INTERNATIONAL Feature Film
Nominees:
Argentina, “Belén”
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
France, “It Was Just an Accident”
Germany, “Sound of Falling”
India, “Homebound”
Iraq, “The President’s Cake”
Japan, “Kokuho”
Jordan, “All That’s Left of You”
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
Palestine, “Palestine 36”
South Korea, “No Other Choice”
Spain, “Sirât”
Switzerland, “Late Shift”
Taiwan, “Left-Handed Girl”
Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
Per the Academy’s press release:
Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards. Films from 86 countries or regions were eligible in the category.
Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.
Nominations voting begins on Monday, January 12, 2026, and concludes on Friday, January 16, 2026. Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (France) • NEON
Jafar Panahi | Director/Producer
NO OTHER CHOICE (South Korea) • NEON
Park Chan-wook | Director
Park Chan-wook, Jisun Back, Michèle Ray-Gavras, Alexandre Gavras | Producers
THE SECRET AGENT (Brazil) • NEON
Kleber Mendonça Filho | Director
Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Wagner Moura, Brent Travers | Producers
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Norway) • NEON
Joachim Trier | Director
Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Maria Ekerhovd | Producers
SIRĀT (Spain) • NEON
Óliver Laxe | Director
Domingo Corral, Óliver Laxe, Xavi Font, Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García, Oriol Maymó, Mani Mortazavi, Andrea Queralt | Producers
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
A world exists where all five Best International Feature Film nominees come from the same studio. And not just in an “oh, Neon has five films eligible” way, but in that Neon’s submissions are all the front-runners for a nomination. My better judgment says there’s no way this could actually happen, so I should predict something else. And yet, despite trying to find another film that I think will get in based on the precursors, all signs point toward this history-making conclusion.
The odds-on favorite to win the entire category is Sentimental Value. What helps is that it’s projected to land in several other categories, including as many as four Acting nominations, Screenplay, and, more than likely, Best Picture. Needless to say, it’s a lock for an International Feature nomination. Following closely behind is It Was Just an Accident. Many pundits believe director Jafar Panahi is a shoo-in for a Directing nomination, and many also believe it will land in Best Picture. Again, this feels like another lock.
No Other Choice and The Secret Agent are two more international finalists being thrown around as possible Best Picture nominees. Missing from these contenders, however, are clear locks in other categories. No Other Choice has strong Screenplay considerations, while Wagner Moura is a name being mentioned in regard to Actor in a Leading Role. But none of these feel fully locked in. While I love the international inclusion in the Best Picture conversation, these films are considerably harder to sell there. When it comes to International Feature Film, though, they’re showing up with several precursors and are likely to get nominations.
For the longest time, I tried to fill this last spot with something else. In my mind, the idea of Neon landing five nominees felt outrageous. However, the Oscars shortlists paint a different picture, as Sirāt appeared on several lists, including Sound, Casting, and Score. That suggests it’s on the Academy’s radar in a bigger way than I initially imagined, and it would make sense for it to also show up here, if not in additional categories. So, as unlikely as it may seem for one studio to pull off this feat, I’m going to go ahead and predict it.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU (Jordan) • Watermelon Pictures
Cherien Dabis | Director
Cherien Dabis, Thanassis Karathanos, Martin Hampel, Marios Piperides, Janine Teerling | Producers
BELÉN (Argentina) • Amazon MGM Studios
Dolores Fonzi | Director
Leticia Cristi, Hugo Sigman, Matías Mosteirín | Producers
LATE SHIFT (Switzerland) • Music Box Films
Petra Biondina Volpe | Director
Reto Schärli, Lukas Hobi | Producers
SOUND OF FALLING (Germany) • MUBI
Mascha Schilinski | Director
Lucas Schmidt, Lasse Scharpen | Producers
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tunisia) • Watermelon Pictures
Kaouther Ben Hania | Director
Nadim Cheikhrouha, James Wilson , Odessa Rae | Producers
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
There’s been something about Sound of Falling that’s led me to believe it could be a shoo-in for a nomination in International Feature Film. It simply has that feel of what the Academy tends to go for. Would I be surprised if it sneaks in? Not in the slightest. But I can’t begin to predict which Neon film it would knock out.
