The Philippines has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since the inception of the category in 1956. The award is given annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. The "Best Foreign Language Film" category was not created until 1956; however, between 1947 and 1955, the Academy presented a non-competitive Honorary Award for the best foreign language films released in the United States.

The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) appoints a committee to choose one film among those released that year to be submitted as the Philippines's official entry to the Academy for a nomination for "Best International Feature Film" the following year. The chosen films, along with their English subtitles, are sent to the Academy, where they are screened for the jury. The 1953 biopic Genghis Khan was the first Philippine film submitted for consideration for the Honorary Foreign Language Film award, the precursor to the current category. From 1956 until the establishment of the FAP in 1981, only four films were submitted for consideration: Child of Sorrow (1956), The Moises Padilla Story (1961), Because of a Flower (1967), and Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976). After the FAP was founded, the Philippines submitted Of the Flesh in 1984 and This Is My Country in 1985, but made no further submissions until 1995's Harvest Home. Since then, the FAP has submitted a film in most years. No film was submitted in 2005; Leo Martinez, the director general of the FAP, revealed that the organization had not received an invitation from the Academy. In 2021, the FAP controversially chose not to send an entry as they lacked government funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines has made 33 cumulative submissions to the category, but none have been nominated for an Oscar, the latest being the 2023 submission The Missing.

Filmmakers Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Gil Portes have each represented the Philippines three times in this category, the most for any director, and including two consecutive films each: Diaz Abaya in 1997 and 1998, and Portes in 2001 and 2002. Brillante Mendoza, a recipient of the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director, directed the 2016 and 2020 submissions. Three films starring John Arcilla have been submitted by the Philippines. Joel Torre has co-starred in three films that were entries in 1984, 1985, and 2000. Two of Judy Ann Santos's films, including Ploning (2008), which she produced and starred in, have been submitted. Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Phillip Salvador, Vilma Santos, and Jomari Yllana have each represented the Philippines twice as actors in the category.

Submissions

List of films, with the English and original titles, directors, and submission results

Year (Ceremony)	Film title used in nomination	Original title	Director	Result	Ref
1953 (26th)	Genghis Khan	Genghis Khan	Manuel Conde	Not nominated
1956 (29th)	Child of Sorrow	Anak Dalita	Lamberto V. Avellana	Not nominated
1961 (34th)	The Moises Padilla Story	The Moises Padilla Story	Gerardo de León	Not nominated
1967 (40th)	Because of a Flower	Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak	Luis Nepomuceno	Not nominated
1976 (49th)	This Is How We Were Before... How Are You Doing Now?	Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?	Eddie Romero	Not nominated
1984 (57th)	Of the Flesh	Karnal	Marilou Diaz-Abaya	Not nominated
1985 (58th)	This Is My Country	Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim	Lino Brocka	Not nominated
1995 (68th)	Harvest Home	Inagaw Mo ang Lahat sa Akin	Carlos Siguion-Reyna	Not nominated
1996 (69th)	Dead Sure	Segurista	Tikoy Aguiluz	Not nominated
1997 (70th)	Milagros	Milagros	Marilou Diaz-Abaya	Not nominated
1998 (71st)	In the Navel of the Sea	Sa Pusod ng Dagat	Marilou Diaz-Abaya	Not nominated
1999 (72nd)	The Kite	Saranggola	Gil Portes	Not nominated
2000 (73rd)	Anak	Anak	Rory Quintos	Not nominated
2001 (74th)	In the Bosom of the Enemy	Gatas... Sa Dibdib ng Kaaway	Gil Portes	Not nominated
2002 (75th)	Small Voices	Mga Munting Tinig	Gil Portes	Not nominated
2003 (76th)	Dekada '70	Dekada '70	Chito S. Roño	Not nominated
2004 (77th)	Crying Ladies	Crying Ladies	Mark Meily	Not nominated
2006 (79th)	The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros	Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros	Auraeus Solito	Not nominated
2007 (80th)	Donsol	Donsol	Adolfo Alix, Jr.	Not nominated
2008 (81st)	Ploning	Ploning	Dante Nico Garcia	Not nominated
2009 (82nd)	Grandpa Is Dead	Ded na si Lolo	Soxie Topacio	Not nominated
2010 (83rd)	Noy	Noy	Dondon Santos	Not nominated
2011 (84th)	The Woman in the Septic Tank	Ang Babae sa Septic Tank	Marlon Rivera	Not nominated
2012 (85th)	Bwakaw	Bwakaw	Jun Lana	Not nominated
2013 (86th)	Transit	Transit	Hannah Espia	Not nominated
2014 (87th)	Norte, the End of History	Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan	Lav Diaz	Not nominated
2015 (88th)	Heneral Luna	Heneral Luna	Jerrold Tarog	Not nominated
2016 (89th)	Ma' Rosa	Ma' Rosa	Brillante Mendoza	Not nominated
2017 (90th)	Birdshot	Birdshot	Mikhail Red	Not nominated
2018 (91st)	Signal Rock	Signal Rock	Chito S. Roño	Not nominated
2019 (92nd)	Verdict	Verdict	Raymund Ribay Gutierrez	Not nominated
2020 (93rd)	Mindanao	Mindanao	Brillante Mendoza	Not nominated
2022 (95th)	On the Job: The Missing 8	On the Job: The Missing 8	Erik Matti	Not nominated
2023 (96th)	The Missing	Iti Mapukpukaw	Carl Joseph Papa	Not nominated

See also

• List of countries by number of Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
• List of Academy Award winners and nominees for Best International Feature Film
• List of Academy Award–winning foreign-language films
• Cinema of the Philippines