Who Could Represent Ukraine at the Oscars: Committee Announces Five Contending Films

The Ukrainian Oscar Committee has completed accepting entries for the national selection for the 99th Academy Awards. This year, five films will compete in the “Best International Feature Film” category for the right to represent Ukraine.

Accrding to Suspilne, the committee announced this on Facebook.

The films submitted for consideration are:

“The Eternity Man” (directed by Ivan Nikolaichuk);

“Killhouse” (directed by Liubomyr Levytskyi);

“The Last Prometheus of Donbas” (directed by Anton Shtuka);

“A Simple Soldier” (directed by Artem Ryzhykov and Juan Camilo Cruz);

“The Last Message” (directed by Andrii Voloshyn and Oleksii Liebiediev).

The committee is currently reviewing the submitted entries to ensure they meet the technical and regulatory requirements of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Following this review, the winning film will be selected at a committee meeting.

The Ukrainian Oscar Committee consists of film industry professionals and members of the Ukrainian Film Academy, elected through an internal vote.

What Is Known About the Films That Could Represent Ukraine at the 2027 Oscars

“The Eternity Man” is a philosophical historical drama directed by Ivan Nikolaichuk and based on Myroslav Dochynets’ bestselling novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Andrii Voron, a Carpathian molfar, tracing his life from a healer and fighter for Carpathian Ukraine to a prisoner exiled to Siberia who later returns to his native village.

The film premiered at the 2025 Odesa International Film Festival. Its leading roles were played by Pavlo Tekuchev, Oleh Mosiichuk, and actor and Azov service member Daniil Mireshkin.

“Killhouse” is a tactical action thriller directed by Liubomyr Levytskyi and based on a real-life special operation carried out in 2022. The plot follows soldiers from the 3rd Assault Brigade, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Security Service of Ukraine as they attempt to rescue a civilian family and an American journalist from the gray zone. The journalist is documenting the work of the International Legion. More than 70 professional actors and around 200 active-duty service members and veterans with combat experience were involved in the filming, playing themselves.

“The Last Prometheus of Donbas” is a documentary directed by Anton Shtuka, focusing on the workers of the Kurakhove Thermal Power Plant, who kept the facility running under constant shelling just 10 kilometers from the front line. The film documents the energy workers’ efforts through the forced evacuation of equipment in 2024 and features unique footage from inside Ukraine’s energy system, filmed amid ongoing attacks and blackouts.

“A Simple Soldier” is a documentary directed by Artem Ryzhykov and Juan Camilo Cruz. It tells the story of Ryzhykov himself, who volunteered to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022. The film was edited from more than 1,000 hours of personal footage and was included in Variety’s list of the best documentaries of 2025.

“The Last Message” is a documentary directed by Andrii Voloshyn and Oleksii Liebiediev, focusing on the story of American-Ukrainian singer Kelsi Kimberlin. She travels to Ukraine to find out more about the death of her 21-year-old cousin Andrii, who was killed by Russian forces. The film presents the war through the eyes of a foreigner who meets soldiers and civilians on the front line, records a song in memory of her cousin, and discovers the resilience of Ukrainians through her personal tragedy.

What Is Known About the 99th Oscars Ceremony

The shortlist of 15 films in the “Best International Feature Film” category will be announced on December 15, 2026. The five nominees will be announced on January 21, 2027, while the awards ceremony will take place in LA on March 14, 2027.

The 99th and 100th ceremonies will be the last to air on ABC before the Oscars move to YouTube.

EMPR