Iran’s Oscar Entry Eliminated from the Competition

According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced the preliminary shortlists for the 2026 Oscars across 12 categories, including Best International Feature Film (non-English language), Documentary Feature and Short, Animated Short, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Sound, Music, and— for the first time in Oscar history—Best Casting.

In the Best International Feature Film category, 15 films were selected from submissions by 86 countries and territories. The shortlisted titles represent Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Norway, Palestine, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Tunisia. Among them, the Spanish film Sirat has emerged as one of the strongest non-English-language contenders, appearing not only in this category but also in several technical fields.

Cause of Death: Unknown, starring Banipal Shoomoon, Alireza Sani-Far, and Neda Jebraeili, is a road movie that follows seven passengers whose lives are profoundly altered at the end of a long journey by the death of one of their companions. Despite its official submission to the Academy, the film did not secure a place on this year’s shortlist.

At the same time, Iranian filmmakers remain present in other Oscar categories. The documentary feature Faraway Roads (Uzak Yollar) by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni has advanced to the shortlist for Best Documentary Feature, while A Simple Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi, is competing in the Best International Feature Film category as France’s official submission.

Overall, the early Oscar lists are led by the musical films Wicked: Forever and Sinners, both of which have appeared in every category for which they were eligible. They are followed by Frankenstein with six appearances, while F1, Another Battle After Another, and the Spanish film Sirat have each secured five shortlist mentions.

Final voting by Academy members will take place from January 12 to January 16. The official nominees for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on January 22, and the Oscar ceremony is scheduled to be held on March 15, 2026.