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

Spain has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since the conception of the award. The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. The award was created for the 1956 Academy Awards, succeeding the non-competitive Honorary Academy Awards which were presented between 1947 and 1955 to the best foreign language films released in the United States.
As of 2023, twenty-one Spanish films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, four of which have won the award: Begin the Beguine in 1982, Belle Époque in 1993, All About My Mother in 1999 and The Sea Inside in 2004. Among all countries that have submitted films for the award, Spain ranks third in terms of films that have won the award, behind Italy (ten awards) and France (nine awards) and tied with Japan (four awards), and third in terms of nominees, behind France (thirty-four nominations) and Italy (twenty-seven nominations).
Since the 1980s, the Spanish submission has been decided annually by the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (known in English as the Spanish Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences or AACCE). Beginning in 2001, the academy has announced a three-film shortlist before announcing the winning Spanish film.
Film director José Luis Garci has represented Spain six times, achieving four nominations and one win. Pedro Almodóvar has represented Spain seven times, and has achieved three Oscar nominations, including one win. Carlos Saura has represented Spain five times.
All submissions were primarily in Spanish language, with the notable exceptions of That Obscure Object of Desire (French and Spanish), Black Bread (Catalan), Flowers (Basque), Summer 1993 (Catalan) and Alcarràs (Catalan).

## Submissions

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film since 1956. The Foreign Language Film Award Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via secret ballot to determine the five nominees for the award. Before the award was created, the Board of Governors of the academy voted on a film every year that was considered the best foreign language film released in the United States, and there were no submissions. Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Spain for review by the academy for the award since its first entry in 1959.
| Year (Ceremony) | Film title used in nomination | Original title | Director | Result |
| 1956 (29th) | Afternoon of the Bulls | Tarde de toros | Ladislao Vajda | Not nominated |
| 1957 (30th) | High Street | Calle Mayor | Juan Antonio Bardem | Not nominated |
| 1958 (31st) | La Venganza | La Venganza | Juan Antonio Bardem | Nominated |
| 1960 (33rd) | At Five O'Clock in the Afternoon | A las cinco de la tarde | Juan Antonio Bardem | Not nominated |
| 1961 (34th) | Plácido | Plácido | Luis García Berlanga | Nominated |
| 1962 (35th) | Dulcinea | Dulcinea | Vicente Escrivá | Not nominated |
| 1963 (36th) | Los Tarantos | Los Tarantos | Francisco Rovira Beleta | Nominated |
| 1964 (37th) | The Girl in Mourning | La niña de luto | Manuel Summers | Not nominated |
| 1965 (38th) | La Tía Tula | La Tía Tula | Miguel Picazo | Not nominated |
| 1967 (40th) | El amor brujo | El amor brujo | Francisco Rovira Beleta | Nominated |
| 1968 (41st) | Spain Again | España otra vez | Jaime Camino | Not nominated |
| 1969 (42nd) | La Celestina | La Celestina | César Fernández Ardavín | Not nominated |
| 1970 (43rd) | Tristana | Tristana | Luis Buñuel | Nominated |
| 1971 (44th) | Marta | Marta | José Antonio Nieves Conde | Not nominated |
| 1972 (45th) | My Dearest Senorita | Mi querida señorita | Jaime de Armiñán | Nominated |
| 1973 (46th) | Habla, mudita | Habla, mudita | Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón | Not nominated |
| 1974 (47th) | La prima Angélica | La prima Angélica | Carlos Saura | Not nominated |
| 1975 (48th) | Poachers | Furtivos | José Luis Borau | Not nominated |
| 1976 (49th) | Raise Ravens | Cría cuervos | Carlos Saura | Not nominated |
| 1977 (50th) | That Obscure Object of Desire | Cet obscur objet du désir / Ese oscuro objeto del deseo | Luis Buñuel | Nominated |
| 1978 (51st) | Somnambulists | Sonámbulos | Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón | Not nominated |
| 1979 (52nd) | Mama Turns a Hundred | Mamá cumple cien años | Carlos Saura | Nominated |
| 1980 (53rd) | The Nest | El nido | Jaime de Armiñán | Nominated |
| 1981 (54th) | Patrimonio nacional | Patrimonio nacional | Luis García Berlanga | Not nominated |
| 1982 (55th) | Begin the Beguine | Volver a empezar | José Luis Garci | Won Academy Award |
| 1983 (56th) | Carmen | Carmen | Carlos Saura | Nominated |
| 1984 (57th) | Double Feature | Sesión continua | José Luis Garci | Nominated |
| 1985 (58th) | The Witching Hour | La hora bruja | Jaime de Armiñán | Not nominated |
| 1986 (59th) | Half of Heaven | La mitad del cielo | Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón | Not nominated |
| 1987 (60th) | Course Completed | Asignatura aprobada | José Luis Garci | Nominated |
| 1988 (61st) | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios | Pedro Almodóvar | Nominated |
| 1989 (62nd) | Love, Hate and Death | Montoyas y Tarantos | Vicente Escrivá | Not nominated |
| 1990 (63rd) | Ay, Carmela! | ¡Ay, Carmela! | Carlos Saura | Not nominated |
| 1991 (64th) | High Heels | Tacones lejanos | Pedro Almodóvar | Not nominated |
| 1992 (65th) | The Fencing Master | El maestro de esgrima | Pedro Olea | Not nominated |
| 1993 (66th) | Belle Époque | Belle Époque | Fernando Trueba | Won Academy Award |
| 1994 (67th) | Cradle Song | Canción de cuna | José Luis Garci | Not nominated |
| 1995 (68th) | The Flower of My Secret | La flor de mi secreto | Pedro Almodóvar | Not nominated |
| 1996 (69th) | Bwana | Bwana | Imanol Uribe | Not nominated |
| 1997 (70th) | Secrets of the Heart | Secretos del corazón | Montxo Armendáriz | Nominated |
| 1998 (71st) | The Grandfather | El abuelo | José Luis Garci | Nominated |
| 1999 (72nd) | All About My Mother | Todo sobre mi madre | Pedro Almodóvar | Won Academy Award |
| 2000 (73rd) | You're the One | You're the One: Una historia de entonces | José Luis Garci | Not nominated |
| 2001 (74th) | Mad Love | Juana la Loca | Vicente Aranda | Not nominated |
| 2002 (75th) | Mondays in the Sun | Los lunes al sol | Fernando León de Aranoa | Not nominated |
| 2003 (76th) | Soldiers of Salamis | Soldados de Salamina | David Trueba | Not nominated |
| 2004 (77th) | The Sea Inside | Mar adentro | Alejandro Amenábar | Won Academy Award |
| 2005 (78th) | Obaba | Obaba | Montxo Armendáriz | Not nominated |
| 2006 (79th) | Volver | Volver | Pedro Almodóvar | Made shortlist |
| 2007 (80th) | The Orphanage | El orfanato | Juan Antonio Bayona | Not nominated |
| 2008 (81st) | The Blind Sunflowers | Los girasoles ciegos | José Luis Cuerda | Not nominated |
| 2009 (82nd) | The Dancer and the Thief | El baile de la Victoria | Fernando Trueba | Not nominated |
| 2010 (83rd) | Even the Rain | También la lluvia | Icíar Bollaín | Made shortlist |
| 2011 (84th) | Black Bread | Pa negre | Agustí Villaronga | Not nominated |
| 2012 (85th) | Blancanieves | Blancanieves | Pablo Berger | Not nominated |
| 2013 (86th) | 15 Years and One Day | 15 años y un día | Gracia Querejeta | Not nominated |
| 2014 (87th) | Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed | Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados | David Trueba | Not nominated |
| 2015 (88th) | Flowers | Loreak | Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga | Not nominated |
| 2016 (89th) | Julieta | Julieta | Pedro Almodóvar | Not nominated |
| 2017 (90th) | Summer 1993 | Estiu 1993 | Carla Simón | Not nominated |
| 2018 (91st) | Champions | Campeones | Javier Fesser | Not nominated |
| 2019 (92nd) | Pain and Glory | Dolor y gloria | Pedro Almodóvar | Nominated |
| 2020 (93rd) | The Endless Trench | La trinchera infinita | Jon Garaño, Aitor Arregi, Jose Mari Goenaga | Not nominated |
| 2021 (94th) | The Good Boss | El buen patrón | Fernando León de Aranoa | Made shortlist |
| 2022 (95th) | Alcarràs | Alcarràs | Carla Simón | Not nominated |
| 2023 (96th) | Society of the Snow | La sociedad de la nieve | Juan Antonio Bayona | Nominated |
| 2024 (97th) | Saturn Return | Segundo premio | Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez | Not nominated |

