The Top Five International Films (known as Top Five Foreign Language Films prior to 2022) is one of the awards presented annually by the National Board of Review , this category is one of the few awards that is not presented individually but instead as a list of usually five films. The category was first presented in 1929 and its one of two categories for foreign language films alongside the Best Foreign Language Film award.
Initially it was awarded as just as Top Foreign Films therefore including foreign films in English but in 1990 it was modified to only reward films in a foreign language changing the name from Top Foreign Films to Top Foreign Language Films before being changed again to Top International Films in 2022. From 1940 to 1949 the list was not presented at all.
Year
Film
Director
Country
1970 The Confession Costa-Gavras France, Italy
This Man Must Die Claude Chabrol
The Passion of Anna Ingmar Bergman Sweden
My Night at Maud's Éric Rohmer France
The Wild Child François Truffaut
1971 The Conformist Bernardo Bertolucci Italy, France, West Germany
The Clowns Federico Fellini Italy
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis Vittorio De Sica
Bed and Board François Truffaut France, Italy
Claire's Knee Éric Rohmer France
1972 The Emigrants Jan Troell Sweden
Chloe in the Afternoon Éric Rohmer France
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Luis Buñuel
The Sorrow and the Pity Marcel Ophuls
Uncle Vanya Andrey Konchalovskiy Soviet Union
1973 Alfredo, Alfredo Pietro Germi Italy
Cries and Whispers Ingmar Bergman Sweden
The New Land Jan Troell
Day for Night François Truffaut France
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe Yves Robert
Trafic Jacques Tati Italy, France
1974 The Pedestrian Maximilian Schell Germany
Amarcord Federico Fellini Italy
Lacombe, Lucien Louis Malle France
The Phantom of Liberty Luis Buñuel Italy, France
Scenes from a Marriage Ingmar Bergman Sweden
1975 Swept Away Lina Wertmüller Italy
A Brief Vacation Vittorio De Sica
The Story of Adele H. François Truffaut France
Special Section Costa-Gavras
Stavisky Alain Resnais
1976 Face to Face Ingmar Bergman Sweden
The Clockmaker Bertrand Tavernier France
Cousin Cousine Jean-Charles Tacchella
Small Change François Truffaut
The Marquise of O Éric Rohmer West Germany
1977 The Man Who Loved Women François Truffaut France
The American Friend Wim Wenders West Germany
Cría Cuervos Carlos Saura Spain
A Special Day Ettore Scola Italy
That Obscure Object of Desire Luis Buñuel France, Spain
1978 Autumn Sonata Ingmar Bergman Sweden
Dear Detective Philippe de Broca France
Madame Rosa Moshé Mizrahi
Bread and Chocolate Franco Brusati Italy
A Slave of Love Nikita Mikhalkov Soviet Union
1979 La Cage aux Folles Édouard Molinaro France, Italy
The Marriage of Maria Braun Rainer Werner Fassbinder West Germany
Nosferatu the Vampyre Werner Herzog
Peppermint Soda Diane Kurys France
The Tree of Wooden Clogs Ermanno Olmi Italy
Year
Film
Director
Country
2000 Butterfly José Luis Cuerda Spain
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Ang Lee Taiwan
Girl on the Bridge Patrice Leconte France
Malèna Giuseppe Tornatore Italy
A Time for Drunken Horses Bahman Ghobadi Iran
2001 Amores Perros Alejandro González Iñárritu Mexico
Amélie Jean-Pierre Jeunet France
Behind the Sun Walter Salles Brazil
Dark Blue World Jan Svěrák Czech Republic
No Man's Land Danis Tanović Bosnia and Herzegovina
2002 8 Women François Ozon France
The Crime of Padre Amaro Carlos Carrera Mexico
City of God Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund Brazil
