What's at stake

An Oscar win for Best International Feature Film confers global visibility, major distribution and streaming deals, and prestige for the filmmaker and their national cinema.

The trophy typically increases box-office, festival bookings, awards-season momentum, and directors' access to financing and talent for future projects.

Who's in play

The nominated films — The Secret Agent; It Was Just an Accident; Sentimental Value; Sirât; and The Voice of Hind Rajab — and their directors, distributors, and national selection bodies shape the race.

Academy voting members across branches, campaign publicists, and international critics determine which film clinches the prize.

What drives it

Campaigning — press screenings, targeted Academy viewings, Q&As, and ad buys — moves attention and keeps a film front of mind for voters.

Festival awards, reviews, U.S. theatrical or streaming availability, and how a film's themes resonate with voters or media narratives are the main causal levers.

What to watch

Watch for the Academy's shortlist and final nominations, U.S. release dates, and the timing of official screenings that determine voter exposure.

Also track festival prize rolls, critics' and guild awards, press coverage, and distributor campaign activity in the weeks leading into the Oscar telecast.