## Shortlisted films

Each year since 2001, Spain has announced a three-film shortlist (four in 2013) prior to announcing its official Oscar candidate. The following films were shortlisted by the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España but failed to be submitted:
| Year | Film |
| 2001 | Sex and Lucia · Sin noticias de Dios |
| 2002 | Story of a Kiss · Talk to Her |
| 2003 | Danube Hotel · South from Granada |
| 2004 | Bad Education · Tiovivo c. 1950 |
| 2005 | Ninette · Princesses |
| 2006 | Alatriste · Salvador |
| 2007 | 13 Roses · Sunday Light |
| 2008 | Blood in May · Seven Billiard Tables |
| 2009 | Fat People · Map of the Sounds of Tokyo |
| 2010 | Cell 211 · Lope |
| 2011 | The Skin I Live In · The Sleeping Voice |
| 2012 | The Artist and the Model · Unit 7 |
| 2013 | Cannibal · Family United · Scorpion in Love |
| 2014 | 10,000 km · El Niño |
| 2015 | Felices 140 · Magical Girl |
| 2016 | The Bride · The Olive Tree |
| 2017 | 1898, Our Last Men in the Philippines · Abracadabra |
| 2018 | Everybody Knows · Giant |
| 2019 | Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles · While at War |
| 2020 | Fire Will Come · The Platform |
| 2021 | Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea · Parallel Mothers |
| 2022 | The Beasts · Lullaby |
| 2023 | 20,000 Species of Bees · Close Your Eyes |
| 2024 | The Blue Star · Marco, the Invented Truth |