Talk to Her Pedro Almodóvar Spain
Y tu Mamá También Alfonso Cuarón Mexico
2003 Autumn Spring Vladimír Michálek Czech Republic
The Barbarian Invasions Denys Arcand Canada, France
Best of Youth Marco Tullio Giordana Italy
Man on the Train Patrice Leconte France
Monsieur Ibrahim François Dupeyron
2004 Bad Education Pedro Almodóvar Spain
The Sea Inside Alejandro Amenábar
Maria Full of Grace Joshua Marston Colombia
The Chorus Christophe Barratier France
The Motorcycle Diaries Walter Salles Argentina, Brazil, United States, Chile, Peru, United Kingdom, Germany, France
2005 2046 Wong Kar-wai Hong Kong
Downfall Oliver Hirschbiegel Germany, Austria, Italy
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Dai Sijie China, France
Walk on Water Eytan Fox Israel
Paradise Now Hany Abu-Assad Palestine
2006 Curse of the Golden Flower Zhang Yimou China
Pan's Labyrinth Guillermo del Toro Spain, Mexico
Days of Glory Rachid Bouchareb France
Water Deepa Mehta India
Volver Pedro Almodóvar Spain
2007 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Cristian Mungiu Romania
The Band's Visit Eran Kolirin Israel, France, United States
The Counterfeiters Stefan Ruzowitzky Austria, Germany
La Vie en rose Olivier Dahan France, Czech Republic
Lust, Caution Ang Lee Taiwan
2008 The Edge of Heaven Fatih Akın Germany, Turkey
Let the Right One In Tomas Alfredson Sweden
Roman de Gare Claude Lelouch France
A Secret Claude Miller
Waltz with Bashir Ari Folman Israel
2009 The Maid Sebastián Silva Chile
Revanche Götz Spielmann Austria
The Song of Sparrows Majid Majidi Iran
Three Monkeys Nuri Bilge Ceylan Turkey
The White Ribbon Michael Haneke Germany
Year
Film
Director
Country
2020 ,[ 5] Apples Christos Nikou
Greece
Collective Alexander Nanau
Romania
Dear Comrades! Andrei Konchalovsky Russia
The Mole Agent Maite Alberdi Chile
Night of the Kings Philippe Lacôte Ivory Coast
2021 ,[ 6] Benedetta Paul Verhoeven France
Lamb Valdimar Johannsson Iceland
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds Mahamat Saleh Haroun Chad
Titane Julia Ducournau France
The Worst Person in the World Joachim Trier Norway
2022 ,[ 7] All Quiet on the Western Front Edward Berger Germany
Argentina, 1985 Santiago Mitre Argentina
Decision to Leave Park Chan-wook South Korea
EO Jerzy Skolimowski Poland
Saint Omer Alice Diop France
2023 ,[ 8] La chimera Alice Rohrwacher Italy, France, Switzerland
Fallen Leaves Aki Kaurismäki Finland, Germany
The Teachers' Lounge İlker Çatak Germany
Tótem Lila Avilés Mexico, Denmark, France
The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer United Kingdom, Poland, United States
^ "National Board of Review Announces 2016 Award Winners" . National Board of Review . Retrieved March 20, 2021 .^ "National Board of Review Announces 2017 Award Winners" . National Board of Review . Retrieved March 20, 2021 .^ "National Board of Review Announces 2018 Award Winners" . National Board of Review . Retrieved March 20, 2021 .^ Sharf, Zack (December 3, 2019). "National Board of Review 2019: 'The Irishman' Wins Best Film, Adam Sandler Named Best Actor" . IndieWire . Retrieved March 20, 2021 . ^ Davis, Clayton (January 26, 2021). "National Board of Review Names 'Da 5 Bloods' Best Picture, Spike Lee Becomes Second Black Director Winner" . Variety . Retrieved March 20, 2021 . ^ National Board of Review Winners 2021:|IndieWire ^ Top Gun: Maverick Named Best Movie of 2022 by National Board of Review - The Hollywood Reporter ^ National Board of Review Names 'Killers of the Flower Moon' Best Film of 2023 - The Hollywood Reporter