A film I felt like no one was talking about before awards season was Argentina’s Belén. However, once the Critics Choice and Hollywood Astra Awards announced their nominees, it showed up on both lists. Perhaps it can sneak into the top five. The Film Independent Spirit Awards recognized All That’s Left of You as one of its nominees, so it’s also on people’s radars, while Late Shift and The Voice of Hind Rajab have been mentioned by pundits.
Late Shift stars Leonie Benesch from The Teacher’s Lounge, a previous International Feature nominee, which is enough to make you wonder if she could help bring about another nomination. And the subject matter of The Voice of Hind Rajab feels especially pertinent, given the ongoing Israel–Palestine conflict.
Argentina, “Belén”
September 18, 2025 | Amazon MGM Studios | 100 min | Spanish | Crime, Drama
Dolores Fonzi
Synopsis: A woman hospitalized for pain discovers she’s pregnant. After a medical emergency, she faces criminal charges. With support from her attorney and women’s rights advocates, she fights for justice in a landmark case that could change lives.
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ San Sebastián International Film Festival Nominee
✰ José María Forqué Awards Winner
✰ Women Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Film Awards Nominee
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
November 26, 2025 | NEON | 158 min | Portuguese | Crime, Drama, Fantasy, History, Mystery, Thriller
Kleber Mendonça Filho
Synopsis: In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.
✰ Golden Globes Award Nominee
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner (FIPRESCI Prize)
✰ Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Chicago International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Hamburg Film Festival Nominee
✰ Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee
✰ Jerusalem Film Festival Winner
✰ Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ London Critics Circle Film Awards Nominee
✰ Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ National Board of Review Award Winner (Top Five)
✰ New York Film Critics Circle Awards Winner
✰ San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ San Sebastián International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Stockholm Film Festival Nominee
✰ Sydney Film Festival Nominee
✰ Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Warsaw International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Lumiere Awards Nominee
✰ Morelia International Film Festival Winner
✰ Austin Film Critics Association Award Winner
✰ Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Zurich Film Festival Winner
✰ North Texas Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ St. Louis Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominee
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Indiana Film Journalists Association Award Nominee
✰ Georgia Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Utah Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Indiewire Critics’ Poll Nominee
✰ Phoenix Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Nominee
✰ CineFest – Miskolc International Film Festival Winner
✰ Middleburg Film Festival Winner
✰ Pingyao International Film Festival Winner
✰ Online Association of Female Film Critics Award Nominee
✰ Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Festival Int’l del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana Winner
✰ San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ Seattle Film Critics Society Award Nominee
✰ Festival de Cinema Curta Caicó Winner
✰ Portland Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Awards Nominee
✰ Cineuropa Award Nominee
✰ Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Cinema & Television Winner
✰ Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Film Awards Nominee
✰ Prêmio F5 Award Winner
✰ Rio de Janeiro Film Critics Association Award Winner
France, “It Was Just An Accident”
May 20, 2025 | NEON | 105 min | Persian | Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Jafar Panahi
Synopsis: A small mishap triggers a chain reaction of ever-growing problems.
✰ British Independent Film Awards Nominee
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner (Palme d’Or)
✰ Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ European Film Awards Nominee
✰ Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Golden Globes Award Nominee
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ Gotham Awards Winner
✰ Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Winner
✰ Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ Locarno Film Festival Nominee
✰ London Critics Circle Film Awards Nominee
✰ Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ National Board of Review Award Winner
✰ New York Film Critics Circle Awards Winner
✰ San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Winner
✰ San Sebastián International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ Sydney Film Festival Winner
✰ Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Warsaw International Film Festival Nominee
✰ AFI Awards Winner (Special Award)
✰ Lumiere Awards Nominee
✰ Capri, Hollywood Winner
✰ Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Mill Valley Film Festival Winner
✰ Asia Pacific Screen Awards Winner
✰ North Texas Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ St. Louis Film Critics Association Award Winner
✰ Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominee
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Winner
✰ Indiana Film Journalists Association Award Nominee
✰ Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Georgia Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Utah Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Phoenix Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Nominee
✰ Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards Winner
✰ Atlanta Film Critics Circle Award Winner
✰ Online Association of Female Film Critics Award Nominee
✰ Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Días de Cine Awards Nominee
✰ San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award Winner
✰ Seattle Film Critics Society Award Winner
✰ Portland Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Awards Nominee
✰ Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Film Awards Nominee
Germany, “Sound of Falling”
September 26, 2025 | MUBI | 149 min | German | Drama, War
Mascha Schilinski
Synopsis: A remote German farm harbors generations of secrets. Four women, separated by decades but united by trauma, uncover the truth behind its weathered walls.
