France Selects Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, Spain Chooses Sirat for 2026 Oscars
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, France has officially submitted Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident as its entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d’Or, was chosen after lengthy deliberations. France is hoping to secure its first Oscar win in this category in over three decades with Panahi’s film.
Other contenders in France’s shortlist included the animated feature Arco, Nouvelle Vague, A Private Life, and The Little Sister. However, Panahi’s work was ultimately selected, with many industry experts predicting strong awards momentum, noting that Academy voters may find it difficult to overlook the film’s behind-the-scenes story.
It Was Just An Accident follows the story of a seemingly minor car crash that spirals into a chain of tense events. The cast includes Maryam Afshari, Majid Panahi, Ebrahim Azizi, and Vahid Mobsari. The film was co-produced with French company Les Films du Pelias, known for Anatomy of a Fall.
Likely competitors for the Oscar in this category include Sentimental Value, No Other Choice, The Voice of Hind Rajab, and The Secret Agent.
Panahi—director of Taxi, Offside, and No Bears—was arrested in the summer of 2022 after signing a petition condemning police violence, spending seven months in prison. His travel ban was lifted in April of last year, allowing him to visit France. His 2021 documentary The Year of the Everlasting Storm screened in Cannes’ Special Screenings section, while his 2018 feature Three Faces won Best Screenplay at the festival.
Meanwhile, Spain has announced its submission: Sirat, directed by Oliver Laxe, which also premiered at Cannes to critical acclaim. The film tells the story of a father and his son who journey across North Africa in search of his missing daughter.
Both It Was Just An Accident and Sirat will be distributed in the U.S. by indie powerhouse Neon.
Spain and France both going with Cannes heavy hitters! Sirat sounds visually stunning, but It Was Just An Accident has that raw, tense energy that Panahi does better than anyone. It’s wild to think he was just in prison a few years ago and now he’s France’s big Oscar hope. Neon usually knows how to run a campaign, so this Best International Feature race is going to be intense this year.
It’s about time Panahi got this kind of platform without being looking over his shoulder. The fact that France picked this over a domestic production says everything about how powerful the movie is. Winning the Palme d’Or was just the start—I’ve got a feeling the Academy is going to have a hard time ignoring this one. A “minor car crash” turning into a masterpiece? Classic Panahi.