portuguese
George Sluizer
Not nominated
1974
(47th)
The Scarecrow's Night
A Noite do Espantalho
Sérgio Ricardo
Not nominated
1975
(48th)
The Amulet of Ogum
O Amuleto de Ogum
Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Not nominated
1976
(49th)
Xica
Xica da Silva
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
1977
(50th)
Tent of Miracles
Tenda dos Milagres
Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Not nominated
1978
(51st)
The Lyre of Delight
A Lira do Delírio
Walter Lima Jr.
Not nominated
1980
(53rd)
Bye Bye Brazil
Bye Bye Brasil
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
1981
(54th)
Pixote
Pixote, a Lei do Mais Fraco
Héctor Babenco
Disqualified
[6]
1984
(57th)
Memoirs of Prison
Memórias do Cárcere
Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Not nominated
1986
(59th)
Hour of the Star
A Hora da Estrela
Suzana Amaral
Not nominated
1987
(60th)
Subway to the Stars
Um Trem para as Estrelas
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
1988
(61st)
The Story of Fausta
Romance da Empregada
Bruno Barreto
Not nominated
1989
(62nd)
Better Days Ahead
Dias Melhores Virão
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
1991
(64th)
Exposure
[7]
A Grande Arte
Portuguese,
English ,
Spanish
Walter Salles
Not nominated
1995
(68th)
O Quatrilho
Portuguese
Fábio Barreto
Nominated
[8]
1996
(69th)
Tieta of Agreste
Tieta do Agreste
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
1997
(70th)
Four Days in September
O Que É Isso, Companheiro?
Bruno Barreto
Nominated
[9]
1998
(71st)
Central Station
[b]
Central do Brasil
Walter Salles
Nominated
[10]
1999
(72nd)
Orfeu
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
2000
(73rd)
Me, You, Them
Eu, Tu, Eles
Andrucha Waddington
Not nominated
2001
(74th)
Behind the Sun
Abril Despedaçado
Walter Salles
Not nominated
2002
(75th)
City of God
[c]
Cidade de Deus
Fernando Meirelles
Not nominated
2003
(76th)
Carandiru
Héctor Babenco
Not nominated
2004
(77th)
Olga
Jayme Monjardim
Not nominated
2005
(78th)
Two Sons of Francisco
Dois Filhos de Francisco
Breno Silveira
Not nominated
2006
(79th)
Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures
Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus
German , Portuguese
Marcelo Gomes
Not nominated
2007
(80th)
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias
Portuguese,
Yiddish ,
Hebrew
Cao Hamburger
Made shortlist
[11]
2008
(81st)
Last Stop 174
Última Parada 174
Portuguese
Bruno Barreto
Not nominated
2009
(82nd)
Time of Fear
Salve Geral
Sérgio Rezende
Not nominated
2010
(83rd)
Lula, Son of Brazil
[12]
Lula, o Filho do Brasil
Fábio Barreto
Not nominated
2011
(84th)
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
[13]
Tropa de Elite 2: o Inimigo Agora É Outro
José Padilha
Not nominated
2012
(85th)
The Clown
[14]
O Palhaço
Selton Mello
Not nominated
2013
(86th)
Neighbouring Sounds
[15]
O Som ao Redor
Kleber Mendonça Filho
Not nominated
2014
(87th)
The Way He Looks
[16]
Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho
Daniel Ribeiro
Not nominated
2015
(88th)
The Second Mother
[17]
Que Horas Ela Volta?
Anna Muylaert
Not nominated
2016
(89th)
Little Secret
[18]
[19]
Pequeno Segredo
Portuguese, English
David Schurmann
Not nominated
2017
(90th)
Bingo: The King of the Mornings
[20]
Bingo: O Rei das Manhãs
Portuguese
Daniel Rezende
Not nominated
2018
(91st)
The Great Mystical Circus
[21]
O Grande Circo Místico
Carlos Diegues
Not nominated
2019
(92nd)
The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão
[22]
A Vida Invisível de Eurídice Gusmão
Karim Aïnouz
Not nominated
2020
(93rd)
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die
[23]
Babenco: Alguém Tem que Ouvir o Coração e Dizer Parou
Bárbara Paz
Not nominated
2021
(94th)
Private Desert
[24]
Deserto Particular
Aly Muritiba
Not nominated
2022
(95th)
Mars One
[25]
Marte Um
Gabriel Martins
Not nominated
2023
(96th)
Pictures of Ghosts
[26]
Retratos Fantasmas
Kleber Mendonça Filho
Not nominated
See also
Notes
^ a: Also known as The Given Word and The Promise in the English-speaking market.
