Countries name entries for the 2027 Oscars international feature category as deadline passes

MixedNational selection committees have been naming their entries for the international feature film Oscar at the 99th Academy Awards, with final submissions due around the start of October. 1 2 MixedThe 15-film shortlist will be revealed on Dec. 15 and nominations on Jan. 21; The National adds that the ceremony takes place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027. 1 2 LeftVariety says Academy members in all branches who commit to watching all 15 shortlisted films will vote on them, and that a new Academy rule lets a film that wins the top prize at one of six major festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan and Toronto) enter without a national committee's backing. 1

LeftVariety lists entries including Romania's "Fjord" (Cannes Palme d'Or winner), Germany's "Everytime", France's "Minotaur", Spain's "La Bola Negra" and Poland's "Fatherland", plus Cuba's "Malecón", Vietnam's "Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor", Venezuela's "Death Has No Master", Bangladesh's "Roid", Italy's "The Spiral" and Hong Kong's "Sons of the Neon Night". 1 LeftItaly's film was chosen by a commission of experts named by the motion picture association ANICA from a 21-title list, and Hong Kong's pick won eight Hong Kong Film Awards despite losing best film and director to "Ciao UFO", according to Variety. 1 CentreThe National reports that seven Arab countries or territories (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine) have chosen entries, while Saudi Arabia and Tunisia opened selection processes but have not publicly announced an entry. 2

CentreThe Arab entries are Lebanon's "Furies" (a heist thriller inspired by the banking crisis), Algeria's "Roqia", Iraq's "No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman", Morocco's "La Mas Dulce" ("Strawberries"), Palestine's "Citizen Osama", Egypt's "The Stories" and Jordan's "Sink". 2 MixedBoth outlets report Jordan's choice of Zain Duraie's debut feature "Sink", which premiered at the Toronto festival in 2025. 1 2 CentreThe National gives selection details: Palestine's Minister of Culture Imad Hamdan announced "Citizen Osama" on Aug. 31, making it Palestine's 19th submission since 2003; Morocco's committee chose its film unanimously on Sept. 2 from four candidates; Egypt's committee picked from 36 films after two voting rounds. 2

CentreAs context, The National recalls that last year Tunisia's "The Voice of Hind Rajab" reached the final five after a record four Arab films made the shortlist. 2