Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound bowed out of the Oscar race at the nomination stage on Thursday. The five nominees announced for the International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards are Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Spain’s Sirāt, and Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Though Homebound, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year, had secured a spot among the 15 films shortlisted for the International Feature Film category last month, competition for the final five nominations was especially fierce.
After winning multiple awards at Cannes, including best director award for Kleber Mendonça Filho and best actor award for Wagner Moura (who is popular for playing Pablo Escobar in the series Narcos), The Secret Agent has steadily gained momentum during the awards season. The Brazilian political drama, set in 1977 when the country was under dictatorship, explores the absurdities of life as Moura, who plays a widower, returns to Recife during a carnival, to be reunited with his son.
Filho, known for directing acclaimed movies like Bacurau, makes a strong statement about everyday corruption and military dictatorship in the 160-minute period piece that’s being praised for its visual richness and sound, apart from compelling performances. The Secret Agent has already bagged Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Non-English Language and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama for Moura.
ALSO READ | Oscar Nominations 2026 Announcement LIVE Updates
It Was Just an Accident, written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, has long been considered an Oscar frontrunner. Shot discreetly in Tehran, the winner of Palme d’Or, and four Golden Globes nominations, Panahi’s movie is an unconventional revenge drama that dwells more on moral dilemmas even as it packs an incisive commentary on authoritarianism.
Yet another Oscar-favourite Sentimental Value, directed and co-written by Joachim Trier, has received nine nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Renate Reinsve), Best Supporting Actor (Stellan Skarsgård), and Best Supporting Actress nominations for Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. The movie, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes, is a gripping exploration of the estranged relationship between an aging filmmaker past his prime and his daughters.
Directed by Oliver Laxe, Sirât, a winner of 2025 Cannes Jury Prize, deftly combines a visually and sonically rich experience. A father (Sergi López), accompanied by his young son and pet dog, looks for his missing daughter, who is supposed to be entangled in the local rave culture, in the Moroccan desert. What makes this genre-defying movie engrossing is its emotional depth.
Story continues below this ad
The Voice of Hind Rajab is one of the most political narratives competing for the Oscar trophy. The docudrama, written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, follows the events after Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl, contacts Palestinian Red Crescent Society to rescue her while under siege in Gaza City in 2024 and after losing her family members, who had been shot in an attack by the Israeli Defence Forces. The film uses the real voice of Hind Rajab while recreating the action of emergency response coordinators
Even though Homebound’s Oscar campaign comes to an end, it remains a significant Indian film that touched the global audience with the story of two young friends and their struggles. Producer Karan Johar summed it up aptly when he thanked Ghaywan on social media for “allowing us to bask in your light”.
Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
