Countries are finalising their submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film ahead of the 1 October deadline, with the Oscars shortlist of 15 films due to be revealed on 15 December and nominations following on 21 January. Several notable entries have already emerged, including Romania's Palme d'Or winner "Fjord" from Cristian Mungiu, Chile's Cannes-selected "The Meltdown" from Manuela Martelli, and Japan's "All of a Sudden" from Hamaguchi Ryusuke, who previously won the category with "Drive My Car". A new Academy rule now also allows any film that wins the top prize at one of six major festivals — Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan and Toronto — to enter the race even without backing from a national selection committee.

Romania's "Fjord" stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve and swept multiple prizes at Cannes, including the Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize and Ecumenical Jury Prize. Ireland has chosen the Irish-language heist thriller "Aontas" from director Damian McCann, selected by a committee including Lee Cronin and Lisa McGee, while Chile's "The Meltdown" marks Martelli's follow-up to "Chile, 1976". Japan's "All of a Sudden", a France-Japan co-production shot largely in Paris, gives Hamaguchi his second turn representing the country, five years after "Drive My Car" earned Oscar nominations for best picture, director and adapted screenplay. France has yet to submit an entry despite having several contenders to choose from.