Academy Awards International Feature Race Heats Up as Submissions Close
Final Oscar international feature submissions are due Oct. 1, with shortlists Dec. 15 and nominations Jan. 21. A new rule lets top festival winners enter directly.
Final submissions for the Academy Awards international feature film category are due by Oct. 1, as countries finalize their candidates for the 2026 race. Shortlists will be revealed on Dec. 15, with 15 international films selected, and nominations will follow on Jan. 21.
A new Academy rule allows winners of the top prize at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan or Toronto to enter the international feature race without a national committee's backing. That change could reshape this year's field, which already includes several festival standouts.
Romania's Fjord won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, while Germany's Everytime took Cannes' Un Certain Regard prize and France's Minotaur won the Cannes Grand Prix. Italy selected Paolo Strippoli's The Spiral, which stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Jasmine Trinca and premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
Hong Kong selected Juno Mak's Sons of the Neon Night, which stars Takeshi Kaneshiro, Sean Lau, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Louis Koo and Gao Yuanyuan. The film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.
Bangladesh selected Roid, directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, as its official submission. Roid premiered in the Tiger Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam's 55th edition. The submissions were reported by Variety.
Quick answers
When are Oscar international feature submissions due?
Final submissions are due by Oct. 1. Shortlists will be revealed on Dec. 15, with 15 international films selected, and nominations will be announced on Jan. 21.
What is the new Academy rule for international feature?
Winners of the top prize at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan or Toronto can enter the international feature race without a national committee's backing.
Which films have been selected so far?
Bangladesh selected Roid, Italy selected The Spiral, and Hong Kong selected Sons of the Neon Night.