For the 22nd consecutive year, CAFILM presents a selection of Oscar® submissions from around the world. This year, 86 countries submitted films for consideration in the 2026 Academy Awards® Best International Feature Film category.
This series offers the rare opportunity to see all 15 of the shortlisted films in this category, many of which are top film festival prize winners… which do you think will take home the Oscar®?
FRANCE’S SUBMISSION FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM • 2026 ACADEMY AWARDS®
One of the world’s great filmmakers, writer-director Jafar Panahi has twice been imprisoned by the Iranian government. He has also been the Golden Lion winner at Venice (The Circle) and the Golden Bear winner at Berlin (Taxi). He now adds Cannes’ Palme d’Or to his honors for this revenge thriller infused with moral complexity, dark humor, and unmistakable rage that begins with a mechanic kidnapping a visitor to his shop.
Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is convinced that Eghbal (Ebrahim Aziz) is the security officer who tortured him years earlier after authorities blindfolded and detained him. When Eghbal insists Vahid has the wrong man, Vahid invites several friends victimized by the same man to verify his identity.
Panahi, informed by his own experience, melds the personal with the political to craft a gripping and powerful genre piece that is both deeply critical of Iran’s repressive regime and bitingly funny.
– Tim Grierson
In Persian with English subtitles
Director: Jafar Panahi (Iran/France 2025) 101 min.
MVFF48 OFFICIAL SELECTION • INDEPENDENT AUDIENCE FAVORITE
THURSDAY, JAN 15 • 7:00
$14.50 General | $11 Seniors + Youth & Matinées | $10 CAFILM members