The lists. 2003. 12/17.

In 2002, indieWIRE inaugurated its first foreign film poll, the only cinema survey dedicated exclusively to films made in a language other than English. If end-of-the-year accolades are meant to raise the profile of worthy films, it is foreign-lingo fare that would appear to need the most help. US ticket sales for overseas movies are down, despite a host of undervalued gems with searing performances and dazzling technical achievements that would put Oscar's bloated contenders to shame.

26 critics, honoring best pictures, directors, actors, actresses, supporters, first films and technical achievements from anywhere but here. #1: Aki Kaurismaki's The Man Without a Past. The biggest surprise: I'd say the overall downbeat mood (Boston Phoenix critic Gerald Peary is quoted as saying, "I don't ever remember a year with such putrid pickings"); not because it wasn't indeed a tough year to release a foreign-language film theatrically but rather because I can't help but feel - and this may well be a case of myopia talking, given my job - that the continued proliferation of DVD players is translating into an awareness of alternatives to multiplex fare. Outside the cities and college towns and into all those out-of-the-way, hard-to-reach places.

A big theme of the year has been the changing role of the theatrical release in the first place; as a mere prelude to the release of the DVD for Hollywood product and as a step that might be skipped altogether for truly indie product. Surely we can hope that alternative means of distribution - the DVD now and all the various forms of VOD on down the line - will ultimately open up inroads to the US market for foreign films as well.

Posted by dwhudson at December 17, 2003 10:42 AM