List of German submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Volker Schlöndorff, director of The Tin Drum (1979), the first German film to receive the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Germany has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since the creation of the award in 1956. The award is handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue.

Each year, the Academy invites countries to submit their best films for competition according to strict rules, with only one film being accepted from each country. However, because of Germany's status as a divided country throughout much of the second half of the 20th century, West Germany and East Germany competed separately in the Best Foreign Language Film category until 1990. With eight nominations and one win, West Germany was far more successful than East Germany, whose only nomination was received in 1976 for Jacob the Liar, a film which the Moscow International Film Festival had refused to screen. West Germany received four consecutive nominations during the first years of the award's existence. It fared less well in the 1960s, as all of its submissions failed to garner a nomination. The advent of New German Cinema led to an improvement of German cinema's reputation abroad. As a result of this, West Germany received several nominations during the 1970s, culminating with The Tin Drum's victory in 1979.

West Germany and East Germany were formally reunited on 3 October 1990. The 63rd Academy Awards, held on 25 March 1991, were thus the first at which Germany was able to participate as a single country. Reunified Germany has been successful in the Best Foreign Language Film category, securing two wins and eight nominations in less than two decades. The two German films that received the award since reunification are The Lives of Others (2006) by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and Nowhere in Africa (2001) by Caroline Link. Both are the only two German directors to have had more than one film nominated for the award. Several other German films have received Academy Awards in categories other than Best Foreign Language Film.

Submissions

According to Academy rules, the selection of each country's official submission has to be made by "one organization, jury or committee that should include artists and/or craftspeople from the field of motion pictures". In Germany's case, the selection committee and procedure are organized by the Munich-based German Films Service + Marketing GmbH, known as Export-Union of German Cinema until 2004. Film producers and distributors can submit a film for consideration to German Films, which verifies the completeness of the application and the compliance with Academy rules. A committee composed of representatives of nine different German film institutions and film industry trade groups selects a film for submission to the Academy. German Films is not represented in the committee and concentrates solely on the organizational aspects. Although East Germany used to submit films sparingly, West Germany and later reunified Germany have been regular participants, and have sent a film to the Academy in every year except from 1962 to 1964 and in 1991. The refusal of the selection committee to submit a film in 1991 was highly controversial. The selection of The White Ribbon in 2009 also caused a minor controversy.

Federal Republic of Germany

(as West Germany from 1956 to 1989, then reunified Germany from 1990 onward)