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner (Jury Prize)
✰ British Independent Film Awards Nominee
✰ Chicago International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Denver Film Festival Nominee
✰ European Film Awards Nominee
✰ Ghent International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Gotham Awards Nominee
✰ Hamptons International Film Festival Winner
✰ Jerusalem Film Festival Nominee
✰ Melbourne International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Munich Film Festival Nominee
✰ Stockholm Film Festival Nominee
✰ Valladolid International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Athens International Film Festival Winner
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Montclair Film Festival Nominee
India, “Homebound”
May 21, 2025 | Dharma | 119 min | Hindi | Drama
Neeraj Ghaywan
Synopsis: Two friends from a North Indian village pursue police jobs seeking dignity, but their friendship strains as desperation grows in their quest.
✰ Cannes Film Festival Nominee
✰ Toronto International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Warsaw International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Zurich Film Festival Nominee
Iraq, “The President’s Cake”
May 16, 2025 | Sony Pictures Classics | 102 min | Arabic | Drama
Hasan Hadi
Synopsis: In 1990s Iraq, 9-year-old Lamia must bake the President’s birthday cake. She scrambles to find ingredients for this compulsory task while facing potential punishment if she fails.
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner
✰ Denver Film Festival Nominee
✰ Hamptons International Film Festival Winner
✰ Stockholm Film Festival Nominee
✰ Athens International Film Festival Winner (Audience Award)
✰ Zurich Film Festival Nominee
✰ Santa Fe International Film Festival Winner
✰ Lisbon Film Festival Nominee
✰ CineFest – Miskolc International Film Festival Winner
✰ Pingyao International Film Festival Winner
Japan, “Kokuho”
May 18, 2025 | Tôhô Co. | 175 min | Japanese | Drama
Lee Sang-il
Synopsis: In post-war Japan’s economic boom, gangster family-born Kikuo Tachibana finds himself adopted by a kabuki actor. Despite life’s challenges, he develops into a gifted performer.
✰ Cannes Film Festival Nominee
✰ Hochi Film Awards Winner
✰ Nikkan Sports Film Awards Nominee
Jordan, “All That’s Left of You”
January 25, 2025 | Watermelon Pictures | 145 min | Arabic, English | Drama, Romance
Cherien Dabis
Synopsis: After a Palestinian teen gets swept up into a West Bank protest, his mother recounts the family story of hope, courage and relentless struggle that led to this fateful moment.
✰ Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee
✰ San Francisco International Film Festival Winner
✰ Shanghai International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Sydney Film Festival Winner
✰ Thessaloniki Film Festival Winner
✰ Seville European Film Festival Nominee
✰ Women Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
May 21, 2025 | NEON | 135 min | Norwegian, English | Drama
Joachim Trier
Synopsis: An intimate exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.
✰ Golden Globes Award Nominee
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner (Grand Prize)
✰ Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Winner
✰ British Independent Film Awards Winner
✰ Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ European Film Awards Nominee
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Winner
✰ London Critics Circle Film Awards Nominee
✰ Munich Film Festival Winner
✰ National Board of Review Award Winner (Top Five)
✰ San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ North Texas Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ St. Louis Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominee
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards Nominee
✰ Iowa Film Critics Awards Winner
✰ Georgia Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ Utah Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Phoenix Critics Circle Award Winner
✰ AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Nominee
✰ Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Online Association of Female Film Critics Award Winner
✰ Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Días de Cine Awards Winner
✰ San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ Seattle Film Critics Society Nominee
✰ Portland Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Awards Nominee
✰ Brussels International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Film Awards Nominee
Palestine, “Palestine 36”
September 5, 2025 | Watermelon Pictures | 118 min | Arabic, English | Biography, Drama, History, War
Annemarie Jacir
Synopsis: In 1936, as Palestinian villages revolt against British colonial rule, Yusuf navigates between Jerusalem and his rural home, amidst escalating unrest and a pivotal moment for the British Empire.
