After I’m Still Here won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards, a long-running streak has ended. I’m Still Here was nominated alongside Emilia Pérez, Flow, The Girl with the Needle, and The Seed of the Scared Fig at the Academy Awards. When the Oscar nominations were initially announced in January, Emilia Pérez was believed to be the frontrunner in this category. This made sense, since Emilia Pérez had the most Oscar nominations this year. However, the controversies surrounding Emilia Pérez led I’m Still Here to win Best International Feature Film instead.

I’m Still Here is a Brazilian film that follows Eunice Paiva, who copes with the disappearance of her politician husband during the military dictatorship in Brazil in 1970. Reviews for I’m Still Here have been exceptional, and the film currently has an outstanding score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes). I’m Still Here finding success and winning at the 2025 Academy Awards means that Emilia Pérez is the first Best Picture nominee to lose in the Best International Feature Film category.

I’m Still Here Made Emilia Pérez The First Best Picture Nominee To Lose Best International Feature Film

I’m Still Here & Emilia Pérez Were Both Nominated For Best Picture

Even though it is interesting that this 55-year Oscars streak has been broken, it is not surprising at all. In fact, this streak was guaranteed to be broken this year since I’m Still Here and Emilia Pérez were both nominated for Best Picture. Since these two films were also competing in the Best International Feature Film category, then one of them was bound to break this long-running Oscars streak.

Since I’m Still Here gained a lot of momentum later in awards season, Emilia Pérez has become the first Best Picture nominee to lose in the Best International Feature Film category. While a lot of criticisms have been raised about Emilia Pérez during awards season, it is not necessarily a negative thing that the musical broke this record. It was inevitable for one of the films to break this streak this year, after all, and Emilia Pérez still won two Oscars at the 2025 Academy Awards, in the Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song categories.

The Oscars 2025 Were Always Destined To Break The International Winner Streak

It Is Good That This Oscars Streak Has Ended

Recent examples of films that were nominated for Best Picture and won Best International Feature Film are The Zone of Interest, All Quiet on the Western Front, Drive My Car, and Another Round. This Oscars streak hasn’t been broken in past years since all these aforementioned films, and many others, were the only international movies in the Best Picture category. Since there were two international movies nominated for Best Picture this year, this streak was always going to be broken.

I am actually glad this this long-running Oscars streak has finally been broken, since it means that the Academy is beginning to recognize international films more. It is honestly shocking that only one international movie has been nominated for Best Picture for a long time. So many amazing films from all over the world are released every year, and they deserve to be recognized during Hollywood’s biggest celebration. Therefore, it is a good thing that Emilia Pérez has broken this Academy Awards streak.