The Documentary Podcast How the Oscars went international
Mar 15, 2026
Tom Brook, veteran BBC film reporter who has covered the Oscars since the early 1980s, walks through how the awards have become more global. He discusses Hollywood's production slump and AI anxieties. He outlines how international cinema now fills gaps left by American studios. He traces the Oscars' changing attitude to foreign films and how membership shifts reshaped nominations.
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International Filmmakers Filling Hollywood's Adult Film Void
- International filmmakers see a gap left by Hollywood in making grown-up, humanist films, and are filling it.
- Directors like Kleber Mendonça Filho and Joachim Trier told Brook they view Hollywood as having 'dropped the ball' on adult storytelling.
How The Academy Marginalized World Cinema For Decades
- The Best Foreign Language/International category began as a token in the 1950s and sidelined world cinema for decades.
- Brook notes huge cinemas like Bollywood and much of African cinema were largely ignored by the Academy until recent changes.
Parasite Marked The Academy's Turning Point
- Parasite's 2020 Best Picture and Director wins were a turning point that proved subtitled films could win mainstream audiences.
- Brook links this shift to the Academy's active expansion and diversification of its voting membership.