The 98th Academy Awards® will take place on March 15, 2026, and for Italy, the time is approaching to choose which film to submit for the International Feature Film Award category.

On September 23, the selection committee, established at ANICA at the request of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will announce the Italian film that will represent Italy at the 2026 Oscars. However, we will only find out on December 16 whether Italy will actually make it into the shortlist of five nominees competing for the Best International Feature Film statuette, when the Academy officially announces the shortlist.

The list of contenders submitted by national producers to the selection committee includes 24 films, whose first theatrical release in Italy or another country (excluding the United States and its territories) took place between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.

The list includes:

  1. Berlinguer, la grande ambizione by Andrea Segre

  2. Diamanti by Ferzan Özpetek

  3. Diva Futura by Giulia Louise Steigerwalt

  4. Duse by Pietro Marcello

  5. Elisa by Leonardo Di Costanzo

  6. Eterno visionario by Michele Placido

  7. Familia by Francesco Costabile

  8. Follemente by Paolo Genovese

  9. Fuori by Mario Martone

  10. Hey Joe by Claudio Giovannesi

  11. Il monaco che vinse l’apocalisse by Jordan River

  12. Il Nibbio by Alessandro Tonda

  13. Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa by Margherita Ferri

  14. Il treno dei bambini by Cristina Comencini

  15. L’amore che ho by Paolo Licata

  16. L’orto americano by Pupi Avati

  17. La vita da grandi by Greta Scarano

  18. Le assaggiatrici by Silvio Soldini

  19. Le città di pianura by Francesco Sossai

  20. Le déluge – gli ultimi giorni di Maria Antonietta by Gianluca Jodice

  21. Napoli – New York by Gabriele Salvatores

  22. Sotto le nuvole by Gianfranco Rosi

  23. Trifole – Le radici dimenticate by Gabriele Fabbro

  24. Vittoria by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman


Photo Credits: Pexels