Oscar 2026 — Two films about war in Ukraine make shortlists
Which films about war in Ukraine made Oscar 2026 list (photo: Getty Images)
The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the shortlists for the 97th Oscar ceremony in 12 categories. Among them are several projects related to Ukraine: films about the war, personal experiences of the full-scale invasion, and international co-productions involving Ukrainian artists, according to the Academy's official website.
Documentary front: Chernov back in the game
The Ukrainian-American film 2000 Meters to Andriivka by director Mstyslav Chernov has made the shortlist in the Documentary Feature category.
This is a new work from the creator of the Oscar-nominated 20 Days in Mariupol, focusing on the battles for the tiny village of Andriivka near Bakhmut during Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive.
The film centers on soldiers of the Third Separate Assault Brigade, their daily movements under fire — literally 2,000 meters of land that becomes a line of survival, memory, and loss.
Meanwhile, in another prestigious category — Best International Feature Film — the Ukraine-submitted entry did not make the shortlist, losing out to favorites highlighted by the global festival press.
International category: Cannes favorites and European hits
The shortlist in the International Feature Film category includes:
Sentimental Value (Norway) — a film by Joachim Trier, Grand Prix winner at the Cannes Film Festival. The drama follows two sisters, complex family ties, and the return of their father, a director who offers the elder daughter the lead role in his own film. The movie is already showing in Ukrainian cinemas.
Sound of Falling (Germany) — Jury Prize winner at Cannes. The story follows four women from different eras whose fates intertwine around a single farm and family secrets.
Special screenings in Kyiv start on December 18, with a wide release on January 15, 2026.
The Secret Agent (Brazil) — this year’s most awarded film at Cannes. The thriller, set against the military dictatorship of the 1970s, follows a scientist who flees persecution while trying to save himself and his son. The Ukrainian release is scheduled for February 19, 2026.
Sirāt (Spain) — produced by the Almodóvar brothers, also a Cannes Jury Prize winner.
The journey of a father and son across the Moroccan desert in search of a missing daughter turns into a surreal odyssey among illegal ravers.
Ukrainian animation: personal story of war
Another Ukrainian project, I Died in Irpin by director Anastasiia Falileieva, has made the shortlist in the Animated Short Film category.
The 11-minute documentary animation depicts the first days of the full-scale invasion through the personal experience of the filmmaker.
The film combines animation created from charcoal drawings with personal archival materials.
It was also screened at the PragueShorts festival as part of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
In the same category, the French short film The Shyness of Trees, co-directed by Ukrainian Sofia Chuikovska, is also included.
Poster for The Shyness of Trees
Other Ukrainian traces in shortlists
The British documentary film Rock, Paper, Scissors, featuring Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Rudynskyi, is competing in the Live Action Short Film category.
Frame from the film Rock, Paper, Scissors
The Smashing Machine, in which Oleksandr Usyk plays a Ukrainian boxer, has made the shortlist in the Makeup and Hairstyling category.
Industry observers note that the film could also appear in the main categories, which will be announced later.
What's next
In addition to the projects already mentioned, the Academy has published shortlists in the following categories:
Documentary Short Film, Music Original Score, Original Song, Sound, Visual Effects, and others.
The official Oscar 2026 nominees will be announced on January 22, 2026.
That is when it will become clear which Ukrainian stories — frontline, personal, or symbolic — will have a chance at the world’s top film award.
