Women Directors Are Reshaping Our Perception of the Arab World

"While its submission process certainly has its faults, the Best International Feature category has only gotten more and more exciting each year in the past decade since the Academy reconfigured its diversity efforts. No longer are films in languages other than English partitioned from consideration in other categories, save for a few outliers. In fact, since 2019 there has been at least one Best International Feature nominee also nominated for Best Picture and/or Best Director."

"Each year, the category gets an average of 90 countries submitting for consideration, leading it toward being a microcosm of the awards race itself, with clusters of submissions fitting into different trends, and the race feeling just as intense and competitive as Best Picture. Ultimately, the conversation surrounding the Best International Feature race this year is whether Neon, responsible for distributing the majority of Cannes competition winners, will be able to earn all five nomination slots."

"Having broadened my horizons to at least watch around 12 or 13 submissions, the amount an Academy member would need to see to opt into preliminary voting for the category, one thing that struck me was some of the amazing, urgent films coming from the Middle East and North Africa were primarily directed by women. In fact, of the eight Best International Feature submissions from Arab countries, six of them were helmed by female directors."

Reconfigured diversity efforts led the Academy to integrate films in languages other than English into other categories, increasing excitement in Best International Feature. Since 2019 at least one International nominee has also received Best Picture or Best Director recognition. The category receives about 90 country submissions annually and functions as a microcosm of the awards race, with clustered trends and competitive intensity comparable to Best Picture. Distributors like Neon shape nomination conversations, though the category extends beyond any single studio or festival. About 12–13 viewings are roughly the threshold to opt into preliminary voting. Six of eight Arab submissions were directed by women, challenging Western stereotypes; media like Sex and the City 2 can reinforce those stereotypes.

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