The Brazilian Academy of Cinema announced on Monday (Sept. 15) that the film The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto in the original), by Kléber Mendonça Filho, will be Brazil’s representative at the 2026 Oscars in the Best International Feature category.
With actor Wagner Moura in the lead role, the film is set in 1977, during Brazil’s military dictatorship. The plot follows Marcelo, a technology teacher who tries to start a new life in Recife, but ends up immersed in a world of espionage and paranoia.
The Secret Agent, which has not yet been released in Brazil, has accumulated several international awards—including Best Director for Kléber Mendonça Filho and Best Actor for Wagner Moura at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Race Step by Step
Being selected as Brazil’s representative for the Oscars does not mean the film has secured a nomination.
Each country chooses one film as its representative in the competition. From these, the Oscars select the films that will actually compete for the world’s most famous film award. The Oscar ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026.
This year, Brazil won its first Oscar with I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui), by Walter Salles, in the Best International Feature category.
Source: Agência Brasil