Welcome to the Foreign Films Blog

A quick introduction and a look at the best foreign films, actors and actresses honored by the big 2008 awards ceremonies.

Hello and welcome to the foreign films blog. Feel free to get involved, contribute to the discussion forum or comment on articles - your feedback and opinions are very welcome, so please don't hesitate to contact me.

Awards Season Comes to a Close

This week I've been pondering the outcomes of the annual awardathon love-ins. Many fine foreign films and actors have been rewarded this year, with particularly notable appearances from Daniel Day Lewis, Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton. The French actress Marion Cotillard pretty much swept the board, picking up a whole clutch of awards including an Oscar, a Bafta, a Cesar, and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose. I have to admit, I would never have predicted such a brilliant turn from Cotillard, even though I loved her in Luc Besson's 1998 French action/comedy Taxi.

British actor Daniel Day Lewis gave a moving speech at the SAG awards, dedicating the award for his performance in There Will Be Blood to Heath Ledger. Day Lewis then went on to garner best actor gongs at the Baftas, the Oscars and the Golden Globes. London born actress Tilda Swinton also achieved the triplicate of Bafta, Oscar and Golden Globe for her supporting role in Michael Clayton.

The awards ceremonies have introduced several strong contenders in the foreign films field. Hopefully, they'll begin filtering out to cinemas around the globe at various points this year, so we can all get to see them. The Counterfeiters picked up the Best Foreign Film Oscar, Pan's Labyrinth won BBC4's World Cinema Awards, The Lives of Others got the Bafta and The Elite Squad picked up the Golden Bear at Berlinale. More on these as and when they all become available to view in Britain.