✰ Tokyo International Film Festival Winner
South Korea, “No Other Choice”
August 29, 2025 | NEON | 139 min | Korean | Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Park Chan-wook
Synopsis: After being unemployed for several years, a man devises a unique plan to secure a new job: eliminate his competition.
✰ Golden Globes Awards Nominee
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Winner (Tie)
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ Gotham Awards Nominee
✰ Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ London Critics Circle Film Awards Nominee
✰ Stockholm Film Festival Winner
✰ Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Toronto International Film Festival Winner
✰ Venice Film Festival Nominee
✰ Savannah Film Festival Winner
✰ Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Winner
✰ Blue Dragon Awards Winner
✰ Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ North Texas Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ St. Louis Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominee
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Indiana Film Journalists Association Award Winner
✰ Georgia Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Boston Online Film Critics Association Award Winner
✰ Utah Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Phoenix Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Nominee
✰ Atlanta Film Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ Online Association of Female Film Critics Award Nominee
✰ Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ Seattle Film Critics Society Award Nominee
✰ Portland Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Awards Nominee
✰ Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Film Awards Nominee
Spain, “SirĀt”
May 15, 2025 | NEON | 115 min | Spanish, French | Action, Adventure, Drama, Music, Mystery, Thriller
Óliver Laxe
Synopsis: A father, accompanied by his son, goes looking for his missing daughter in North Africa.
✰ Golden Globes Award Nominee
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner (Jury Prize)
✰ British Independent Film Awards Nominee
✰ Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Chicago International Film Festival Winner (Gold Hugo)
✰ Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Denver Film Festival Winner
✰ European Film Awards Nominee
✰ Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee
✰ London Critics Circle Film Awards Nominee
✰ Munich Film Festival Nominee
✰ National Board of Review Award Winner (Top Five)
✰ Pula Film Festival Winner
✰ San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ San Sebastián International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Winner
✰ Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ North Texas Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ St. Louis Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominee
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Georgia Film Critics Association Award Nominee
✰ Utah Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ José María Forqué Awards Nominee
✰ Montclair Film Festival Winner
✰ Phoenix Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ Días de Cine Awards Nominee
✰ San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award Nominee
✰ Portland Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Film Awards Nominee
Switzerland, “Late Shift”
February 17, 2025 | Music Box Films | 91 min | German | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Petra Biondina Volpe
Synopsis: Floria, a dedicated nurse, tirelessly serves in an understaffed hospital ward. However, today her shift becomes a tense and urgent race against the clock.
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ Haifa International Film Festival Winner
✰ Virginia Film Festival Winner
✰ Seville European Film Festival Nominee
Taiwan, “Left-Handed Girl”
May 15, 2025 | Netflix | 109 min | Mandarin, Taiwanese | Drama
Shih-Ching Tsou
Synopsis: A single mother and her two daughters relocate to Taipei to open a night market stall, each navigating the challenges of adapting to their new environment while striving to maintain family unity.
✰ Critics Choice Awards Nominee
✰ Cannes Film Festival Winner
✰ Denver Film Festival Nominee
✰ Golden Horse Film Festival Nominee
✰ Haifa International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ National Board of Review Award Winner (Top Five)
✰ San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominee
✰ Stockholm Film Festival Nominee
✰ Valladolid International Film Festival Nominee
✰ Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards Nominee
✰ Zurich Film Festival Winner (Special Mention)
✰ Rome Film Fest Winner
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Indiana Film Journalists Association Award Nominee
✰ Women Film Critics Circle Awards Winner
Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
September 3, 2025 | Watermelon Pictures | 89 min | Arabic | Drama
Kaouther Ben Hania
Synopsis: Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 6-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her.
✰ Golden Globes Award Nominee
✰ Chicago International Film Festival Winner (Jury Prize)
✰ Ghent International Film Festival Winner (Grand Prix)
✰ Hamptons International Film Festival Winner
✰ San Sebastián International Film Festival Winner
✰ Venice Film Festival Winner (Grand Jury Prize)
✰ Women Film Critics Circle Awards Winner (Tie)
✰ La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival Winner
✰ European Film Awards Nominee
✰ Satellite Awards Nominee
✰ BFI London Film Festival Nominee
✰ Lumiere Award Nominee
✰ New York Film Critics Online Award Nominee
✰ Indiana Film Journalists Association Award Nominee
✰ Online Association of Female Film Critics Nominee
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