The Brazilian Academy of Cinema announced the list of 16 films that will compete for Brazil’s official nomination to the 2026 Oscars in the best international feature category. According to a UOL report, the Oscars ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026, with the first shortlist expected on December 16, 2025, and the final nominees announced on January 22, 2026.
Among the selected titles is “A Melhor Mãe do Mundo”, by Anna Muylaert, which narrates the journey of Gal, a garbage recycler who flees a violent husband taking her young children in a cart through the streets of São Paulo, turning the escape into a supposed adventure in the children’s eyes.
Another highlight is “A Praia do Fim do Mundo”, by Petrus Cariry, about a mother and daughter who live in a house threatened by the advancing sea and must decide between leaving or staying in the coastal city. Already, “Baby”, by Marcelo Caetano, tells the story of Wellington, an 18-year-old recently released from a juvenile detention center, who finds support and conflict in his relationship with an older man.
The list also features “Homem com H”, by Esmir Filho, which recreates the artistic and personal trajectory of Ney Matogrosso, and “Kasa Branca”, by Luciano Vidigal, which follows a teenager from Rio’s periphery facing his grandmother’s terminal illness.
Among the family dramas, “Malu”, by Pedro Freire, addresses the generational conflict between mother, daughter, and grandmother; and “Manas”, by Marianna Brennand, depicts the life of a teenager on Marajó Island and her struggle against a cycle of family abuse.
The list also includes documentaries, such as “Milton Bituca Nascimento”, by Flavia Moraes, about the singer’s farewell tour, and thrillers like “O Agente Secreto”, by Kleber Mendonça Filho, set in 1977 Brazil and starring Wagner Moura.
Productions like “O Filho de Mil Homens”, by Daniel Rezende, explore the concept of family through a fisherman who adopts an orphaned boy. “O Último Azul”, by Gabriel Mascaro, offers a dystopian look at elderly people compulsorily displaced to housing colonies in the Amazon.
There’s also the sertanejo “Oeste Outra Vez”, by Erico Rassi; the crime suspense “Os Enforcados”, by Fernando Coimbra; and the historical drama “Retrato de Um Certo Oriente”, by Marcelo Gomes, about the saga of Lebanese immigrants in the Amazon.
The list is completed with “Um Lobo Entre os Cisnes”, by Marcos Schechtman and Helena Varvaki, about Thiago Soares’ trajectory to the Royal Ballet of London; and “Vitória”, by Andrucha Waddington, inspired by a true story starring Fernanda Montenegro, about a retiree who dismantles a gang with footage taken from her home window.
The choice of Brazil’s representative for the Oscars will be made by the Brazilian Academy of Cinema, with the winner joining the shortlist of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the United States.
Source: www.brasil247.com