The film is about an unmaternal, gay woman in modern Macedonia, whose partner dies, leaving behind two children she is reluctantly obliged to raise.
Housekeeping for Beginners is produced by Macedonian List Production, Polish Madants, Croatian Kinorama, Serbian Sense Production and Kosovar Industria Film in coproduction with Film I Väst, CommonGround Pictures and Causeway Films, and in association with Tango, New Europe Film Sales and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund.
The North Macedonia Film Agency, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Film Center Serbia, the Polish Film Institute and the Kosovo Cinematography Center supported the film.
The cast is led by Romanian actresses Anamaria Marinca and Alina Șerban, Macedonian actress Sara Klimoska and Serbian actor Vladimir Tintor.
Housekeeping for Beginners had its world premiere in the Horizons competition at the Venice Film Festival 2023, where it won the Queer Lion Award.
New Europe Film Sales is handling the sales. Focus Features acquired distribution rights for the film before its world premiere.
The shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on 21 December 2023, the nominees will be known on 23 January 2024 and the 96th Academy Awards will be held on 10 March 2024.
