Why does it often take so long for Oscar-nominated movies to play in countries outside the US? “The delay between US release and the rest of the world is often to the frustration of movie buffs keen to see the latest films before Oscar nominations are revealed. But it is the tactics adopted during the fierce competition of film festival season that determine when and where a movie will make its mark. The studios vying for cinema’s most prestigious prize know that when it comes to taking home the goods, timing is everything.”