The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on Wednesday revealed the list of projects eligible for the Oscars 2025 race. Among them, Santosh, a Hindi-language international co-production set in rural north India, has secured a place in the “Best International Feature Film” category.
Out of 85 films submitted by countries worldwide, 15 have been shortlisted for this prestigious category. Notably, the United Kingdom submitted Santosh as their official entry for the Academy Awards 2025. The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it garnered critical acclaim.
Expressing her excitement over this recognition, actor Shahana took to Instagram to celebrate the achievement. “So happy for the team especially our writer-director Sandhya Suri for this little glory of recognition for our film Santosh! How incredible to be shortlisted from amongst 85 films. Thank you to everyone who loved it, supported it and voted for it,” she wrote.
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Directed by Sandhya Suri, the film features Shahana as a determined young Hindu widow who inherits her late husband’s job as a police constable through a government scheme. She soon finds herself entangled in institutional corruption while collaborating with seasoned detective Inspector Sharma, played by Sunita Rajwar, to investigate the brutal murder of a teenage Dalit girl, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The 15 films shortlisted in the International Feature Film category are:
- Armand (IFC Films) from Norway
- Dahomey (Mubi) from Senegal
- Emilia Perez (Netflix) from France
- Flow (Janus Films and Sideshow) from Latvia
- From Ground Zero (No U.S. Distribution) from Palestine
- The Girl With the Needle (Mubi) from Denmark
- How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Well Go USA Entertainment) from Thailand
- I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) from Brazil
- Kneecap (Sony Pictures Classics) from Ireland
- Santosh (Metrograph Pictures) from the United Kingdom
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon) from Germany
- Touch (Focus Features) from Iceland
- Universal Language (Oscilloscope Laboratories) from Canada
- Waves (No U.S. Distribution) from the Czech Republic
- Vermiglio (Janus Films) from Italy
While these films are officially eligible to compete in various categories, their inclusion in the shortlist does not guarantee advancement to the final nominations for the Academy Awards.
Oscar voting to finalize nominees across all 23 categories will begin on Wednesday, January 8, and conclude on Sunday, January 12. The official nominations will be announced on Friday, January 17.
