Hong Kong has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1959. 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. Hong Kong's submission is decided annually by Hong Kong's Motion Picture Industry Association.
Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan are recognized as separate entities by AMPAS and each one routinely sends a film to the competition. Although one of the hallmarks of Hong Kong Cinema has been its use of the distinctive Cantonese language, only half of Hong Kong's Oscar submissions were shot in Cantonese.
As of 2026, Hong Kong has been nominated three times, for Raise the Red Lantern (1991), Farewell My Concubine (1993), and Better Days (2019). Only the latter was directed by a Hong Kong native.
Submissions
Every year, each country is invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to submit its best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The International Feature Film 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.
Johnnie To and Li Han-hsiang have had their films selected three times while Yueh Feng, Wai Ka-fai, King Hu, Ann Hui and Yim Ho have each been selected twice. In both 2002 and 2004, Hong Kong's submissions were rejected by the Academy for not conforming to AMPAS rules.
Hong Kong's submissions have included a large number of films set in mainland China, including several lavish period costume dramas (1966, 1976, 1991, 2000 and 2006), two tales set against the background of the Peking opera scene (1989 and 1993) as well as more intimate stories of rural China (1969, 1979, 1984 and 1994). They have also selected one story about the traditional Cantonese opera scene in Hong Kong (1996), three gritty triad dramas focusing on Hong Kong's criminal underworld (2001, 2003, 2007), two melodramas (1959, 1964), two contemporary family dramas (1995 and 1998), stories focusing on immigration to and from Hong Kong (1990 and 1999), a number of supernatural thrillers (1960, 2002, 2004, 2008), and two big-budget musicals (1963, 2005). In 2009, they chose a historical drama set in neighboring Taiwan for the first time.
Most of the films submitted are primary in Mandarin or Cantonese. Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Hong Kong for review by the Academy for the award.
Year(Ceremony) Film title used in nomination Original title Languages Director(s) Result 1959(32nd) For Better, for Worse 雨過天青 Mandarin Yueh Feng 1960(33rd) The Enchanting Shadow 倩女幽魂 Han Hsiang Li 1963(36th) The Love Eterne 梁山伯與祝英台 1964(37th) Between Tears and Laughter 新啼笑姻緣 Ho Meng Hua, Yueh Feng, Doe Ching, Luo Zhen, Yen Chun and Hsieh Chun 1966(39th) Come Drink with Me 大醉俠 King Hu 1969(42nd) The Arch 董夫人 Tang Shu Shuen 1976(49th) The Last Tempest 瀛台泣血 Han Hsiang Li 1979(52nd) Raining in the Mountain 空山靈雨 King Hu 1984(57th) Homecoming 似水流年 Cantonese Yim Ho 1989(62nd) Painted Faces 七小福 Alex Law 1990(63rd) Eight Taels of Gold 八兩金 Mabel Cheung 1991(64th) Raise the Red Lantern 大紅燈籠高高掛 Mandarin Zhang Yimou 1993(66th) Farewell My Concubine 霸王別姬 Chen Kaige 1994(67th) The Day the Sun Turned Cold 天國逆子 Yim Ho 1995(68th) Summer Snow 女人，四十 Cantonese Ann Hui 1996(69th) Hu-Du-Men 虎度門 Shu Kei 1998(71st) Made in Hong Kong 香港製造 Fruit Chan 1999(72nd) Ordinary Heroes 千言萬語 Ann Hui 2000(73rd) In the Mood for Love 花樣年華 Cantonese and Shanghainese Wong Kar-wai 2001(74th) Fulltime Killer 全職殺手 Cantonese, Japanese and English Wai Ka-Fai and Johnnie To 2002(75th) The Touch 天脈傳奇 English and Mandarin Peter Pau 2003(76th) Infernal Affairs 無間道 Cantonese Andrew Lau and Alan Mak 2004(77th) Running on Karma 大隻佬 Wai Ka-Fai and Johnnie To 2005:(78th) Perhaps LoveFinalists: The Myth and Everlasting Regret Source: http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/film/143657.htm 如果•愛 Mandarin and Cantonese Peter Ho-Sun Chan 2006(79th) The Banquet 夜宴 Mandarin Feng Xiaogang 2007(80th) ExiledFinalists: A Battle of Wits, Invisible Target, Eye in the Sky, The Detective, The Sun Also Rises and Protégé. Source: 放逐 Cantonese Johnnie To 2008(81st) Painted Skin 畫皮 Mandarin Gordon Chan 2009(82nd) Prince of Tears 淚王子 Yonfan Hollywood Reporter Hong Kong, Taiwan make Oscar picks 8 September 2009. Retrieved 2011-10-15 2010(83rd) Echoes of the Rainbow 歲月神偷 Cantonese Alex Law 2011(84th) A Simple Life 桃姐 Ann Hui 2012(85th) Life Without Principle 奪命金 Johnnie To 2013(86th) The Grandmaster 一代宗師 Mandarin and Cantonese Wong Kar-wai 2014(87th) The Golden Era 黄金時代 Mandarin Ann Hui 2015(88th) To the Fore 破風 Dante Lam 2016(89th) Port of Call 踏血尋梅 Cantonese Philip Yung 2017(90th) Mad World 一念無明 Wong Chun 2018(91st) Operation Red Sea 紅海行動 Mandarin Dante Lam 2019(92nd) The White Storm 2: Drug Lords 掃毒2天地對決 Cantonese Herman Yau 2020(93rd) Better Days 少年的你 Mandarin Derek Tsang 2021(94th) Zero to Hero 媽媽的神奇小子 Cantonese Jimmy Wan 2022(95th) Where the Wind Blows 風再起時 Philip Yung 2023(96th) A Light Never Goes Out 燈火闌珊 Anastasia Tsang 2024(97th) Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In 九龍城寨之圍城 Soi Cheang 2025(98th) The Last Dance 破·地獄 Anselm Chan 2026(99th) Sons of the Neon Night 風林火山 Juno Mak
See also List of Academy Award winners and nominees for Best International Feature Film List of Chinese submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film List of Taiwanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film List of Academy Award-winning foreign language films Cinema of Hong Kong
Notes
References
External links The Official Academy Awards Database The Motion Picture Credits Database IMDb Academy Awards Page