'Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film' is given to a feature-length motion picture, produced outside the United States of America, mainly with a non-English dialogue track. In the initial days of the Academy Awards function, there was no separate category of award for foreign language films.
Between 1947 and 1955, the Academy presented only a Special/Honorary Award to the best foreign language film released in the United States. The award was not given on a regular basis (no award was given in 1953). The selection was a simple procedure and the element of competition was not much prevalent.
There were no nominees in the category, simply one winning film per year. However, it was from 1956 (29th Academy Awards) that a competitive award, known as the Best Foreign Language Film Award, was created for non-English speaking films. Since then, it has been awarded annually. Read on to explore a list of films winning 'Academy Award For Best Foreign Language Film'.
Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film
|
Year
|
Winner (Film Title Used In Nomination)
|
Original Title
|
Submitting Country
|
Directors
|
Languages
|
|
2009
|
Departures
|
|
Japan
|
Yojiro Takita
|
Japanese
|
|
2008
|
The Counterfeiters
|
Die Fälscher
|
Austria
|
Stefan Ruzowitzky
|
German
|
|
2007
|
The Lives of Others
|
Das Leben der Anderen
|
Germany
|
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
|
German
|
|
2006
|
Tsotsi
|
Tsotsi
|
South Africa
|
Gavin Hood
|
Tsotsitaal
|
|
2005
|
The Sea Inside
|
Mar adentro
|
Spain
|
Alejandro Amenábar
|
Spanish
|
|
2004
|
The Barbarian Invasions
|
Les Invasions barbares
|
Canada
|
Denys Arcand
|
French
|
|
2003
|
Nowhere in Africa
|
Nirgendwo in Afrika
|
Germany
|
Caroline Link
|
German
|
|
2002
|
No Man's Land
|
Ničija zemlja
|
Bosnia & Herzegovina
|
Danis Tanović
|
Bosnian
|
|
2001
|
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
|
Wòhǔ Cánglóng
|
Taiwan
|
Ang Lee
|
Mandarin
|
|
2000
|
All About My Mother
|
Todo sobre mi madre
|
Spain
|
Pedro Almodóvar
|
Spanish
|
|
1999
|
Life Is Beautiful
|
La vita è bella
|
Italy
|
Roberto Benigni
|
Italian
|
|
1998
|
Character
|
Karakter
|
Netherlands
|
Mike van Diem
|
Dutch
|
|
1997
|
Kolya
|
Kolja
|
Czech Republic
|
Jan Svěrák
|
Czech
|
|
1996
|
Antonia's Line
|
Antonia
|
Netherlands
|
Marleen Gorris
|
Dutch
|
|
1995
|
Burnt by the Sun
|
Utomlyonnye solntsem
Утомлённые солнцем
|
Russia
|
Nikita Mikhalkov
|
Russian
|
|
1994
|
Belle Époque
|
Belle Époque
|
Spain
|
Fernando Trueba
|
Spanish
|
|
1993
|
Indochine
|
Indochine
|
France
|
Régis Wargnier
|
French
|
|
1992
|
Mediterraneo
|
Mediterraneo
|
Italy
|
Gabriele Salvatores
|
Italian
|
|
1991
|
Journey of Hope
|
Reise der Hoffnung
|
Switzerland
|
Xavier Koller
|
German
|