# List of Philippine submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

The Philippines has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since the inception of the category in 1956, when it became the first independent nation in Southeast Asia to join the competition.
The award is given annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. The "Best Foreign Language Film" category was not created until 1956; however, between 1947 and 1955, the Academy presented a non-competitive Honorary Award for the best foreign language films released in the United States with 1950 biopic Genghis Khan was the only film to be submitted.

## History

The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) appoints a committee to choose one film among those released that year to be submitted as the Philippines's official entry to the Academy for a nomination for "Best International Feature Film" the following year. The chosen films, along with their English subtitles, are sent to the Academy, where they are screened for the jury. The 1950 biopic Genghis Khan was the first and only Philippine film submitted for consideration for the Honorary Foreign Language Film award, the precursor to the current category, but no award was given to the film or any non-English language films at this feat. From 1956 until the establishment of the FAP in 1981, only four films were submitted for consideration: Child of Sorrow (1956), The Moises Padilla Story (1961), Because of a Flower (1967), and Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976). After the FAP was founded, the Philippines submitted Of the Flesh in 1984 and This Is My Country in 1985, but made no further submissions until 1995's Harvest Home. Since then, the FAP has submitted a film in most years. No film was submitted in 2005; Leo Martinez, the director general of the FAP, revealed that the organization had not received an invitation from the Academy. In 2021, the FAP controversially chose not to send an entry as they lacked government funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines has made 34 cumulative submissions to the category, but none have been nominated for an Oscar, the latest being the 2024 submission And So It Begins.
Filmmakers Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Gil Portes have each represented the Philippines three times in this category, the most for any director, and including two consecutive films each: Diaz Abaya in 1997 and 1998, and Portes in 2001 and 2002. Brillante Mendoza, a recipient of the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director, directed the 2016 and 2020 submissions. Three films starring John Arcilla have been submitted by the Philippines. Joel Torre has co-starred in three films that were entries in 1984, 1985, and 2000. Two of Judy Ann Santos's films, including Ploning (2008), which she produced and starred in, have been submitted. Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Phillip Salvador, Vilma Santos, and Jomari Yllana have each represented the Philippines twice as actors in the category.
Carl Joseph Papa's The Missing and Ramona S. Diaz's And So It Begins marked the first animated and documentary films, respectively, to be submitted as the Philippine entry in two consecutive years.

## Submissions

List of films, with the English and original titles, directors, and submission results :
| Year (Ceremony) | Film title used in nomination | Original title | Director | Result |
| 1953 (26th) | Genghis Khan | Genghis Khan | Manuel Conde | Not nominated |
| 1956 (29th) | Child of Sorrow | Anak Dalita | Lamberto V. Avellana | Not nominated |
| 1961 (34th) | The Moises Padilla Story | The Moises Padilla Story | Gerardo de León | Not nominated |
| 1967 (40th) | Because of a Flower | Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak | Luis Nepomuceno | Not nominated |
| 1976 (49th) | This Is How We Were Before... How Are You Doing Now? | Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon? | Eddie Romero | Not nominated |
| 1984 (57th) | Of the Flesh | Karnal | Marilou Diaz-Abaya | Not nominated |
| 1985 (58th) | This Is My Country | Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim | Lino Brocka | Not nominated |
| 1995 (68th) | Harvest Home | Inagaw Mo ang Lahat sa Akin | Carlos Siguion-Reyna | Not nominated |
| 1996 (69th) | Dead Sure | Segurista | Tikoy Aguiluz | Not nominated |
| 1997 (70th) | Miracles | Milagros | Marilou Diaz-Abaya | Not nominated |
| 1998 (71st) | In the Navel of the Sea | Sa Pusod ng Dagat | Marilou Diaz-Abaya | Not nominated |
| 1999 (72nd) | The Kite | Saranggola | Gil Portes | Not nominated |
| 2000 (73rd) | Anak | The Child | Rory Quintos | Not nominated |
| 2001 (74th) | In the Bosom of the Enemy | Gatas... Sa Dibdib ng Kaaway | Gil Portes | Not nominated |
| 2002 (75th) | Small Voices | Mga Munting Tinig | Gil Portes | Not nominated |
| 2003 (76th) | The '70s | Dekada '70 | Chito S. Roño | Not nominated |
| 2004 (77th) | Crying Ladies | Crying Ladies | Mark Meily | Not nominated |
| 2006 (79th) | The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros | Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros | Auraeus Solito | Not nominated |
| 2007 (80th) | Donsol | Donsol | Adolfo Alix, Jr. | Not nominated |
| 2008 (81st) | Ploning | Ploning | Dante Nico Garcia | Not nominated |
| 2009 (82nd) | Grandpa Is Dead | Ded na si Lolo | Soxie Topacio | Not nominated |
| 2010 (83rd) | Noy | Noy | Dondon Santos | Not nominated |
| 2011 (84th) | The Woman in the Septic Tank | Ang Babae sa Septic Tank | Marlon Rivera | Not nominated |
| 2012 (85th) | Bwakaw | Bwakaw | Jun Lana | Not nominated |
| 2013 (86th) | Transit | Transit | Hannah Espia | Not nominated |
| 2014 (87th) | Norte, the End of History | Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan | Lav Diaz | Not nominated |
| 2015 (88th) | Heneral Luna | Heneral Luna | Jerrold Tarog | Not nominated |
| 2016 (89th) | Ma' Rosa | Ma' Rosa | Brillante Mendoza | Not nominated |
| 2017 (90th) | Birdshot | Birdshot | Mikhail Red | Not nominated |
| 2018 (91st) | Signal Rock | Signal Rock | Chito S. Roño | Not nominated |
| 2019 (92nd) | Verdict | Verdict | Raymund Ribay Gutierrez | Not nominated |
| 2020 (93rd) | Mindanao | Mindanao | Brillante Mendoza | Not nominated |
| 2022 (95th) | On the Job: The Missing 8 | On the Job: The Missing 8 | Erik Matti | Not nominated |
| 2023 (96th) | The Missing | Iti Mapukpukaw | Carl Joseph Papa | Not nominated |
| 2024 (97th) | And So It Begins | And So It Begins | Ramona S. Diaz | Not nominated |