List of German submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Year ( Ceremony ) Film title used in nomination Original title Director Result
1990 ( 63rd ) The Nasty Girl Das schreckliche Mädchen Michael Verhoeven Nominated
1992 ( 65th ) Schtonk ! Schtonk ! Helmut Dietl Nominated
1993 ( 66th ) Justice Justiz Hans W. Geißendörfer Not Nominated
1994 ( 67th ) The Promise Das Versprechen Margarethe von Trotta Not Nominated
1995 ( 68th ) Brother of Sleep Schlafes Bruder Joseph Vilsmaier Not Nominated
1996 ( 69th ) Deathmaker Der Totmacher Romuald Karmakar Not Nominated
1997 ( 70th ) Beyond Silence Jenseits der Stille Caroline Link Nominated
1998 ( 71st ) Run Lola Run Lola rennt Tom Tykwer Not Nominated
1999 ( 72nd ) Aimée & Jaguar Aimée und Jaguar Max Färberböck Not Nominated
2000 ( 73rd ) No Place to Go Die Unberührbare Oskar Roehler Not Nominated
2001 ( 74th ) The Experiment Das Experiment Oliver Hirschbiegel Not Nominated
2002 ( 75th ) Nowhere in Africa Nirgendwo in Afrika Caroline Link Won Academy Award
2003 ( 76th ) Good Bye , Lenin ! Good Bye , Lenin ! Wolfgang Becker Not Nominated
2004 ( 77th ) Downfall Der Untergang Oliver Hirschbiegel Nominated
2005 ( 78th ) Sophie Scholl - The Final Days Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage Marc Rothemund Nominated
2006 ( 79th ) The Lives of Others Das Leben der Anderen Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Won Academy Award
2007 ( 80th ) The Edge of Heaven Auf der anderen Seite Fatih Akın Not Nominated
2008 ( 81st ) The Baader Meinhof Complex Der Baader Meinhof Komplex Uli Edel Nominated
2009 ( 82nd ) The White Ribbon Das weiße Band Michael Haneke Nominated
2010 ( 83rd ) When We Leave Die Fremde Feo Aladag Not Nominated
Submissions -- Germany
Germany has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film[nb 1] since the creation of the award in 1956. The award is handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. Each year, the Academy invites countries to submit their best films for competition according to strict rules, with only one film being accepted from each country. However, because of Germany's status as a divided country throughout much of the second half of the 20th century, West Germany and East Germany competed separately in the Best Foreign Language Film category until 1990. With eight nominations and one win, West Germany was far more successful than East Germany, whose only nomination was received in 1976 for Jacob the Liar, a film which the Moscow International Film Festival had refused to screen. West Germany received four consecutive nominations during the first years of the award's existence. It fared less well in the 1960s, as all of its submissions failed to garner a nomination. The advent of New German Cinema led to an improvement of German cinema's reputation abroad. As a result of this, West Germany received several nominations during the 1970s, culminating with The Tin Drum's victory in 1979. West Germany and East Germany were formally reunited on 3 October 1990. The 63rd Academy Awards, held on 25 March 1991, were thus the first at which Germany was able to participate as a single country. Reunified Germany has been successful in the Best Foreign Language Film category, securing two wins and eight nominations in less than two decades.