63 countries will have films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards. The films are nominated by their home countries in an often contentious process that often rewards smaller films to the expense of films by more recognizable international names. This year, such world cinema auteurs as Pedro Almodovar and the Dardenne Brothers are not on the list but Aki Kurismaki, Nikita Mikalkov, Wim Wenders, Zhang Yimou, Otar Iosellani, Bela Tarr and Joseph Cedar are. The list will be pared down to 5 nominated films when the nominations are announced in late January 2012. The contenders by country of origin include:
- Albania: The Forgiveness of Blood (dir. Joshua Marston)
- Argentina: Aballay (dir. Fernando Spiner)
- Austria: Breathing (dir. Karl Markovics)
- Belgium: Bullhead (dir. Michael R. Roskam)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Belvedere (dir. Ahmed Imamovic)
- Brazil: Tropa de Elite 2 (dir. Jose Padilha)
- Bulgaria: Tilt (dir. Viktor Chouchkov)
- Canada: Monsieur Lazhar (dir. Philippe Falardeau)
- Chile: Violeta (dir. Andres Wood)
- China: The War of Flowers (dir. Zhang Yimou)
- Colombia, The Colors of the Mountain (dir. Carlos Cesar Arbelaez)
- Croatia, 72 Days (dir. Danilo Serbedzija)
- Cuba, Habanastation (dir. Ian Padron)
- Czech Republic, Alois Nebel (dir. Tomas Lunak)
- Denmark, SuperClasico (dir. Ole Christian Madsen)
- Dominican Republic, Love Child (dir. Leticia Tonos)
- Egypt, Lust (dir. Khalid Al-Haggar)
- Finland, Le Havre (dir. Aki Kaurismaki)
- France, Declaration of War (dir. Valerie Donzelli)
- Georgia, Chantrapas (dir. Otar Iosseliani)
- Germany, Pina (dir. Wim Wenders)
- Greece, Attenberg (dir. Athena Rachel Tsagkari)
- Hong Kong, A Simple Life (dir. Ann Hui)
- Hungary, The Turin Horse (dir. Bela Tarr)
- Iceland, Volcano (dir. Runar Runarsson)
- India, Adaminte Makan Abu (dir. Salim Ahamed)
- Indonesia, Under the Protection of Ka’Bah (dir. Hanny R. Saputra)
- Iran, Nader and Simin, A Separation (dir. Asghar Farhadi)
- Ireland, As If I Am Not There (dir. )
- Israel, Footnote (dir. Joseph Cedar)
- Italy, Terraferma (dir. Emanuele Crialese)
- Japan, Postcard (dir. Kaneto Shind0)
- Kazakhstan, Returning to the ‘A’ (dir. Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky)
- Lebanon, Where Do We Go Now? (dir. Nadine Labaki)
- Lithuania, Back to Your Arms (dir. Kristijonas Vildzicnas)
- Macedonia, Punk’s Not Dead (dir. Vladimir Blazevski)
- Mexico, Miss Bala (dir. Gerardo Naranjo)
- Morocco, Omar Killed Me (dir. Roschdy Zem)
- Netherlands, Sonny Boy (dir. Maria Peters)
- New Zealand, The Orator (dir. Tusi Tamasese)
- Norway, Happy, Happy (dir. Anne Sewitsky)
- Peru, October (dir. Daniel Vega Vidal)
- Philippines, The Woman in the Septic Tank (dir. Marlon Rivera)
- Poland, In Darkness (dir. Agnieszka Holland)
- Portugal, Jose and Pilar (dir. Miguel Gonçalves Mendes)
- Romania, Morgen (dir. Marian Crisan)
- Russia, Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel (dir. Nikita Mikhalkov)
- Serbia, Montevideo, God Bless You! (dir. Dragan Bjelogrlic)
- Singapore, Tatsumi (dir. Eric Khoo)
- Slovakia, Gypsy (dir. Martin Sulik)
- Slovenia, Silent Sonata (dir. Janez Burger)
- South Africa, Beauty (dir. Oliver Hermanus)
- South Korea, The Front Line (dir. Jang Hun)
- Spain, Black Bread (dir. Agusti Villaronga)
- Sweden, Beyond (dir. Pernilla August)
- Switzerland, Summer Games (dir. Rolando Colla)
- Taiwan, Seediq Bale (dir. Wei Te-Sheng)
- Thailand, Kon Khon (dir. Sarunyu Wongkrachang)
- Turkey, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
- United Kingdom, Patagonia (dir. Marc Evans)
- Uruguay, The Silent House (dir. Gustavo Hernandez)
- Venezuela, The Rumble of the Stones (dir. Alejandro Bellame)
- Vietnam, Thang Long Aspiration (dir. Luu Trong Ninh)
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