Entertainment · All
Academy Award for Best International Feature Film Rankings
Definitive global cinema ranking of every Academy Award winner for Best International Feature Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film). Discover and rank world-renowned cinematic triumphs from over fifty nations.
World Ranking
▲ Top 5
#1
Parasite (South Korea, 2019)
Bong Joon-ho made cinematic history as this dark economic thriller became the first non-English-language film to win both International Feature and Best Picture.
+55
#2
Life Is Beautiful (Italy, 1998)
Roberto Benigni's tragicomedy uses comedic imagination and paternal sacrifice to shield a young boy from the horrifying reality of a Nazi concentration camp.
+39
#3
Cinema Paradiso (Italy, 1989)
Giuseppe Tornatore's nostalgic love letter to the magic of movies centers on the lifelong friendship between a young Sicilian boy and a town projectionist.
+23
#4
Rashomon (Japan, 1951)
Akira Kurosawa introduced Japanese cinema to the West with a revolutionary narrative depicting four contradictory perspectives of a single crime.
+20
#5
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan, 2000)
Ang Lee redefined wuxia martial arts cinema with gravity-defying choreography, lush cinematography, and poetic tragedy in Qing Dynasty China.
+17
▼ Bottom 5
#1
To Begin Again (Spain, 1982)
José Luis Garci delivered Spain's first Oscar in this category, depicting an exiled literature professor returning to his seaside hometown after Franco's death.
-70
#2
The Walls of Malapaga (France/Italy, 1950)
René Clément's French-Italian co-production stars Jean Gabin as a fugitive French murderer who hides in Genoa and finds tragic redemption with a waitress.
-50
#3
Journey of Hope (Switzerland, 1990)
Xavier Koller's harrowing drama tracks an impoverished Turkish peasant family selling everything they own to embark on a perilous illegal migration into Switzerland.
-44
#4
Dangerous Moves (Switzerland, 1984)
A Cold War psychological thriller framing global superpower tensions through an exhausting World Chess Championship match between Soviet and dissident masters.
-30
#5
Monsieur Vincent (France, 1948)
Maurice Cloche's French biographical drama chronicled the selfless life and charitable missions of 17th-century Catholic priest Vincent de Paul.
-11
You should check out
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider
View on Amazon
Film Art: An Introduction by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson
View on Amazon
A History of Narrative Film by David A. Cook
View on Amazon
Oscars.org
Official Academy Awards Database: International Feature Film
British Film Institute
BFI Sight and Sound Global Cinema Archives
Prices and availability shown are from Amazon and may change. T5B5 participates in the Amazon Associates Programme and may earn a commission on qualifying purchases.
Similar Lists
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Rankings
Entertainment
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Rankings
Entertainment
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Rankings
Entertainment
Academy Award for Best Cinematography Rankings
Entertainment
Academy Award for Best Original Score Rankings
Entertainment
All Items (78)
Parasite (South Korea, 2019)+55
Life Is Beautiful (Italy, 1998)+39
Cinema Paradiso (Italy, 1989)+23
Rashomon (Japan, 1951)+20
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan, 2000)+17
8½ (Italy, 1963)+16
The Bicycle Thief (Italy, 1949)+14
The Lives of Others (Germany, 2006)+10
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany, 2022)+5
Fanny and Alexander (Sweden, 1983)+4
Another Round (Denmark, 2020)+4
La Strada (Italy, 1956)+3
Shoeshine (Italy, 1947)—
Forbidden Games (France, 1952)—
Gate of Hell (Japan, 1954)—
Samurai, The Legend of Musashi (Japan, 1955)—
Nights of Cabiria (Italy, 1957)—
Mon Oncle (France, 1958)