WARSAW: Here is the list of the titles selected by FNE partner countries as candidates for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. Six of these 17 titles are debut features.

VALLETTA: Carmen directed by Valerie Buhagiar and starring Natascha McElhone, has been selected as Malta’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a Maltese/Canadian coproduction.

TALLINN: Kalev, a biopic about the legendary Estonian basketball team of the nineties and the directorial debut of the renowned music video maker Ove Musting, has been selected as Estonia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category.

SARAJEVO: A Ballade directed by Aida Begić has been selected as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a Bosnian/French coproduction.

SOFIA: The Bulgarian National Film Center has announced Martin Makariev’s period drama In the Heart of the Machine as the country’s new candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) award in the Best International Feature Film category.

SKOPJE: The Happiest Man in the World by Teona Strugar Mitevska has been selected as North Macedonia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a coproduction between North Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Denmark.

SOFIA: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected Zornitsa Sophia’s Bulgarian/German/Croatian coproduction Mother from participating in the race for Best International Feature Film award. The reason for the refusal, stating that the amount of the English dialogue exceeds the allowed 50 percent, was officially communicated to the Bulgarian National Film Center in writing.

VILNIUS: Laurynas Bareiša’s debut feature Pilgrims / Piligrimai has been selected as Lithuania’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category.

BELGRADE: The psychological thriller Darkling directed by Dušan Milić has been selected as Serbia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a Serbian/Danish/Bulgarian/Italian/Greek coproduction.

BUCHAREST: Immaculate / Imaculat, the debut feature by Monica Stan and George Chiper-Lillemark, has been selected as Romania’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category.

TBILISI: A Long Break / Didi Shesveneba by David Pirtskhalava has been selected as Georgia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category.

PODGORICA: Dušan Kasalica’s debut feature The Elegy of Laurel has been selected as Montenegro’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a coproduction between Montenegro and Serbia.

BRATISLAVA: The Slovak/Czech/German coproduction Victim / Obet’ by Michal Blaško has been selected as Slovakia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category

ZAGREB: Safe Place / Sigurno mjesto, the first feature film by Juraj Lerotić, has been selected as Croatia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a Croatian coproduction produced in collaboration with Slovenia.

PRAGUE: The period drama Il Boemo by Petr Václav has been selected by the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) as Czech Republic’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a Czech/Italian/Slovak coproduction.

LJUBLJANA: Orchestra / Orkester by Matevž Luzar has been selected as Slovenia’s candidate for the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a Slovenian/Croatian coproduction.