The Philippines delay Oscar submission! What gives?
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 4:00PM 
FILIPIÑANA has the potential to break the Philippines’ Oscar-less streak… if it gets submitted.
The Film Academy of the Philippines was set to announce the country's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards last September 4. However, a statement was issued instead, postponing the whole thing to give way for further deliberations.
This comes after the Filipino theatrical release as well as the US theatrical release of the supposed frontrunner, Rafael Manuel's dark comedy Filipiñana, which depicts a day at a luxury resort where the difference between classes is starkly illustrated. Think of it as an arthouse White Lotus, if Mike White gave creative authority to some formalist-minded director or an anti-colonial auteur like Lav Diaz. Executive produced by Jia Zhangke and distributed by Kino Lorber (North America) and BFI Distribution (UK and Ireland), the film is enjoying a healthy run in international circles, while maintaining well-attended screenings in limited release in its home country.
And yet, there's trouble afoot with the matter of its selection as the nation's Best International Oscar submission...
Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the film has enjoyed a busy festival run across continents, collecting awards and positive response from most critics (as evidenced by its ‘Certified Fresh’ rating of 90% at Rotten Tomatoes). International publications like The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Vulture, Cinerama, Screen Daily, The New York Times, and The Wrap have all released raves for the film.
For a country that is yet to get close to Oscar glory — the Philippines has been submitting since 1956, the first year of the competitive category of then-Best Foreign Language Film — and an arthouse hit like this does not come that often. it should be a no-brainer as the country’s submission into the race.
So why the delay?
While one may be tempted to speculate the possible reasons for this decision, especially with an obvious frontrunner like Filipiñana, it's important to consider all the eight films shortlisted by the Academy:
58th - Dir. Carl Joseph Papa (director of 2023 submission The Missing)
Animated docudrama about the 2009 Maguindanao massacre of journalists.
Premiered at Rotterdam. Screened at Annecy and Doc Edge.
All The Things I Leave You - Dir. Jade Castro
Queer-themed romantic drama, also released as a miniseries.
Premiered at NewFest. Screened at Honolulu Rainbow.
Filipiñana - Dir. Rafael Manuel
Black comedy about tee-girls at a golf course.
Premiered at Sundance. Screened at Berlin, NYAFF, San Francisco, Vancouver, Busan, and London.
I’m Perfect - Dir. Sigrid Andrea Bernardo
Romantic drama about a couple with Down syndrome.
Screened at Lucania.
Manila’s Finest - Dir. Raymond Red
Period crime drama about political unrest during Marcos Sr. era.
Screened at NYAFF.
Quezon - Dir. Jerrold Tarog (director of 2015 submission Heneral Luna)
Historical drama about a former Philippine president.
Screened at Hawai’i and Rotterdam.
Silenced Nights - Dir. Lawrence Fajardo
Drama about the killings during Duterte’s war on drugs.
To premiere at TIFF.
Sisa - Dir. Jun Robles Lana (director of 2012 submission Bwakaw)
Historical drama about the US genocide in the Philippines.
Premiered at Tallinn Black Nights.
With all due respect to the other shortlisted films, speaking from the perspective of strategy and understanding of the Oscar game, Filipiñana has the obvious leg-up in the competition and would provide the Philippines with a clear shot at the top 15 shortlist, maybe even an actual nomination. Some minor misgivings from local audiences, including more political-minded critiques of the film's class commentary and lack of a more declared call to action, shouldn't stand on the way of a sound strategic decision in the race for gold.
As a Filipino who has covered this category in its entirety on my podcast, this writer still longs for the day that the Philippines would break through and make it to the Oscars. We have had worthy submissions throughout the years and that is just the tip of the iceberg of the brilliance present in our national cinema.
I am just hoping that the delay of announcing the Philippines’ official submission is just a sign that they are giving this careful consideration and, because of this puzzling delay, not a bellwether of potentially squandering a solid chance at Oscar gold. Awards aren't everything, but they still help national cinemas find wider visibility and distribution worldwide, start conversations, and more!
What do you make of this? Are the Philippines about to make a big mistake à la Spain in 2002, when they could've won he whole thing with Almodóvar's Talk to Her and sent Mondays in the Sun instead?
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