So stand Austria's Chances at the 98th Academy Awards

Austria is not in the running for the Foreign Oscar in 2026. The domestic submission "Peacock - Am I Real?" by Bernhard Wenger did not make it onto the shortlist of 15 nominations in the recently announced pre-selection for twelve categories. However, this does not necessarily mean that Austria has to go empty-handed at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15. Among others, director Richard Ladkani is in the running for the documentary trophy with his work "Yanuni".

"Yanuni": Austrian Documentary on Indigenous Leader

In "Yanuni", which will hit theaters in May, Ladkani tells the story of the indigenous leader Juma Xipaia, who rose from environmental activist to the Brazilian Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. The work is an international co-production of the Austrian Malaika Pictures with the support of the Austrian Film Institute. "This film stands for indigenous sovereignty, love, and the courage to stand up for the future of our planet even under extreme risks," emphasized Ladkani in response to being included in the circle of the last 15 nominations.

Further Austrian Hopes

As with all other categories, the final pre-selection for the Oscar gala will be announced on January 22. It will also be exciting for the Austrian-Swiss director Edward Berger, who can hope for his literary adaptation "The Ballad of Wallis Island" with Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton in the sections Best Original Song ("Our Love") and Best Cinematography (James Friend). The German composer Volker Bertelmann, who collaborated with Berger as he did with "All Quiet on the Western Front" and won the Oscar at that time, is not nominated for "Ballad of Wallis Island" - but for his work on the thriller "A House of Dynamite" by director Kathryn Bigelow. Here he competes, among others, with film composer legend Hans Zimmer, who has chances with his music for the motorsport film "F1".

These Are the Candidates for the Foreign Oscar

Even though Wenger's "Peacock" will not make a mark at the Foreign Oscars, there is still a small red-white-red glimmer of hope here. For Germany, the film "Looking into the Sun" by Mascha Schilinski is still in the running, in which the Viennese Susanne Wuest plays a role. Otherwise, films from South Korea ("No Other Choice"), Tunisia ("The Voice of Hind Rajab"), and Argentina ("Belén") are represented. France made it into the pre-selection with "A Simple Accident" by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, Norway with the family drama "Sentimental Value", Brazil with the thriller "The Secret Agent", and Switzerland is on the shortlist with the drama "Heroine" starring Leonie Benesch.

(APA/Red)

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