2027 Oscars: Chad, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt in the running before the September 30 deadline

With four days left until the submission deadline on September 30, 2026, several African countries have designated the film that will represent them in the race for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, to be awarded during the 99th Academy Awards ceremony on March 14, 2027. The shortlist of fifteen titles will be announced on December 15, 2026, and the five finalists on January 21, 2027, according to the daily newspaper The National.

Chad with Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Chad has chosen "Soumsoum, la nuit des étoiles" by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, as announced on September 11, 2026, according to Screen Daily. The film follows a young woman troubled by visions who befriends an outcast from her village; together, they face the hostility of their community in the name of freedom and belonging. Filmed in French and Chadian Arabic, it had its world premiere on February 19, 2026, in official competition at the 76th Berlinale, where it was in the running for the Golden Bear and won the FIPRESCI prize, before being released in France on April 22, 2026. This is the fourth film the filmmaker has submitted to the Oscars for his country.

Kenya bets on a Maasai narrative

Kenya announced on September 23, 2026, the selection of "One Woman One Bra" by Kenyan director Vincho Nchogu, produced by Nigerian Josh Olaoluwa. Set within the Maasai community of Loita, the film follows a woman in search of identity and lineage to preserve her home. The nine-member Kenyan committee, chaired by Eddah Kiruhi, selected it unanimously from three proposals, ahead of the documentaries "Kikuyu Land" and "Tides," reports the specialized site Sinema Focus. The committee sees it as a demonstration of authentic storytelling, born from the heart of the Maasai community.

This is the tenth Kenyan entry since 2012. No film from the country has ever been nominated or shortlisted, and Kenya did not compete in 2025 due to a lack of a title deemed compliant. "One Woman One Bra" has already been awarded at Venice, BFI London, Tribeca, and the Seoul International Women's Film Festival.

Morocco and Egypt in the race

Morocco is presenting "La Mas Dulce" (Strawberries) by Laila Marrakchi, discovered in May 2026 at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. The film follows two young Moroccan women who go to pick strawberries in Andalusia, facing exploitation and harassment, and the dilemma of whether to speak out or remain silent. Egypt has selected "The Stories" by Abu Bakr Shawky, a semi-autobiographical drama that tells the love story between an Egyptian pianist and an Austrian woman, from the late 1960s to the 1980s.

Four countries, four ways of telling the story of the continent without going through the gaze of others: from the visions of a Sahelian teenager to Maasai lands, from Andalusian fields to the salons of Cairo. The date is set for December 15.