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Ukraine’s 8 Oscar Contenders for 2026: What Are These Powerful War-Time Films About?
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
On August 22, The Ukrainian Oscar Committee has received eight submissions for the 98th Academy Awards in the category of Best International Feature Film. The entries will now undergo verification to ensure compliance with the Academy’s eligibility requirements.
Among the submissions:
2000 Meters to Andriivka (dir. Mstyslav Chernov)
The documentary follows Ukrainian soldiers from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade during the 2023 counteroffensive to liberate Andriivka in Donetsk region, a village surrounded by mines and reachable only through a narrow forest. The Hollywood Reporter noted, “Andriivka is only 2,000 meters away… but the campaign has taken these soldiers three months.”
Chernov, who collaborated with AP photographer Oleksandr Babienko, said: “This is the story of Ukrainian soldiers fighting for every inch of their land… how modern warfare is fought, endured, and how it changes us.”
The film won the F: ACT AWARD for best investigative documentary at Copenhagen’s festival and multiple awards at DocuDays UA. At Sundance 2025, Chernov received Best Directing in the World Documentary program.
The Oscar-winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol is now working on a new documentary about peace negotiations.
Timestamp (dir. Kateryna Hornostai)
Hornostai shared: “We focused on the ordinary moments of school life—tears on the first day, colorful ribbons for high school graduates. These seemingly simple experiences are now framed by the reality of war. Students often attend classes in bomb shelters during air raid alerts, while principals show visitors parts of schools that have been destroyed and sealed off, as lessons continue in the remaining sections.”
The documentary marks the first time in 25 years that a Ukrainian director has competed in the main program of the Berlin International Film Festival, following Kira Muratova’s Three Stories in 1997. Timestamp also won the top prize at CPH: FORUM in 2024.
Warning! Life Goes On (dir. Anton Shtuka)
This film follows Kharkiv street artist Hamlet Zinkivskyi on his journey to the recently liberated city of Izium, 60 km from the front line. Hamlet paints murals on the streets of a city scarred by occupation while connecting with locals. One resident, Volodymyr, who lost half his family in a Russian strike, finds inspiration to start rebuilding his life.
Shtuka’s documentary captures a unique portrait of a city recovering from war, blending the personal stories of its residents with Hamlet’s philosophical reflections. After the outbreak of war, Hamlet transitioned from writing in Russian to Ukrainian, declaring: “Art is money… to buy vehicles for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
Full Force (dir. Oleksandr Stratiienko)
Focusing on army aviation, this documentary delves into the lives of helicopter pilots, engineers, and aircrew defending Ukraine. The film presents real-life stories of daring missions, including the destruction of Russian convoys, breaking the blockade of Mariupol, and battles for Snake Island.
“Unique aerial shots and archival footage offer an immersive view of the pilots’ work, both during training and under operational conditions,” Stratiienko stated.
Stepne (dir. Maryna Vroda)
Ukrainian director and screenwriter Maryna Vroda, winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for Cross, makes her feature debut with Stepne.
The film explores the final days of a man visiting his dying mother in the Ukrainian village of Stepne. Vroda reflects, “The moment of farewell and disappearance is fascinating to me, as I observe how a part of my country’s past and my parents’ past fades away. The disappearing nature of old Ukrainian villages, the people who still live there but outside the system—it all carries the beauty of dying, which is striking.”
The film previously won the Pardo award for Best Director at the Locarno Film Festival.
One Summer in Ukraine (dir. Volodymyr Tykhyi)
The documentary portrays the war through the eyes of American volunteers serving in the International Legion of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence. Tykhyi emphasizes: “Some of the heroes have already received Ukrainian citizenship, while others have been injured, rehabilitated, and returned to the front. This demonstrates the sincerity of their choice—to stand with Ukraine and fight for our freedom. For me, it’s important that this story preserves not only their military experience but also the power of human decisions, friendship, and loyalty, which do not fade over time.”
Bucha (dir. Stanislav Tiunov)
Based on the real-life story of volunteer Kostiantyn Gudauskas, this feature depicts his efforts to rescue civilians during the Bucha massacre. Gudauskas, born in Kazakhstan to a Lithuanian father, saved dozens of residents from Bucha, Vorzel, and other occupied areas.
Divia (dir. Dmytro Hreshko)
This documentary explores the devastating impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on the country’s natural environment. Named after the Slavic goddess of nature, Divia follows the transformation of landscapes across frontline and recently liberated territories, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Hreshko captures both the destruction of forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats, and the resilience of ecosystems beginning to recover amid Russia’s full-scale war.
The selection of Ukraine’s official submission for the Oscars will be announced on 28 August 2025. Later, the Academy will reveal the shortlist of 15 films in the Best International Feature category on 16 December 2025.
The final five nominees will be announced on 22 January 2026, ahead of the 98th Academy Awards ceremony on 15 March 2026.
Previously, it was reported that American filmmaker Woody Allen, listed as a headline guest, will take part in the Moscow International Film Week, scheduled for August 24–25 at the MosKino Film Factory.
