The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Golden Globe Award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to reward theatrically-released feature film not in the English language.
It was first introduced at the 7th Golden Globe Awards for the 1949 film year as Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film, and would return to be awarded yearly from the 1957 film year onwards; from 1948 to 1972, it existed alongside the Best English-Language Foreign Film category, which was intended for English-language films made outside the United States. The two categories were fused into Best Foreign Language Film in 1973, now rewarding any non-American films regardless of language; this was reversed in 1986 when it was renamed to Best Foreign Language Film, although this last change also made American films in non-English language eligible, such as winners Letters from Iwo Jima and Minari.
The award was originally an equivalent to the pre-existent Best English-Language Foreign Film, for English-language film made outside the United States. Following
Since the 1987 change in the criteria for this award, its eligibility criteria have been considerably broader than those for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film; films are notably not submitted by their country, and there is not limit of one-eligible film per country as in the Academy Awards. Before 1974, the award was given only infrequently, and with several films being jointly honoured per year.[1]
The most honored country in this category is the United Kingdom, with seven films honored, followed by Spain and France.
Like the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, this award does not require that an eligible film be released in the United States. The official rules for the award state that submitted films must be at least 70 minutes in length and have at least 51% of their dialogue in a language other than English, and that they be "first released in their country of origin during the 14-months period from November 1 to December 31, prior to the Awards". Films that were not released in their country of origin due to censorship qualify with a one-week release in the U.S. during the specified period.[2]
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), presenter of the Golden Globes, also does not limit the number of submitted films from a given country.[2] This differs from the practice of the Academy Awards' presenter, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which limits each country to one submission per year.[3]
Notes:
1965-1972: Best Foreign Film – Foreign Language
1973-1985: Best Foreign Film
1986–present: Best Foreign Language Film
Nine directors have won the award multiple times.