TEHRAN – Babak Khajehpasha’s “Land of Angels” has been officially selected as Iran’s submission to the 99th Academy Awards in the best international feature film category.
This is the second time that a film by Khajehpasha will represent Iran at the Oscars. His directorial debut feature film “In the Arms of the Tree” was chosen as Iran’s representative at the 2025 Academy Awards.
The film tells the story of the suffering of children in Gaza and portrays the human consequences of war through the experiences of a woman who struggles to survive while protecting a group of innocent children from the horrors of conflict, IRNA reported.
Written and directed by Khajehpasha and produced by Manouchehr Mohammadi, “Land of Angels” was jointly undertaken by the Tasvir-e Shahr Institute and the Soureh Cinema Center.
The film features Arab actors and centers on the lives, dreams, and struggles of children against the backdrop of the war in Palestine. Rather than presenting the conflict solely through political or military events, the film approaches it from the perspective of civilians, particularly children whose lives have been profoundly affected by the violence.
The production was filmed in Tehran over a period of one and a half years. The film’s international screenings began with its participation in the Kazan festival, following its successful national festival run in Iran.
“Land of Angels” received the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the 22nd Altyn Minbar Kazan International Film Festival.
Prior to its appearance in Kazan, “Land of Angels” was the most decorated film at Iran’s 44th Fajr International Film Festival, where it received five Crystal Simorgh awards and eight honorary diplomas.
Among its Fajr honors, Khajehpasha received the jury’s special prize for directing, while Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakherji was honored for her performance. The film also received awards for set design, visual effects, and other categories.
The Oscars shortlists will be revealed on December 15, with 15 international films selected to be voted on by Academy members in all branches who commit to watch all 15 films. Oscar nominations will be revealed on January 21, 2027.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the U.S. with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
This year’s entries include titles like Romania’s “Fjord,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes; Chile’s “The Meltdown,” which screened in Un Certain Regard; Germany’s “Everytime,” which won Cannes’ Un Certain Regard prize; France’s “Minotaur,” which won the Cannes Grand Prix; Spain’s “La Bola Negra” and Poland’s “Fatherland.”
Meanwhile, a new Academy rule allows any film that wins the top prize at one of the six biggest festivals — Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Busan and Toronto — to be entered in the international feature race even without a national committee’s backing.
The 99th Oscars will take place on March 14, 2027.
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