“Cause of Death: Unknown” Selected as Iran’s Entry for the 2026Oscars

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Cause of Death: Unknown will represent Iran at the 98th Academy Awards. Directed by Ali Zarnegar, the film was one of the five finalists considered for submission in the Best International Feature category.

The story follows a group of seven people who set out from Shahdad to Kerman before sunrise, only to soon discover that one of their fellow travelers has died.

The selection committee for Iran’s Oscar submission consisted of Pantea Panahiha, Azadeh Mousavi, Abolhassan Davoodi, Farhad Tohidi, Houman Behmanesh, Mohammad Reza Delpak, Mostafa Kiayee, Ali Dehkordi, and Mohammad Reza Tashakkori.

The cast of Cause of Death: Unknown includes Banipal Shoomoon, Alireza Sanifar, Neda Jebreili, Ali-Mohammad Radmanesh, Zakiyeh Behabahani, Reza Amoozaad, Soheil Bavi, and Saeid Rezaeikia.

Zarnegar had previously won the Best Screenplay award for Cause of Death: Unknown at the 15th Iranian Film Critics and Writers Association Awards.