Year
(Ceremony)
Film title used in nomination Original title Director Result
1956
(29th)
The Captain of Köpenick Der Hauptmann von Köpenick Helmut Käutner Nominated
1957
(30th)
The Devil Strikes at Night Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam Robert Siodmak Nominated
1958
(31st)
Arms and the Man Helden Franz Peter Wirth Nominated
1959
(32nd)
The Bridge Die Brücke Bernhard Wicki Nominated
1960
(33rd)
Faust Faust Peter Gorski Not nominated
1966
(39th)
Young Törless Der junge Törless Volker Schlöndorff Not nominated
1967
(40th)
Tattoo Tätowierung Johannes Schaaf Not nominated
1968
(41st)
Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos Alexander Kluge Not nominated
1969
(42nd)
Hunting Scenes from Bavaria Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern Peter Fleischmann Not nominated
1970
(43rd)
o.k. o.k. Michael Verhoeven Not nominated
1971
(44th)
The Castle Das Schloß Rudolf Noelte Not nominated
1972
(45th)
Trotta Trotta Johannes Schaaf Not nominated
1973
(46th)
The Pedestrian Der Fußgänger Maximilian Schell Nominated
1974
(47th)
One or the Other of Us Einer von uns beiden Wolfgang Petersen Not nominated
1975
(48th)
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle Werner Herzog Not nominated
1976
(49th)
The Clown Ansichten eines Clowns Vojtěch Jasný Not nominated
1977
(50th)
The American Friend Der amerikanische Freund Wim Wenders Not nominated
1978
(51st)
The Glass Cell Die gläserne Zelle Hans W. Geißendörfer Nominated
1979
(52nd)
The Tin Drum Die Blechtrommel Volker Schlöndorff Won Academy Award
1980
(53rd)
Fabian Fabian Wolf Gremm Not nominated
1981
(54th)
Lili Marleen Lili Marleen Rainer Werner Fassbinder Not nominated
1982
(55th)
Fitzcarraldo Fitzcarraldo Werner Herzog Not nominated
1983
(56th)
A Woman in Flames Die flambierte Frau Robert van Ackeren Not nominated
1984
(57th)
Man Under Suspicion Morgen in Alabama Norbert Kückelmann Not nominated
1985
(58th)
Angry Harvest Bittere Ernte Agnieszka Holland Nominated
1986
(59th)
Men... Männer… Doris Dörrie Not nominated
1987
(60th)
Wings of Desire Der Himmel über Berlin Wim Wenders Not nominated
1988
(61st)
Yasemin Yasemin Hark Bohm Not nominated
1989
(62nd)
Spider's Web Das Spinnennetz Bernhard Wicki Not nominated
1990
(63rd)
The Nasty Girl Das schreckliche Mädchen Michael Verhoeven Nominated
1992
(65th)
Schtonk! Schtonk! Helmut Dietl Nominated
1993
(66th)
Justice Justiz Hans W. Geißendörfer Not nominated
1994
(67th)
The Promise Das Versprechen Margarethe von Trotta Not nominated
1995
(68th)
Brother of Sleep Schlafes Bruder Joseph Vilsmaier Not nominated
1996
(69th)
Deathmaker Der Totmacher Romuald Karmakar Not nominated
1997
(70th)
Beyond Silence Jenseits der Stille Caroline Link Nominated
1998
(71st)
Run Lola Run Lola rennt Tom Tykwer Not nominated
1999
(72nd)
Aimée & Jaguar Aimée und Jaguar Max Färberböck Not nominated
2000
(73rd)
No Place to Go Die Unberührbare Oskar Roehler Not nominated
2001
(74th)
The Experiment Das Experiment Oliver Hirschbiegel Not nominated
2002
(75th)
Nowhere in Africa Nirgendwo in Afrika Caroline Link Won Academy Award
2003
(76th)
Good Bye, Lenin! Good Bye, Lenin! Wolfgang Becker Not nominated
2004
(77th)
Downfall Der Untergang Oliver Hirschbiegel Nominated
2005
(78th)
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage Marc Rothemund Nominated
2006
(79th)
The Lives of Others Das Leben der Anderen Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Won Academy Award
2007
(80th)
The Edge of Heaven Auf der anderen Seite Fatih Akın Not nominated
2008
(81st)
The Baader Meinhof Complex Der Baader Meinhof Komplex Uli Edel Nominated
2009
(82nd)
The White Ribbon Das weiße Band Michael Haneke Nominated
2010
(83rd)
When We Leave Die Fremde Feo Aladag Not nominated
2011
(84th)
Pina Pina – Tanzt, tanzt sonst sind wir verloren Wim Wenders Made shortlist
2012
(85th)
Barbara Barbara Christian Petzold Not nominated
2013
(86th)
Two Lives Zwei Leben Georg Maas Made shortlist
2014
(87th)
Beloved Sisters Die geliebten Schwestern Dominik Graf Not nominated
2015
(88th)
Labyrinth of Lies Im Labyrinth des Schweigens Giulio Ricciarelli Made shortlist
2016
(89th)
Toni Erdmann Toni Erdmann Maren Ade Nominated
2017
(90th)
In the Fade Aus dem Nichts Fatih Akin Made shortlist
2018
(91st)
Never Look Away Werk ohne Autor Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Nominated
2019
(92nd)
System Crasher Systemsprenger Nora Fingscheidt Not nominated
2020
(93rd)
And Tomorrow the Entire World Und morgen die ganze Welt Julia von Heinz Not nominated
2021
(94th)
I'm Your Man Ich bin dein Mensch Maria Schrader Made shortlist

East Germany

Year
(Ceremony)
Film title used in nomination Original title Director Result
1973
(46th)
Her Third Der Dritte Egon Günther Not nominated
1976
(49th)
Jacob the Liar Jakob der Lügner Frank Beyer Nominated
1977
(50th)
Mama, I'm Alive Mama, ich lebe Konrad Wolf Not nominated
1980
(53rd)
The Fiancee Die Verlobte Günter Reisch
Günther Rücker
Not nominated
1983
(56th)
The Turning Point Der Aufenthalt Frank Beyer Not nominated

See also


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