The United Kingdom has submitted films for consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film [nb 1] irregularly since 1991. 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. [3] The UK has one of the world's most visible film industries and British films, as well as British actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes crew members have been prominently featured amongst Oscar nominees since the 1930s. Most British features are not eligible for the Best Foreign Language Film, because they are produced in English.
The British nominee is selected by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). [4]
As of 2024 [update] , the United Kingdom has submitted twenty films for Oscar consideration, with three of them getting Oscar nominations: The Zone of Interest became the first British co-production film to earn a nomination for Best International Feature Film and Best Picture simultaneously, winning the former as the first film to win in that category. [5]
Half of these films were made by directors from or based in Wales, and were partially or completely filmed in the Welsh language.
Other films have been in languages spoken in the UK's ethnic minority communities. As yet, there have been no submissions in Scots, Angloromani, Cornish or Scottish Gaelic, and one film (Branwen) that was partially in Irish. The 2007 film Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle (Scottish Gaelic) was promoted by campaigners but was not submitted to the Academy. [6] [7]
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. [8] 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. [3] Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by the United Kingdom for review by the Academy for the award by year and the respective Academy Awards ceremony.
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.