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Oscars’ foreign language submissions hit a new record

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A record 92 countries submitted movies for consideration in the foreign-language film category for the 90th Academy Awards, the film academy announced Thursday, blowing past last year’s milestone mark of 85.

Six countries — Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria — are first-time entrants.

Early front-runners include Ruben Ostlund’s provocative Palme d’Or winner “The Square,” as well as “Foxtrot,” a daring look at loss and grief that won raves at the Venice Film Festival, “Loveless,” a stark thriller from “Leviathan” director Andrei Zvyagintsev, “BPM (Beats Per Minute),” a portrait of Parisian AIDS activists, “A Fantastic Woman,” featuring an acclaimed turn by transgender actress Daniela Vega, and “First They Killed My Father,” Angelina Jolie’s adaptation of Cambodian author Loung Ung’s memoir of surviving the deadly Khmer Rouge regime.

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Jolie has held dual U.S./Cambodian nationality since 2005 for her humanitarian work in the country.

“First They Killed My Father” is currently streaming on Netflix. Sporting a $24-million budget, it is the biggest movie ever shot in Cambodia.

Academy members who volunteer to serve on the nominating committee will begin watching the submitted movies next week. The academy will announce a shortlist of nine movies — six based on scores from volunteers and three chosen by an executive committee — in December.

Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 23.

Here’s the complete list of this year’s submissions:

Afghanistan, “A Letter to the President,” Roya Sadat, director

Albania, “Daybreak,” Gentian Koçi, director

Algeria, “Road to Istanbul,” Rachid Bouchareb, director

Argentina, “Zama,” Lucrecia Martel, director

Armenia, “Yeva,” Anahit Abad, director

Australia, “The Space Between,” Ruth Borgobello, director

Austria, “Happy End,” Michael Haneke, director

Azerbaijan, “Pomegranate Orchard,” Ilgar Najaf, director

Bangladesh, “The Cage,” Akram Khan, director

Belgium, “Racer and the Jailbird,” Michaël R. Roskam, director

Bolivia, “Dark Skull,” Kiro Russo, director

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Men Don’t Cry,” Alen Drljević, director

Brazil, “Bingo - The King of the Mornings,” Daniel Rezende, director

Bulgaria, “Glory,” Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva, directors

Cambodia, “First They Killed My Father,” Angelina Jolie, director

Canada, “Hochelaga, Land of Souls,” François Girard, director

Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director

China, “Wolf Warrior 2,” Wu Jing, director

Colombia, “Guilty Men,” Iván D. Gaona, director

Costa Rica, “The Sound of Things,” Ariel Escalante, director

Croatia, “Quit Staring at My Plate,” Hana Jušić, director

Czech Republic, “Ice Mother,” Bohdan Sláma, director

Denmark, “You Disappear,” Peter Schønau Fog, director

Dominican Republic, “Woodpeckers,” Jose Maria Cabral, director

Ecuador, “Alba,” Ana Cristina Barragán, director

Egypt, “Sheikh Jackson,” Amr Salama, director

Estonia, “November,” Rainer Sarnet, director

Finland, “Tom of Finland,” Dome Karukoski, director

France, “BPM (Beats Per Minute),” Robin Campillo, director

Georgia, “Scary Mother,” Ana Urushadze, director

Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director

Greece, “Amerika Square,” Yannis Sakaridis, director

Haiti, “Ayiti Mon Amour,” Guetty Felin, director

Honduras, “Morazán,” Hispano Durón, director

Hong Kong, “Mad World,” Wong Chun, director

Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director

Iceland, “Under the Tree,” Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, director

India, “Newton,” Amit V Masurkar, director

Indonesia, “Turah,” Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo, director

Iran, “Breath,” Narges Abyar, director

Iraq, “Reseba - The Dark Wind,” Hussein Hassan, director

Ireland, “Song of Granite,” Pat Collins, director

Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director

Italy, “A Ciambra,” Jonas Carpignano, director

Japan, “Her Love Boils Bathwater,” Ryota Nakano, director

Kazakhstan, “The Road to Mother,” Akhan Satayev, director

Kenya, “Kati Kati,” Mbithi Masya, director

Kosovo, “Unwanted,” Edon Rizvanolli, director

Kyrgyzstan, “Centaur,” Aktan Arym Kubat, director

Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Dearest Sister,” Mattie Do, director

Latvia, “The Chronicles of Melanie,” Viestur Kairish, director

Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director

Lithuania, “Frost,” Sharunas Bartas, director

Luxembourg, “Barrage,” Laura Schroeder, director

Mexico, “Tempestad,” Tatiana Huezo, director

Mongolia, “The Children of Genghis,” Zolbayar Dorj, director

Morocco, “Razzia,” Nabil Ayouch, director

Mozambique, “The Train of Salt and Sugar,” Licinio Azevedo, director

Nepal, “White Sun,” Deepak Rauniyar, director

Netherlands, “Layla M.,” Mijke de Jong, director

New Zealand, “One Thousand Ropes,” Tusi Tamasese, director

Norway, “Thelma,” Joachim Trier, director

Pakistan, “Saawan,” Farhan Alam, director

Palestine, “Wajib,” Annemarie Jacir, director

Panama, “Beyond Brotherhood,” Arianne Benedetti, director

Paraguay, “Los Buscadores,” Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schembori, directors

Peru, “Rosa Chumbe,” Jonatan Relayze, director

Philippines, “Birdshot,” Mikhail Red, director

Poland, “Spoor,” Agnieszka Holland, Kasia Adamik, directors

Portugal, “Saint George,” Marco Martins, director

Romania, “Fixeur,” Adrian Sitaru, director

Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director

Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director

Serbia, “Requiem for Mrs. J.,” Bojan Vuletic, director

Singapore, “Pop Aye,” Kirsten Tan, director

Slovakia, “The Line,” Peter Bebjak, director

Slovenia, “The Miner,” Hanna A. W. Slak, director

South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director

South Korea, “A Taxi Driver,” Jang Hoon, director

Spain, “Summer 1993,” Carla Simón, director

Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director

Switzerland, “The Divine Order,” Petra Volpe, director

Syria, “Little Gandhi,” Sam Kadi, director

Taiwan, “Small Talk,” Hui-Chen Huang, director

Thailand, “By the Time It Gets Dark,” Anocha Suwichakornpong, director

Tunisia, “The Last of Us,” Ala Eddine Slim, director

Turkey, “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” Can Ulkay, director

Ukraine, “Black Level,” Valentyn Vasyanovych, director

United Kingdom, “My Pure Land,” Sarmad Masud, director

Uruguay, “Another Story of the World,” Guillermo Casanova, director

Venezuela, “El Inca,” Ignacio Castillo Cottin, director

Vietnam, “Father and Son,” Luong Dinh Dung, director

glenn.whipp@latimes.com

Twitter: @glennwhipp

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