Why China's official Oscar entry was disqualified
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, China's official submission for the Best International Feature category at the 2025 Academy Awards, has been deemed ineligible. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disqualified the film for not meeting the minimum language requirement. According to the rule, a film should have "a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track" to qualify.
China won't be able to submit replacement for disqualified film
The disqualification of The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru means China cannot submit another film in the Best International Feature category. The film was submitted just ahead of the October 2 deadline and by the time the language issue was discovered, it was too late for China to propose a replacement. However, despite its ineligibility for Best International Feature, it remains a contender for Best Documentary Feature.
'The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru' still in Oscar race
Directed by Fang Li, The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru tells the harrowing tale of a cargo liner used by the Japanese Army during World War II to transport prisoners of war. When attacked in the East China Sea by a US submarine, 384 British POWs were rescued but 828 perished. Despite its disqualification from one category, it remains eligible for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.
China's history and unique approach with Oscar submission
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru marks China's first-ever documentary submitted for the International Feature category. The film, featuring live interviews, historical footage, and animated reconstructions, premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June before its nationwide release in September. Despite two previous nominations in this category {Zhang Yimou's Ju Dou (1990) and Hero (2002)}, China has yet to secure an Oscar win.
