Oscars: Czech Republic Picks Doc ‘If Pigeons Turned to Gold’ as Best Int’l Feature Submission

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Pepa Ljubojacki’s intimate documentary If Pigeons Turned to Gold is the Czech Republic’s submission for the best international feature film category at the Oscars 2027.

The Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) unveiled the Czech candidate for the international Oscar on Wednesday. “In the intimate and formally original documentary feature, the director followed for five years the fortunes of her brother and two cousins whose addictions were slowly destroying their relationships, homes and their feeling of safety,” the academy said. “Using DIY aesthetics, the director interlinks diary shots, stylized memories, live photos as well as graphic collages and, without any sentiment, tries to understand the reasons for their fall and also the impact of it on the whole family.”

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The film had its world premiere in February at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the award for the best documentary feature, as well as the independent Caligari prize. The film will debut in Czech cinemas at the end of September. Croatia-based Split Screen is handling international sales. 

The international Oscar shortlist of 15 movies will be published on Dec. 15, with the five nominees unveiled on Jan. 21.

Last year, the Czech submission for the international Oscar race was I’m Not Everything I Want to Be by Klára Tasovská.

So far, two Czechoslovak films and one Czech film managed to win the iconic Oscar statuette for what is now the international feature film honor, previously known as the best foreign-language film award. The Shop on Main Street (1965) by Ján Kádár and Elmar Klos was one winner, followed two years later by Closely Watched Trains by Jiří Menzel and then Kolya (1996) by Jan Svěrák.

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