^ b: Central do Brasil was also nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress . The film's lead actress,
Fernanda Montenegro , holds the title as the only Brazilian nominated to an acting category.
[27]
^ c: Cidade de Deus was submitted for the
75th Academy Awards , but it was not nominated for the Best Foreign Language award. The film, however, was eventually nominated for four awards—
Best Director ,
Best Cinematography ,
Best Adapted Screenplay and
Best Film Editing —at the
following year . It shares the title with
Kiss of the Spider Woman as the Brazilian film with the highest number of nominations. All of Cidade de Deus' nominees were Brazilians, while
Hector Babenco was the only Brazilian nominee for Kiss of the Spider Woman , an American co-production.
[27]
^ The category was previously named the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but this was changed to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in April 2019, after the Academy deemed the word "Foreign" to be outdated.
[1]
[2]
References
^
"Academy announces rules for 92nd Oscars" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 23 April 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019 .
^
"Academy Announces Rule Changes For 92nd Oscars" . Forbes . Retrieved 12 July 2019 .
^
"Rule Thirteen: Special Rules for the Foreign Language Film Award" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences .
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Archived from
the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013 .
^
"History of the Academy Awards – Page 2" .
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Archived from
the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008 .
^
"The 34th Academy Awards (1963) Nominees and Winners" .
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 8 June 2019 .
^ Harmetz, Aljean (21 February 1989).
"Nomination Intricacies For Foreign-Film Oscar" . The New York Times .
Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017 .
^ Mendes, Letícia (10 September 2015).
"Anna Muylaert é a 1ª mulher em 30 anos a representar o Brasil no Oscar" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 20 August 2017 .
^
"The 68th Academy Awards (1996) Nominees and Winners" .
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 8 June 2019 .
^
"The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners" .
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 8 June 2019 .
^
"The 71st Academy Awards (1999) Nominees and Winners" .
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 8 June 2019 .
^
" 'Eklavya' misses out on Oscar glory" .
Reuters . 16 January 2008.
Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019 .
^
" "Lula, O Filho do Brasil" vai representar o Brasil no Oscar 2011" . ultimosegundo . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^
"63 Countries Vie for 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar" . oscars.org . Archived from
the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011 .
^ Cajueiro, Marcelo (21 September 2012).
"Brazil sends in 'Clown' to entertain Oscar" . Variety . Reed Business Information. Retrieved 20 September 2012 .
^
"Brazil picks "O Som Ao Redor" as Oscars entry" . Global Post . Retrieved 21 September 2013 .
^
"Oscars: Brazil Selects 'The Way He Looks' for Foreign-Language Category" . The Hollywood Reporter . 18 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014 .
^
"Brazil Names Foreign Oscar Submission" . IndieWire . 10 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015 .
^ Giannini, Alessandro (12 September 2016).
" 'Pequeno segredo' é o selecionado brasileiro para disputar uma vaga no Oscar(Portuguese)" .
O Globo .
Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2016 .
^ Ortega, Rodrigo (12 September 2016).
"Brasil indica 'Pequeno segredo' para tentar Oscar; 'Aquarius' fica de fora" . G1 . Retrieved 12 September 2016 .
^ Mango, Agustin (19 September 2017).
"Oscars: Brazil Selects 'Bingo – The King of the Mornings' for Foreign-Language Category" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 19 September 2017 .
^ Mango, Agustin (18 September 2018).
"Oscars: Brazil Selects 'The Great Mystical Circus' for Foreign-Language Category" .
The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 18 September 2018 .
^ Mango, Agustin (27 August 2019).
"Oscars: Brazil Selects 'The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao' for International Feature Category" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 28 August 2019 .
^
"Filme de Bárbara Paz é selecionado para representar o Brasil no Oscar 2021" . Noticias da tv . 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020 .
^
" 'Deserto particular' é indicado pelo Brasil para disputar vaga no Oscar 2022 ('Private Desert' is nominated by Brazil to compete for the Oscar 2022)" . 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021 .
^
" 'Marte Um' é indicado pelo Brasil para disputar vaga no Oscar 2023 ('Mars One' is nominated by Brazil to compete for the Oscar 2023)" . 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022 .
^
"Oscars 2024: Indonesia submits 'Autobiography', Brazil enters 'Picture Of Ghosts' " . 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023 .
^
a
b
"Academy Awards Database – List of films nominated for the Academy Awards whose country of origin is Brazil" . Archived from
the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2009 .