Oman today_ France and Spain have entered the race for the 2026 Oscars with very different cinematic choices. After extensive deliberation, France selected It Was Just An Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi, as its official submission. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the prestigious Palme d’Or, is now seen as France’s best chance in over three decades to finally secure the Academy Award for Best International Feature.
Other contenders considered by France included the animated feature Arco, Nouvelle Vague, A Private Life, and The Little Sister. Ultimately, however, It Was Just An Accident was chosen, with its weighty themes and high-profile attention giving it strong momentum among Academy voters. The story unfolds from a minor crash that spirals into a chain of tense events. The cast features Maryam Afshari, Majid Panahi, Ebrahim Azizi, and Vahid Mobsari. The project was produced in collaboration with Les Films du Losange, the same company behind Anatomy of a Fall.
Among the possible rivals for the International Feature category are Sentimental Value, No Other Choice, The Voice of Hind Rajab, and The Secret Agent.
Jafar Panahi, acclaimed director of Taxi, Offside, and No Bears, was arrested in the summer of 2022 for signing a petition condemning police violence and spent seven months in prison. In April of last year, his travel ban was lifted, allowing him to spend some time in France. His previous works include the documentary The Year of the Everlasting Storm, which screened in Cannes’ Special Presentations section in 2021, and Three Faces, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2018.
Meanwhile, Spain has announced Sirat, directed by Oliver Laxe, as its Oscar submission. Like Panahi’s film, it premiered at Cannes, earning strong critical acclaim. Sirat tells the story of a father who embarks on a journey with his son across North Africa in search of his missing daughter.
Both It Was Just An Accident and Sirat will be distributed in the United States by indie studio Neon.