International Submission List Updates

by Nathaniel R

The submission list for Oscar's Best International Feature Film race is now 80 films long. What films will still pop up that we weren't warned about ahead of time? While the deadline to submit is over, there are usually 5-15 titles that are on the official list that weren't advertised ahead of time. Some countries that almost always submit that we haven't heard a peep about are Algeria, China, Lebanon, and Thailand. Nevertheless since I took a week off to vacation in Italy, seven more films were announced...

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First & Last 041 - Seeing double

Can you guess the movie from its first and last shot? The answer is after the jump...

Yes, yes, dear reader, but... which one?

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First & Last 040

Can you guess the movie from its first and last shot? The answer is after the jump when you scroll down...

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First & Last 039 - He came out swinging

Can you guess the movie from its first shot? Bonus points on this one if you can recite the first line. The last shot and the answer are after the jump...

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Queer Lisboa '23: Sweden's "Opponent" and other festival highlights

by Cláudio Alves

Soon after completing my Toronto Film Festival Coverage, it was time to dive into another fest experience. This turn, it was closer to home, Queer Lisboa being the oldest running film festival in the Portuguese capital, now on its 27th edition. This year, it offered a program rich in stories of marginalized identities and desires, with a particular emphasis on art intent on decolonizing our collective thought and promoting a more progressive view on the labor and lives of sex workers. There was even something for the awards nuts among us – Sweden's official Oscar submission for the 96th Academy Awards, Opponent.

To mark the occasion, let's dive into a selection of titles, starting with that Scandinavian drama, winner of a Jury Special Mention and the Audience Award…

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