"Pfau - Am I Real?": Austria's Entry for Oscars 2026 is Set

"As a filmmaker, you have big goals and dreams, but to be selected with your first feature film as Austria's entry for the Foreign Oscar and to be able to promote domestic film is an incredible honor," said director Wenger in a statement from the Association of the Film and Music Industry.

Numerous successes for "Peacock - Am I Real?" at international festivals

The German lead actor Albrecht Schuch plays a man in the Austrian-German production, "who goes through life professionally as the perfect companion - and in doing so forgets who he really is," it says. Casting Schuch in the lead role was a coup for the producers, as Schuch recently appeared in the multi-Oscar-winning German drama "All Quiet on the Western Front." In other roles, "Peacock - Am I Real?" features local stars such as Julia Franz Richter and Maria Hofstätter.

Austria's contender in the Oscar race celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival. It was followed by awards at several international film festivals, such as in Stockholm or Chicago, where the film succeeded as the best debut film. For the Austro-Oscar jury, Wenger has succeeded with a "very well-timed film" that impresses with "laconic humor that is not intrusive": "Ironically and wittily, the film reflects a contemporary image of our society. The film prompts both a smile and reflection."

Jury praises "magnificent performance" as "living selfie"

Schuch is credited with a "magnificent performance" as a "living selfie". Wenger leads in his first feature film "a great ensemble that plays as if from a single mold. Furthermore, the film impresses with a precise and formally authentic signature as well as a distinctive visual language that consistently runs through it," according to the jury about the film, which represents Austrian cinema "in the best tradition".

Whether "Pfau - Am I Real?" will be among the final nominees at the "98th Academy Awards" on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles will be decided by January 22 at the latest, when the Oscar nominees are extracted from the shortlist announced in December. Last year, Austria entered the race for the foreign Oscar with the historical depression drama "The Devil's Bath" by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. However, a final nomination was not achieved.

Germany Sends "Looking Into the Sun"

Germany also decided on its foreign Oscar candidate on Thursday. The northern neighboring country is sending the drama "Looking Into the Sun" by director Mascha Schilinski into the race. The film is about four young women living on a farm at different times. Schilinski tells of domestic violence, longings, or traumas and won the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival with it.

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(APA/Red)

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