The Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film is an award presented annually at the Independent Spirit Awards to recognize the best feature films produced outside United States. It was first presented in 1986, with Brazilian-American drama Kiss of the Spider Woman being the first recipient of the award.
Winners and nominees
1980s
1990s
| Year
|
Film
|
Original Title
|
Director
|
Country
|
| 1990 |
Sweetie |
Jane Campion |
 Australia
|
| Black Rain |
黒い雨 / Kuroi ame |
Shohei Imamura |
 Japan
|
| A City of Sadness |
悲情城市 / Bēiqíng chéngshì |
Hou Hsiao-hsien |
 Taiwan
|
| The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover |
Peter Greenaway |
 France,  United Kingdom
|
| Freeze Die Come to Life |
Замри, умри, воскресни / Zamri, umri, voskresni! |
Vitali Kanevsky |
 Soviet Union
|
| 1991 |
An Angel at My Table |
Jane Campion |
 New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia
|
| The Double Life of Véronique |
La double vie de Véronique |
Krzysztof Kieślowski |
France,  Poland
|
| Life is Sweet |
Mike Leigh |
United Kingdom
|
| Requiem for Dominic |
Requiem für Dominik |
Robert Dornhelm |
 Austria, France,  Romania
|
| Taxi Blues |
Такси-блюз / Taksi-Blyuz |
Pavel Lungin |
Soviet Union
|
| 1992 |
The Crying Game |
Neil Jordan |
United Kingdom
|
| Close to Eden |
Урга / Urga |
Nikita Mikhalkov |
Soviet Union
|
| Danzon |
Maria Novaro |
 Mexico,  Spain
|
| Howards End |
James Ivory |
United Kingdom
|
| Raise the Red Lantern |
大红灯笼高高挂 / Dà Hóng Dēnglong Gāogāo Guà |
Zhang Yimou |
 China,  Hong Kong, Taiwan
|
| 1993 |
The Piano |
Jane Campion |
Australia
|
| Naked |
Mike Leigh |
United Kingdom
|
| Orlando |
Sally Potter
|
| Like Water for Chocolate |
Como agua para chocolate |
Alfonso Arau |
Mexico
|
| The Story of Qiu Ju |
秋菊打官司 / Qiū Jú dǎ guānsi |
Zhang Yimou |
China, Hong Kong
|
| 1994 |
Three Colors: Red |
Trois couleurs: Rouge |
Krzysztof Kieślowski |
France, Poland
|
| The Blue Kite |
蓝风筝 / Lán fēngzheng |
Tian Zhuangzhuang |
China, Hong Kong
|
| Ladybird, Ladybird |
Ken Loach |
United Kingdom
|
| The Boys of St. Vincent |
John N. Smith |
 Canada
|
| Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould |
François Girard
|
| 1995 |
Before the Rain |
Pred doždot |
Milcho Manchevski |
 Macedonia, United Kingdom
|
| The City of Lost Children |
La cité des enfants perdus |
Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet |
France
|
| Exotica |
Atom Egoyan |
Canada
|
| I Am Cuba |
Soy Cuba |
Mikhail Kalatozov |
 Cuba, Soviet Union
|
| Through the Olive Trees |
زیر درختان زیتون / Zīr-e Derakhtān-e Zeytūn |
Abbas Kiarostami |
 Iran
|
| 1996 |
Secrets & Lies |
Mike Leigh |
United Kingdom
|
| Breaking the Waves |
Lars von Trier |
 Denmark
|
| Chungking Express |
重庆森林 / Chung Hing sam lam |
Wong Kar-wai |
Hong Kong
|
| Lamerica |
Gianni Amelio |
 Italy
|
| Trainspotting |
Danny Boyle |
United Kingdom
|
| 1997 |
The Sweet Hereafter |
Atom Egoyan |
Canada
|
| Happy Together |
春光乍泄 / Chun gwong cha sit |
Wong Kar-wai |
Hong Kong
|
| Mouth to Mouth |
Boca a boca |
Manuel Gómez Pereira |
Spain
|
| Nenette and Boni |
Nénette et Boni |
Claire Denis |
France
|
| Underground |
Podzemlje |
Emir Kusturica |
 FR Yugoslavia, France,  Germany
|
| 1998 |
The Celebration |
Festen |
Thomas Vinterberg |
Denmark
|
| Central Station |
Central do Brasil |
Walter Salles |
 Brazil
|
| The Eel |
うなぎ / Unagi |
Shohei Imamura |
Japan
|
| The General |
John Boorman |
 Ireland, United Kingdom
|
| Fireworks |
はなび / Hana-bi |
Takeshi Kitano |
Japan
|
| 1999 |
Run Lola Run |
Lola rennt |
Tom Tykwer |
Germany
|
| All About My Mother |
Todo sobre mi madre |
Pedro Almodóvar |
Spain
|
| My Son the Fanatic |
Udayan Prasad |
United Kingdom
|
| Topsy-Turvy |
Mike Leigh
|
| Rosetta |
