CinemaConing the 16 Brazilian films qualified to run for a place at Oscar 2026

THE Brazilian Cinema Academy Announced on Thursday, August 14, the list of 16 feature films that are qualified to apply for an indication of the place in the best international film at the Oscar 2026.

The selection committee meetings will take place in two stages: September 8, 2025, when six titles will be pre-selected among the registrants, and the final meeting, on the 15th of the same month, to choose the title that will represent Brazil in the dispute for a place in the best international film in the Oscar.

1. The best mother in the world

Direction: Anna Muylaert

Synopsis: To escape her husband’s violence, the garbage recycler Gal puts her young children, Rihanna and Benin, on her wagon and crosses Sao Paulo towards the cousin’s house. Along the way, she faces the dangers of the street while convinced her children who are experiencing a great adventure. Our complete criticism here.

2. The Beach of the End of the World

Direction: Petrus Carryry

Synopsis: In Ciarema, the advancement of the sea destroys houses and breaks down families. Alice, a young environmentalist, lives with Helena, her sick mother, in a house constantly punished by the hangover. Alice wants to leave, Helena wants to stay in front of the sea. In the end, the two will face their destinations.

3. Baby

Direction: MARCELO CAETANO

Synopsis: After being released from a youth detention center, Wellington, 18, finds herself alone and lost on the streets of Sao Paulo, without any contact with her parents and without resources to rebuild her life. He finds Ronaldo, a mature man who teaches him new forms of survival. Gradually, the relationship between the two becomes a conflicting passion. Our complete criticism here.

4. Man with h

Direction: Smir Filho

Synopsis: The life and career of artist Ney Matogrosso, since childhood, marked by conflicts with the authoritarian father, to the beginning of his career in the dry and wet, to his solo career and artistic maturity.

5. White kasa

Direction: Luciano Vidigal

Synopsis: Dé is a black teenager from the outskirts of Chatuba, Rio de Janeiro, who receives the news that his grandmother, Almerinda, is in the terminal phase of Alzheimer’s disease. He has the help of his two best friends, Adrianim and Martins, to face the world and enjoy the last days of her life.

6. Malu

Direction: Pedro Freire

Synopsis: Malu, a middle -aged woman with a glorious past, finds herself trapped in existential chaos. The complex relationship with his conservative mother and her adult daughter makes the crisis even more acute, amid moments of affection and joy between the three. A portrait of a woman in search of the best version of herself. Our complete criticism here.

7. Manas

Direction: Marianna Brennand

Synopsis: Manas narrates the story of Marcielle/Tielle (Jamilli Correa), a 13 -year -old girl who lives on Marajó Island (PA) with her father, Marcílio (Rômulo Braga), to mother, Danielle (Fátima Macedo), and to three brothers. She worships the image of Claudinha, her older sister, who would have left far away after “tidying up a good man” on the ferries passing through the area. As he matures, Tielle watches many of her idealizations and perceives himself in prison between two abusive environments. Concerned about her younger and aware that the future does not reserve many options, she decides to confront the violent gear that governs her family and the women around her.

8. Milton Bituca Nascimento

Direction: Flavia Moraes

Synopsis: Milton Bituco Nascimento is the documentary that starts from Milton Nascimento’s farewell tour, one of the greatest Brazilian artists of all time, to understand the simple complexity of his work and the Brazilian soul.

9. The secret agent

Direction: Kleber de Mendonça Filho

Synopsis: “The Secret Agent” is a thriller set in Brazil of 1977. In the plot, Marcelo (Wagner Moura) is a technology expert who runs away from a mysterious past and returns to Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge it seeks.

10. The son of a thousand men

Direction: Daniel Rezende

Synopsis: The film follows Chrysostom (Rodrigo Santoro), lonely fisherman who has the dream of having a child. Your life changes when he finds Camilo (Miguel Martines), an orphan boy who decides to welcome. In an attempt to escape his own pain, Isaura (Rebeca Jamir) crosses their way, and then Antonino (Johnny Massaro), a misunderstood young man also connects with them. Together, the four learn the meaning of family and the purpose of sharing life

11. The last blue

Direction: Gabriel Mascaro

Synopsis: Tereza is 77 years old, lives in an industrialized city in the Amazon and is officially summoned by the government to move to a compulsory housing colony. There, the elderly “enjoy” their last years of life, while the country’s productive youth works without worrying about the elders. Before forced exile, she embarks on a journey through the region’s rivers and tributaries to fulfill one last wish, something that can change her course forever.

12. West again

Direction: Erico Rassi

Synopsis: In the backlands of Goiás, gross men who cannot deal with their weaknesses are constantly abandoned by women who love. Sad and bitter, they turn violently against each other.

13. The hanged

Direction: FERNANDO COIMBRA

Synopsis: The hangers tell the journey of a couple from Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro, who takes shakespearean proportions when Valério (Irandhi Santos), influenced by wife Regina (Leandra Leal), decides to murder your uncle to take the illicit business of the family. The crime, however, ends up leading Valerium to a climb of violence and blood; and Regina to a paranoia that will eventually destroy their relationship. Our complete criticism by clicking here.

14. Portrait of a certain East

Direction: MARCELO GOMES

Synopsis: Lebanon, 1949. The country faces an imminent war. Two Catholic brothers, Emilie and Emir, board a trip to Brazil in search of better days. During the journey, Emilie falls in love with a Muslim merchant, Omar. Emir suffers from uncontrollable jealousy and will use his religious differences to separate them. Before reaching the final destination, during a fight with Omar, Emir is seriously injured in a gun accident. Emilie’s only option is to get down in an indigenous village in the middle of the jungle to find a healer who saves him. When their brother recovers, they go to Manaus, where Emilie makes a decision that will lead to tragic consequences. Portrait of a certain east is a film about memory, passion and prejudice, which reveals the saga of Lebanese immigrants in the Amazon Forest

15. A wolf between the swans

Direction: Marcos Schechtman and Helena Varvaki

Synopsis: “A wolf between swans” tells the story of Thiago Soares, a boy from the carioca suburb that leaves behind the hip hop and embarks on the world of classic ballet. His story gains unexpected directions after he meets Cuban dancer Dino Carrera, who becomes his mentor and enhances Thiago’s talent until he hit the star by becoming the first dancer of the Royal Ballet of London.

16. Victory

Direction: Andrucha waddington

Synopsis: Inspired by an incredible real story, “Victory”, played by Oscar Fernanda Montenegro, tells the exciting trajectory of a retired retired man who dismantled a dangerous gang of traffickers and police from filming made from the window of his apartment in Rio de Janeiro. With the help of a journalist friend, she faces the risks and dangers of an unimaginable situation. A movie about the courage, strength and resilience of a woman. Our complete criticism by clicking here.

Also read:The 12 best Brazilian films of 2025 so far, according to Rolling Stone

What was the best movie of 2025 so far? Vote for your favorite!

• Anora
• Conclave
• Flower
• The brutalist
• Mickey 17
• Victory
• Sinners
• Thunderbolts*
• Man with h
• Karate Kid: Legends
• Premonition 6: Blood Ties
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Set
• How to train your dragon
• F1: The Movie
• Superman
• Fantastic Four: First Steps
• Materialistic loves
• The best mother in the world
• A nicer Friday
• The Time of Evil