Skolimowski made the prediction in an interview with Polish Radio, the public broadcaster’s IAR news agency reported on Friday.
The filmmaker said: “I’m convinced that I know who will win the Oscar in the Best International Feature Film category.”
According to Skolimowski, Germany’s Netflix-produced All Quiet on the Western Front is “a firm favourite” to scoop the award.
He noted the German film’s “epic sweep and big budget” and added that the same applied to another nominee, Argentina's Argentina, 1985, the IAR news agency reported.
The Polish director said: “In boxing terms, they are heavyweights, whereas our movie competes in the lighter categories, such as lightweight, featherweight or bantamweight.”
Asked which of the accolades he had received over the years was most precious to him, Skolimowski said: “The Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival. The Oscar nomination comes second.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s ceremony, the Polish filmmaker added jokingly: “The fairest verdict would be to hand Oscars to all five nominees in the best international film category.”
The other two nominated films are Belgium's Close and Ireland's The Quiet Girl, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The Oscars ceremony takes place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 12, and will be broadcast in Poland by Canal+ Premium and Canal+ Online, according to the PAP news agency.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, hollywoodreporter.com