Dardenne brothers |
 Belgium, France
|
2000s
| Year
|
Film
|
Original Title
|
Director
|
Country
|
| 2000 |
Dancer in the Dark |
Danser i mørket |
Lars von Trier |
Denmark
|
| In the Mood for Love |
花样年华 / Fa yeung nin wa |
Wong Kar-wai |
France, Hong Kong
|
| Malli |
Santosh Sivan |
 India
|
| A Time for Drunken Horses |
زمانی برای مستی اسبها / Zamani barayé masti asbha |
Bahman Ghobadi |
Iran
|
| The War Zone |
Tim Roth |
United Kingdom
|
| 2001 |
Amélie |
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain |
Jean-Pierre Jeunet |
France
|
| Amores perros |
Alejandro González Iñárritu |
Mexico
|
| Lumumba |
Raoul Peck |
Belgium, France, Germany,  Haiti
|
| Sexy Beast |
Jonathan Glazer |
United Kingdom, Spain
|
| Together |
Tillsammans |
Lukas Moodysson |
 Sweden, Denmark, Italy
|
| 2002 |
Y Tu Mamá También |
Alfonso Cuarón |
Mexico
|
| Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner |
Atanarjuat |
Zacharias Kunuk |
Canada
|
| Time Out |
L'emploi du temps |
Laurent Cantet |
France
|
| The Piano Teacher |
La pianiste |
Michael Haneke
|
| Bloody Sunday |
Paul Greengrass |
Ireland, United Kingdom
|
| 2003 |
Whale Rider |
Niki Caro |
New Zealand, Germany
|
| City of God |
Cidade de Deus |
Fernando Meirelles |
Brazil
|
| Lilya 4-Ever |
Lilja 4-ever |
Lukas Moodysson |
Denmark
|
| The Magdalene Sisters |
Peter Mullan |
United Kingdom, Ireland
|
| The Triplets of Belleville |
Les triplettes de Belleville |
Sylvain Chomet |
France, Canada, Belgium
|
| 2004 |
The Sea Inside |
Mar Adentro |
Alejandro Amenabar |
Spain
|
| Oasis |
오아시스 / Oasiseu |
Lee Chang-dong |
 South Korea
|
| Bad Education |
La mala educación |
Pedro Almodóvar |
Spain
|
| Red Lights |
Feux rouges |
Cédric Kahn |
France
|
| Yesterday |
Darrell Roodt |
 South Africa
|
| 2005 |
Paradise Now |
Hany Abu-Assad |
 Palestine,  Netherlands, Germany, France
|
| The Death of Mr. Lazarescu |
Moartea domnului Lazarescu |
Cristi Puiu |
Romania
|
| Duck Season |
Temporada de patos |
Fernando Eimbcke |
Mexico
|
| Head-On |
Gegen die Wand |
Fatih Akın |
Germany,  Turkey
|
| Tony Takitani |
トニー滝谷 / Tony Takitani |
Jun Ichikawa |
Japan
|
| 2006 |
The Lives of Others |
Das Leben der Anderen |
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck |
Germany
|
| 12:08 East of Bucharest |
A fost sau n-a fost? |
Corneliu Porumboiu |
Romania
|
| The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros |
Ang pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros |
Auraeus Solito |
 Philippines
|
| Chronicle of an Escape |
Crónica de una fuga |
Israel Adrián Caetano |
 Argentina
|
| Days of Glory |
Indigènes |
Rachid Bouchareb |
France,  Morocco,  Algeria, Belgium, Japan
|
| 2007 |
Once |
John Carney |
Ireland
|
| 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days |
4 luni, 3 săptămâni şi 2 zile |
Cristian Mungiu |
Romania
|
| The Band's Visit |
ביקור התזמורת / Bikur Ha-Tizmoret |
Eran Kolirin |
France,  Israel,  United States
|
| Persepolis |
Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud |
France
|
| Lady Chatterley |
Pascale Ferran |
Belgium, France
|
| 2008 |
The Class |
Entre les murs |
Laurent Cantet |
France
|
| Gomorrah |
Gomorra |
Matteo Garrone |
Italy
|
| The Secret of the Grain |
La graine et le mulet |
Abdellatif Kechiche |
France
|
| Hunger |
Steve McQueen |
Ireland, United Kingdom
|
| Silent Light |
Stellet licht |
Carlos Reygadas |
France, Germany, Netherlands, Mexico
|
| 2009 |
An Education |
Lone Scherfig |
United Kingdom
|
| Everlasting Moments |
Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick |
Jan Troell |
Sweden
|
| The Maid |
La nana |
Sebastián Silva |
 Chile
|
| Mother |
마더 / Madeo |
Bong Joon-ho |
South Korea
|
| A Prophet |
Un prophète |
Jacques Audiard |
France
|
2010s
