What is the Best International Feature Film race at the 98th Oscars?
The Best International Feature Film category refers to the Academy Award given to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track. The five nominees for the 98th Academy Awards, announced on January 22, 2026, are Brazil’s “The Secret Agent,” France’s “It Was Just an Accident,” Norway’s “Sentimental Value,” Spain’s “Sirât,” and Tunisia’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab”. This year’s field is notably stronger than most recent cycles, with two of the five nominees also competing for Best Picture — a crossover that signals how seriously the Academy is taking international cinema right now.
Why Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent dominate the Best International Feature Film conversation
Norway’s “Sentimental Value,” directed by Joachim Trier, is the most decorated film in this year’s international race by a significant margin. Beyond its Best International Feature Film nomination, it has picked up nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Renate Reinsve, Best Supporting Actor for Stellan Skarsgård, and Best Supporting Actress nominations for both Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. That kind of sweep across acting and directing categories is rare for any film, let alone one competing in the international category. Films Fatale called it the best film of the group and ranked it third among all films released in 2025.
Brazil’s “The Secret Agent,” directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, is the other heavyweight. It is also nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor for Wagner Moura, alongside a Best Casting nomination for Gabriel Domingues. Brazilian cinema has been building serious momentum at the Academy Awards in recent years, and “The Secret Agent” represents that trajectory continuing at full force. Films Fatale described the race as tight between these two films, noting that the Oscars historically tend to distribute trophies across Best Picture nominees rather than doubling up.
The other three nominees and where they stand
France’s “It Was Just an Accident” and Tunisia’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab” complete the field alongside Spain’s “Sirât.” Tunisia’s entry carries particular weight given its subject matter — the film’s title references Hind Rajab, whose name became globally significant in 2024. Spain’s “Sirât” was ranked fifth and last among the nominees by Films Fatale, suggesting it faces the steepest climb to a win. France is a perennial presence in this category and “It Was Just an Accident” keeps that tradition alive, though neither it nor the Tunisian entry has attracted the same crossover recognition as the Norwegian and Brazilian films.
The breadth of the submissions process is worth noting. A record 86 countries submitted entries for consideration this year, with the shortlist of 15 films announced on December 16, 2025. Notable submissions that did not make the final five include India’s “Homebound,” which reached the shortlist, as well as entries from Argentina, Germany, Iraq, Japan, and Jordan. The competition before nomination is fierce, which makes the final five a genuinely strong group even if the top two films have pulled ahead in critical consensus.
How does this year’s race compare to previous years?
The dual Best Picture crossover — “Sentimental Value” and “The Secret Agent” both competing in the main race — is what makes the 98th Oscars international category feel different. In most years, the Best International Feature Film category operates somewhat separately from the main awards conversation. When a film like “Parasite” swept across categories in 2020, it felt like an exception. This year, two films have achieved that crossover simultaneously, which either splits the Academy’s attention or signals that voters are unusually enthusiastic about the quality of non-English language cinema in 2025. Films Fatale noted that “Sentimental Value” carries a highly Bergman-esque quality, drawing a clear lineage to Scandinavian art cinema traditions, while Brazilian cinema has been described as “on a tear” following the success of “I’m Still Here” in the previous awards cycle.
Is Sentimental Value going to win Best International Feature Film?
Based on the available critical consensus, “Sentimental Value” enters as the frontrunner. Films Fatale stated plainly that the odds favour Joachim Trier’s film, while acknowledging that “The Secret Agent” makes it a genuine two-horse race. The argument for “The Secret Agent” winning rests on the theory that the Academy may reward it with the international trophy while directing Best Picture votes elsewhere. Either outcome would represent a deserving winner from an unusually competitive field.
Who are the five nominees for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Oscars?
The five nominees are “The Secret Agent” from Brazil, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho; “It Was Just an Accident” from France; “Sentimental Value” from Norway, directed by Joachim Trier; “Sirât” from Spain; and “The Voice of Hind Rajab” from Tunisia. The nominations were announced on January 22, 2026, selected from a shortlist of 15 films drawn from 86 national submissions.
Is Sentimental Value only nominated for the international category?
No. “Sentimental Value” is one of the most widely nominated films at the 98th Oscars overall. It received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director for Joachim Trier, Best Actress for Renate Reinsve, Best Supporting Actor for Stellan Skarsgård, and Best Supporting Actress nominations for both Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, in addition to its Best International Feature Film nomination.
The 98th Academy Awards Best International Feature Film race is, by any measure, one of the strongest in recent memory. Two Best Picture contenders sharing the category with three other distinct national voices makes for a genuinely unpredictable outcome. Whether the trophy goes to Trier’s Norwegian family drama or Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian thriller, the real story is that international cinema is no longer a sideshow at the Oscars — it is increasingly the main event.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: Tom's Guide
