We’re looking at each individual category for the Oscars and what our thoughts are going into the final stretch. Below are our predictions in Best International Feature.

Best International Feature

Winner Predictions

• It Was Just an Accident
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value WL PP TL
• Sirât
• The Voice of Hind Rajab

Runner-Up Predictions

• The Secret Agent WL PP TL

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Wesley Lovell: Sentimental Value is the most nominated of this year’s entries and is one of two that’s in the Best Picture race (along with The Secret Agent. Those are the two I think that will be battling it out for this award but Sentimental Value clearly has the lead, though anything could happen and an upset victory by The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, Sirât, and even The Voice of Hind Rajab (the only one of the four films not nominated in other categories) could make a surprise victor.
Pete Patrick: Both Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent are nominated for Best Picture as well as Best International Feature Film.  Either one could win this, but with last year’s award having gone to another Brazilian film about the same subject, Norway’s Sentimental Value with its four acting nominations is probably the safer bet over Brazil’s The Secret Agent with its one acting nominee.
Thomas La Tourrette: Ordinarily a film like The Secret Agent with four total nominations would seem the front runner for the International Film Oscar, but Sentimental Value has a whopping nine nominations and should go on to win the Oscar. Hollywood also likes films about artists which will help carry Sentimental Value to the win. I liked it but did not love it but can picture it winning. The Secret Agent was an interesting but perplexing film. It was confusing enough that I did not find it satisfying, which surprises me that it has gotten so many accolades this season. The Voice of Hind Rajab was a devastating film that followed Volunteers of the Red Crescent Society talking with a 6-year-old girl trapped in a car in Gaza in January of 2024. The voice of the girl is taken from actual tapes from when this occurred. Difficult to watch but necessary too. It might be too topical to win. I have yet to see Sirat and It Was Just an Accident, but both sound like worthy nominees. Still, I expect Sentimental Value to coast to an easy win.

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