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.

As of 2026, the Philippines has submitted thirty-six films, but none of them were nominated.

History 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. 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.

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.

Filmmakers and actors have each represented the Philippines more than once in this category:

Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Gil Portes submitted three times, 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. Lav Diaz, a recipient of the Venice Film Festival Award for Golden Lion and Locarno Film Festival Award for Golden Leopard, also directed the 2014 and 2025 submissions, the latter marks the first time for an international co-produced film with international cast and crew. Three films starring John Arcilla have been submitted by the Philippines.For films starring John Arcilla that were submitted as Philippine entries: Heneral Luna (2015): Birdshot (2017): On the Job: The Missing 8 (2021) Joel Torre has co-starred in three films that were entries in 1984, 1985, and 2000.For films co-starring Joel Torre that were submitted as Philippine entries: Of the Flesh (1984): Milagros (1997): Anak (2000): Two of Judy Ann Santos's films, including Ploning (2008), which she produced and starred in, have been submitted.For films starring Judy Ann Santos that were submitted as Philippine entries: Ploning (2008): Mindanao (2019): Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Phillip Salvador, Vilma Santos, and Jomari Yllana have each represented the Philippines twice as actors in the category.For films starring Angel Aquino that were submitted as Philippine entries: Crying Ladies (2003): Donsol (2006): For films starring Sid Lucero that were submitted as Philippine entries: Donsol (2006): Norte, the End of History (2014): For films starring Phillip Salvador that were submitted as Philippine entries: Of the Flesh (1984): This Is My Country (1985): For films starring Vilma Santos that were submitted as Philippine entries: Anak (2000): Dekada '70 (2002): For films starring Jomari Yllana that were submitted as Philippine entries: In the Navel of the Sea (1998): In the Bosom of the Enemy (2001):

Carl Joseph Papa's The Missing and 's And So It Begins marked the first animated and documentary films, respectively, to be submitted as the Philippine entry in two consecutive years.

A Filipino-Australian co-production film First Light (2026), directed by James J. Robinson, marks the first Filipino-language film to be selected as the Australian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, despite not being shortlisted to the Philippine entry.

Submissions Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by the Philippines for review by the Academy for the award by year and the respective Academy Awards ceremony. Year(Ceremony) Film title used in nomination Original title Language(s) Director(s) Result 1956(29th) Filipino, English 1961(34th) Filipino 1967(40th) 1976(49th) This Is How We Were Before... How Are You Doing Now? Filipino, English, Spanish 1984(57th) Filipino, English 1985(58th) Filipino 1995(68th) 1996(69th) 1997(70th) Miracles 1998(71st) 1999(72nd) 2000(73rd) 2001(74th) English, Tagalog, Japanese 2002(75th) Filipino, English 2003(76th) The '70s Filipino 2004(77th) Filipino, Philippine Hokkien, Mandarin 2006(79th) Filipino 2007(80th) Filipino, Bicolano 2008(81st) Cuyonon, Filipino, Tagalog, Taiwanese Hokkien 2009(82nd) Filipino 2010(83rd) Filipino, English 2011(84th) Filipino 2012(85th) 2013(86th) Filipino, Tagalog, English, Hebrew 2014(87th) Filipino, English 2015(88th) Filipino, Spanish, English 2016(89th) Filipino 2017(90th) 2018(91st) 2019(92nd) 2020(93rd) 2022(95th) 2023(96th) Ilocano, Filipino 2024(97th) Filipino, English 2025(98th) Portuguese, Spanish, Cebuano, French Lav Diaz 2026(98th)Filipino, English, Ilocano Rafael Manuel

Shortlisted films Each year since 2012, the Film Academy of the Philippines has announced shortlists prior to announcing the official candidate to the Academy Awards. The following films were shortlisted by the Philippines but not selected as the final candidate: YearFilm2012A Mother's Story · Busong · Captive · The Dance of Two Left Feet · Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story · Graceland · Mga Mumunting Lihim · Migrante · Segunda Mano · The Witness2016A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery · The Agony and Fury of Brother Puli · Dukot · Felix Manalo · Honor Thy Father · Ordinary People · Shadow Behind the Moon · Tuos20171st SEM · Die Beautiful · Jesus is Dead · I See You · Sunday Beauty Queen · The Manananggal at Unit 23B · The Sun Behind You · Triptiko2023A Very Good Girl · About Us But Not About Us · Ang Duyan ng Magiting · Family Matters · I Love Lizzy · Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Told2025Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea · Green Bones · Hello, Love, Again · Some Nights I Feel Like Walking · Song of the Fireflies · Sunshine2026All the Things I Leave You · 58th · I'mPerfect · Manila's Finest · Quezon · Silenced Nights · Sisa

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

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