The next Parasite for Oscars 2021? Asia’s 10 hottest contenders to repeat the hit Korean movie’s success
- Broken Keys from Lebanon is an uplifting human drama, while Leap stars Chinese actress Gong Li in a sporting tale about Olympic glory
- Taiwan’s A Sun has already won five Golden Horse Awards, while True Mothers is a highly relatable tale of adoption from Japanese director Naomi Kawase
While it is unlikely Parasite’s triumph will be repeated any time soon (the academy has a long history of overcorrecting in the wake of progress), 27 Asian submissions are vying for this year’s international feature film Oscar, including movies by internationally recognised filmmakers Naomi Kawase and Peter Chan Ho-sun.
In the past, Asian countries have won the award for best foreign film 12 times, with Japan lifting the Oscar on four occasions.
Last week it was announced that the academy would extend the official shortlist of nominees from 10 films to 15.
Previously, there had been three nominees – all chosen by the academy’s international film executive committee – which often led to eclectic and daring selections. Going forward, all 15 slots will be filled by the main voting body.
Before the academy releases its shortlist on February 9, we’ve picked the 10 Asian submissions we believe have the best chance of keeping the award in Asia when the Oscars are announced on April 25.
