The Brazilian Film Academy announced on Wednesday six shortlisted feature films competing to represent Brazil at the 2027 Academy Awards. A total of 15 feature films were submitted and cleared by the committee for the national selection process.
The committee will reveal the winning film on September 16. The chosen movie will become Brazil's official candidate to compete for a spot in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
Official Oscar nominations will be announced on January 21, 2027, ahead of the live ceremony scheduled for March 14, 2027.
The Shortlisted Contenders
Director Carlos Saldanha's feature 100 Dias depicts explorer Amyr Klink as he undertakes a solo rowing journey across the South Atlantic Ocean. The narrative frames the ocean voyage between Africa and Brazil as a struggle against fear, isolation, and physical limits while Klink confronts memories and family conflicts.
Saldanha is widely known for directing major international animated features, including Rio and Ferdinand. Klink is famous for completing his historic 1984 solo rowing voyage from Namibia to the coast of Brazil in 100 days.
Eliza Capai's A Fabulosa Máquina do Tempo centers on young girls living in the sertão region of Piauí. Navigating evangelical religious services, social media, and future aspirations, the girls create an imaginary time machine to revisit the challenging lives of their mothers and grandmothers marked by poverty and inequality.
A Natureza das Coisas Invisíveis, directed by Rafaela Camelo, follows ten-year-old Glória as she spends her summer holiday at the hospital where her mother works as a nurse. Glória meets Sofia, who believes her great-grandmother's health is worsening due to her hospital stay, leading the girls and their mothers to seek refuge in rural Goiás.
Family Dramas and Personal Struggles
Allan Deberton's Feito Pipa focuses on 12-year-old Gugu, a football-loving boy raised by his grandmother Dilma, a retired schoolteacher. The story explores Gugu's emotional challenges when faced with the possibility of living with his absent father, Batista.
Nosso Segredo, directed by Grace Passô, tells the story of a Black family rebuilding its routine following a recent loss. While each family member copes with grief in private ways, the youngest son holds a secret that forces them to confront their shared pain.
The final candidate is Vicentina Pede Desculpas, directed by Gabriel Martins. Martins previously represented Brazil in the Oscar race when his acclaimed feature film Mars One was selected for the 95th Academy Awards.
Selection Process and Oscar Timeline
The Brazilian Film Academy serves as the country's national film body, organizing the selection committee that submits one movie annually for Academy Award consideration. Under rules set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, submissions for Best International Feature Film must be produced outside the United States with predominantly non-English dialogue.
The committee's September 16 selection will move forward to compete for inclusion on the official Academy shortlist of 15 international films, which will later be narrowed down to five final nominees.
