Four Brazilian film co-productions have been selected by Portugal, Nepal, Lebanon and Paraguay to compete at the 2027 Oscars alongside national entry Feito Pipa.
The Brazilian Film Academy selected Feito Pipa to represent Brazil in the Best International Feature Film category. Under a new rule starting in this edition, a movie can compete in the category either through selection by its home country or by winning major global film festivals.
The selection of the four joint productions expands Brazil's presence in the Oscar race. Portugal chose A Memória do Cheiro das Coisas, Nepal selected Elefantes na Névoa, Lebanon picked Furies, and Paraguay submitted Quem Matou Narciso.
The 2027 ceremony marks a major change in how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences credits the category. The nomination and award now belong to the film itself rather than the submitting country.
Directors will accept the statuette on behalf of the creative team, with the director's name engraved on the plaque after the title. Previous statuettes, including the one for Brazil's submission Ainda Estou Aqui, bore only the country name. Official nominees will be announced on January 21, 2027, ahead of the ceremony on March 14, 2027.
Portuguese drama on streaming
Portugal selected A Memória do Cheiro das Coisas, a co-production between Portugal and Brazil. Brazilian producer Eliane Ferreira of Muiraquitã Filmes serves as co-producer and executive producer on the project, which was directed by Portuguese filmmaker António Ferreira. The movie screened at several international festivals before receiving the endorsement of the Portuguese Cinema Academy.
In Brazil, audiences can stream the film on the ClaroTV+ service. The narrative follows Arménio, a veteran of the Portuguese Colonial War, who moves into a residential care facility for the elderly. His life intersects with Hermínia, a Black caregiver, as he confronts buried memories and personal trauma from his military past.
The Portuguese Colonial War refers to the armed conflicts fought between Portugal's military and nationalist independence movements in its African territories from 1961 to 1974. The film uses Arménio's story to examine the lingering psychological impact of that era on aging veterans.
Nepalese festival winner
Nepal selected Elefantes na Névoa as its official representative for the 2027 Academy Awards. Directed by Nepalese filmmaker Abinash Bikram Shah, the feature is a joint production between Nepal, Germany, Brazil, France and Norway.
Brazilian production companies Bubbles Project and Enquadramento Produções participated in the project, with Tatiana Leite and Leonardo Mecchi among the co-producers. The film made its international debut in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize and the award for Best Sound Creation.
The sound creation award recognized the work of the movie's Brazilian audio team. Elefantes na Névoa also earned Best Film awards at the Bangkok and New Zealand film festivals. It made its Brazilian premiere at Festival do Rio and is set to arrive in Brazilian cinemas in 2027.
Set in a Nepalese village bordering a forest populated by wild elephants, the plot focuses on Pirati, the matriarch of a Kinnar community. Pirati must cope with the sudden disappearance of one of her daughters. Kinnar communities represent a culturally recognized third-gender population across South Asia with long-standing social traditions.
Banking heist from Lebanon
Lebanon picked Furies, directed by Lebanese filmmaker Rami Kodeih, as its candidate for the Oscar competition. The movie was produced by RT Features, a production company led by Brazilian producer Rodrigo Teixeira.
Hollywood actor George Clooney joined the project as an executive producer. Furies screened at major international events, including the Venice, Toronto and Rio film festivals, though distributors have not yet announced a release date for Brazilian cinemas.
The storyline follows a young woman who learns that money saved for her sister's life-saving surgery is locked after Lebanon's banking system freezes all accounts overnight. Desperate for funds, the two sisters plot a daring bank robbery to reclaim their money. The plot reflects the real-world financial crisis in Lebanon, where commercial banks imposed strict capital controls and froze depositor savings during recent economic instability.
Dictatorship mystery in Paraguay
Paraguay selected Quem Matou Narciso to represent the country in the 2027 Oscar race. Directed by Paraguayan filmmaker Marcelo Martinessi, the project was co-produced by Brazilian filmmaker Julia Murat.
The film screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics. FIPRESCI is an international association of film journalists and critics that awards prizes at major festivals worldwide.
Set in Paraguay in 1958 during the military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner, the drama follows Narciso, a young man who returns from Buenos Aires bringing rock and roll music. He becomes a symbol of youth freedom before he is found dead. General Stroessner ruled Paraguay under an authoritarian regime for 35 years following a 1954 military coup, suppressing political opposition and youth movements.
The five submissions highlight the growing role of Brazilian producers and technical crews in international cinema, as production companies expand their reach across Europe, Asia and South America ahead of the Oscar shortlist announcements in January 2027.
