The 97th Academy Awards is taking place on March 2, 2025. Once the shortlist, followed by the nominations for Best International Feature, were announced, the race took its final shape. While the main competitors, I’m Still Here and Emilia Perez grapple for the win, we want to highlight critically acclaimed selections from around the world that, despite their praise, remain lesser known to the general public.
Let’s meet the stories about fight, resilience, family, hope, and, of course, love.
Romania: Three Kilometres to the End of the World by Emanuel Pârvu
Telling a story about the classic clash between traditional family values and a rebellious teenager, Adi, Three Kilometres to the End of the World by Emanuel Pârvu is a powerful coming-of-age drama set in a remote village in the Danube Delta. One night a 17-year-old boy is brutally assaulted in the street for being gay, and it triggers the once quiet village’s façade to fracture and the once-familiar world around him begins to unravel.
Premiering at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024, the film competed for the Palme d’Or and won the Queer Palm.
Critics highlighted Pârvu’s ability to convey emotional weight through negative space, letting silence and framing speak volumes about identity, family, and societal expectations.
Сhile: In Her Place by Maite Alberdi
2nd submission by Maite Alberdi, In Her Place (Spanish: El lugar de la otra) is a gripping historical crime drama based on the true story of Chilean writer María Carolina Geel. She killed her lover at the Crillón Hotel, an act that led to a sensational national-wide trial. The film follows Mercedes, a paralegal assigned to the case, who becomes increasingly consumed by Geel’s story, challenging her perceptions of justice and women’s roles in society.
Premiering in competition at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival, In Her Place is a nuanced exploration of gender, power, and morality. Alberdi’s direction offers a compelling reinterpretation of historical events through a modern lens.
Lebanon: Arzé by Mira Shaib
Arzé follows the journey of a determined single mother who works tirelessly to provide for her son, Kinan, by baking and delivering pies. Hoping to make their work easier, she steals and pawns her sister’s bracelet to afford a scooter. But when the scooter is stolen, Arzé embarks on a search across Beirut, dragging her reluctant son along in a desperate attempt to reclaim it.
The film was originally set to premiere in the Official Competition of the 45th Cairo International Film Festival which was canceled. It later made its North American premiere at Tribeca, where its screenings were hosted by the nonprofit film organization The Future of Film is Female.
A movie by a woman about a woman, Arzé hits a nerve. It balanced humor with deeper themes of blame, stereotyping, and tribalism.
Thailand: How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies by Pat Boonnitipat
Though it did make the Oscars shortlist, this heartfelt story deserves an honorary mention for the love it received.
Pat Boonnitipat wrote and directed a story of a young man who puts his dream of becoming a game caster on hold to care for his terminally ill grandmother. But there’s a catch: what M is really after is a multimillion-dollar inheritance. Grandma, however, isn’t interested in making things easy for him. She’s demanding, difficult to please, and far from predictable.
To make matters worse, M isn’t the only one in the running. What begins as a calculated pursuit turns into an emotional journey as M navigates the complexities of love, duty, and what truly matters before time runs out.
Both International and domestic audiences loved the film, proving how it hits close to home in a portrayal of intergenerational relationships. It has grossed an estimated $73.8 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Thai film of 2024 and among the top domestic earners of all time. It also shattered records across Asia, selling over 3.5 million tickets in Indonesia alone, surpassing Exhuma (2024) as the country’s most-watched Asian film.
Armenia: Yashan yev Leonid Brezhnevy by Edgar Baghdasaryan
When a hard-working and retired soviet worker Yasha realizes how meager his pension is, he starts talking to the Secretary General of the USSR and hanging out with the top communist figures from all over the world. But the catch is, it all was happening in his head.
Premiering at the 21st Yerevan Golden Apricot International Film Festival on July 10, 2024, Yashan yev Leonid Brezhnevy went on to screen at the Armenian Film Festival in Australia and Los Angeles. In his second submission for the Oscars, Edgar Baghdasaryan brewed a mix of satire and nostalgia, showing a story of a person desperately clinging to the past, straining his relationship with his family, and finally confronting the passage of time and grief that comes with it.
Kazakhstan: Bauryna Salu by Askhat Kuchinchirekov
Kazakhstan has chosen Bauryna Salu to be the entry for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. The movie won Best Film at the county’s Tulpar cinema awards. Filmmaker Askhat Kuchinchirekov’s semi-autobiographical tale focuses on family ties strained by nomadic tradition. The story focuses on a boy Yersultan who was raised by his grandma as a primary caregiver according to “Bauryna Salu”.
Through the eyes of 12-year-old Yersultan, we as viewers experience the emotional depth of this tradition, revealing both its warmth and its challenges, with no explanation necessary. Just like the protagonist, we experience everything for the first time and are free in our judgment.
The Philippines: And So It Begins by Ramona Diaz
Let’s end the list with a documentary for a change of pace.
Known for her incisive storytelling, Diaz once again turns her lens to the political landscape of her homeland, capturing a pivotal moment in the country’s history: the 2022 Philippine presidential election.
As President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial reign nears its end, And So It Begins paints a vibrant portrait of collective resistance, highlighting the joyful defiance of everyday citizens fighting for their nation’s future. Amid the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, their unwavering spirit becomes a hope in the face of oppression.
And So It Begins had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival before screening at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival on August 9, 2024. Despite its impact, the film faced limited theatrical distribution in the Philippines, with major cinema chains declining to screen it. However, its impact was undeniable, sparking vital conversations about the power of civic engagement in the fight for democracy.
Discover Award-Winning Films Beyond the Oscars on UVOtv
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