#FIRSTLOOK: “NINA ROZA” TO REPRESENT CANADA AT THE 99TH ACADEMY AWARDS

Nina Roza will represent Canada in the nomination process for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards®, to be held on March 14, 2027.

The film is written and directed by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles and produced by Sarah Mannering and Fanny Drew (Canada), Lorenzo Fiuzzi and Bardo Tarantelli (Italy), Lubomira Piperova and Nikolay Mutafchiev (Bulgaria), as well as Benoît Hansez and Etienne Hansez (Belgium). The film is produced by Colonelle Films, in co-production with UMI Films, Ginger Light, PREMIERstudio and Echo Bravo.

“Today’s announcement marks a defining moment for the entire filmmaking team,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada. “Being selected to represent Canada is a prestigious distinction that speaks to the excellence of this work. The journey ahead is as exceptional as it is demanding, as some of the year’s most acclaimed films enter the race from around the world. It is precisely in moments like these that we have the opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity of our industry on the global stage. We are proud to see this film represent Canada in the race for the Academy Awards® and wish Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, Fanny Drew, Sarah Mannering and the entire filmmaking team the greatest success.”

“I am both delighted and humbled by this honour, which is shared by the entire film family, beginning with those in Quebec and Canada, as well as in Bulgaria, Italy and Belgium,” said director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles. “This Colonelle Films production was born from a partnership among these four countries and from the generosity of a dedicated and talented team. I am deeply moved to know that Mihail’s story will be heard beyond our borders. We set out to create a nuanced film that leaves room for poetry and reflection in exploring the long-term impact of migration, legacy and identity. I hope the film’s journey, especially in the current context, will continue to foster discussions around these important and sensitive issues.”

Nina Roza had its world premiere in the official Competition category at the 76th Berlinale, where Geneviève Dulude-De Celles won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. Prior to its premiere, the film received two awards at Locarno Pro in 2025: the Urban Post First Look Award and the Jannuzzi Smith Award. The film then had its North American premiere as the opening film of the 44th Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma on April 22, 2026. Since then, it has continued its international festival run, notably screening at the Sofia International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, as well as at festivals in Istanbul, Jeonju and Shanghai. Nina Roza will also be presented at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur, and AFI Fest.

As the designated (non-voting) chair of the committee, Telefilm Canada coordinates the annual pan-Canadian selection committee responsible for choosing the Canadian film that will compete for the Academy Award® for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards®.

The selection was made by a pan-Canadian committee composed of filmmakers and industry professionals representing various organizations and professional guilds. A total of 17 films were submitted for consideration this year. Committee members met on the morning of August 25, 2026, to make their selection.

To date, 14 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category. Last year, 92 countries submitted films in this category, 86 of which were ultimately declared eligible by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Key dates

April 24, 2026 – Theatrical release of Nina Roza in Quebec
December 15, 2026 – The Academy announces the shortlist of 15 films advancing to the next stage
January 21, 2027 – Academy Award® nominations announced
March 14, 2027 – 99th Academy Awards®  

About Nina Roza

Synopsis

A viral video of an 8-year-old Bulgarian artist catches the eye of a major art collector. Mihail is sent there, 30 years after leaving his home country, to assess the value of the girl’s work and confront the ghosts of his past.

Nina Roza is a co-production between Canada, Italy, Bulgaria and Belgium. The film stars Galin Stoev, Sofia Stanina, Ekaterina Stanina, Michelle Tzontchev, Christian Bégin and Chiara Caselli. Cinematography is by Alexandre Nour Desjardins, editing by Damien Keyeux, production design by Laura Nhem, and costume design by Maya Gili.

About Geneviève Dulude-De Celles

Geneviève Dulude-De Celles is a Quebec filmmaker, screenwriter and producer, and co-founder of Colonelle Films. Her first professional short film, The Cut, won the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and was selected by more than 80 international festivals.

In 2015, she directed the feature-length documentary Welcome to F.L., which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the Best New Talent Award at the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM).

Her first fiction feature, A Colony, premiered at the Berlinale in 2019, where it won the Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Generation Kplus section. The film also received several awards in Canada, including the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture. In 2023, she directed her second feature-length documentary, Days.

Nina Roza is her second fiction feature. Presented in Official Competition at the Berlinale in 2026, the film earned her the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay.

About Canada in the Academy Awards® Best International Feature Film category

Throughout the history of the Academy Awards®, eight Canadian films have received official nominations in the Best International Feature Film category (formerly Best Foreign Language Film): War Witch by Kim Nguyen in 2013; Monsieur Lazhar by Philippe Falardeau and In Darkness by Agnieszka Holland (a minority co-production with Poland and Germany) in 2012; Incendies by Denis Villeneuve in 2011; and Water by Deepa Mehta in 2007. Three films by Denys Arcand were also nominated: The Decline of the American Empire in 1987, Jesus of Montreal in 1990 and The Barbarian Invasions in 2004, the only Canadian film to have won the Academy Award® in this category.

About the selection process for the Best International Feature Film category

Telefilm Canada coordinates and chairs the pan-Canadian selection committee but does not have voting rights. The committee is composed of 24 members representing key government agencies and national film industry associations. Each organization may appoint a representative to the jury. The jury is responsible for selecting the film that will represent Canada at the Academy Awards®, where only one film per country may be submitted in the Best International Feature Film category.

Under the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at least 50% of the selection committee members must be artists and/or craftspeople from the field of motion pictures. Jury members must view all submitted films before attending a meeting to evaluate the films and vote on the film that will represent Canada at the Academy Awards®. Jurors are encouraged to consider both the quality of the films and their international competitiveness.

To be eligible in this category, a feature film must have been produced outside the United States and its territories and contain a predominantly non-English original dialogue track, meaning more than 50% of the dialogue must be in one or more languages other than English. For films officially selected by a country or region, the qualifying theatrical release must begin between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, and the film must be exhibited to the public for at least seven consecutive days in the same commercial movie theatre, with paid admission. Under certain conditions, the Academy also allows a film to meet this requirement through a qualifying theatrical release outside its country or region of origin, provided the release takes place outside the United States and its territories.

Beginning this year, the Academy has also introduced a new pathway to eligibility through international film festivals. A film may qualify if it wins a qualifying award at one of the festivals included on the Academy’s International Feature Film Award Qualifying Festival List. Learn more here.

Each country or region may submit only one film as its official selection. Following the preliminary round of voting, 15 films advance to the shortlist. During the nominations round, eligible Academy members who have viewed all 15 shortlisted films select the five films that become the official nominees in the Best International Feature Film category.