Andrey Zvyagintsev's Cannes Grand Prix winner "Minotaur" is being widely tipped as a strong contender for the Academy Awards' Best International Film category, though which country will submit it remains unsettled. The Russian-language drama appeared "provisionally" on Germany's eleven-film longlist this week, reflecting the fact that it could equally be entered by France, with a final decision from Paris expected towards the end of September. The outcome matters because Zvyagintsev, now in exile and whose film is seen as a veiled critique of the Russian regime, cannot submit under the Russian flag as he did for his two previous Oscar nominations.

"Minotaur" is a French-German-Latvian co-production, but France is considered the primary backer, with Paris-based MK2 and CG Cinema involved and Arte France among the financiers; Latvia, despite hosting the entire shoot, is thought unlikely to put the film forward. To secure the French nomination, "Minotaur" will need to beat rivals including Emmanuel Marre's "A Man of His Time" and "De Gaulle: Résistance", in a French field considered weaker than in recent years. Germany, meanwhile, has strong alternatives such as İlker Çatak's Berlin Golden Bear winner "Yellow Letters", while other wildcards include Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All Of A Sudden" (eligible for Japan or France) and the Netflix acquisition "Gentle Monster", as the notoriously political French selection process plays out.