Sony Classics’ Michael Barker & 193’s Patrick Wachsberger Talk Ultra Competitive Best International Film Race, Potential Rule Changes & Upcoming Slates — Zurich Summit

Sony Pictures Classics Co-President Michael Barker and 193 CEO Patrick Wachsberger stopped by Deadline’s studio at the Zurich Summit this past weekend to discuss the ultra competitive international Oscar category and upcoming projects, some of which could feature in the awards race.

SPC is in the Best International Film race with Iraqi hopeful The President’s Cake, while Wachsberger sits on the committee that decides the French nomination, which turned out this year to be Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident.

Both men agreed that it’s another uber competitive lineup in the category. The race for the French nomination is often heated and this year was no different with a number of high-profile contenders, including a quartet of Cannes titles: Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, SPC’s A Private Life, Neon animation Arco and crime-drama 137.

Wachsberger raised the question as to whether some countries could get more than one selection. “That question has been raised before,” said industry vet Barker, who suggested that over the years there had been a move away from an idea that a selection “would reflect the culture of the country of origin and not only the [nationality of the] filmmaker”.

Both men also discussed upcoming movies on their slates. Wachsberger touched on Jean Dujardin starrer The Incredible Shrinking Man and Sydney Sweeney starrer Scandalous, including concerns raised by the film’s subject Kim Novak, while Barker ran through SPC’s upcoming slate and highlighted upcoming movies Nuremberg, Eleanor The Great and The President’s Cake as among films that could connect strongly with the Academy.

Check out the full chat above.