Iraqi film advances to Oscars international feature shortlist
Shafaq News – Hollywood
An Iraqi film has reached the shortlist for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, as four Arab productions advance to the next stage of the Oscars competition.
The Academy selected The President’s Cake from a pool of 86 eligible submissions, narrowing the field to 15 titles competing in the 98th Academy Awards. The shortlist also includes The Voice of Hind Rajab by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, All That’s Left of You by Palestinian American-Jordanian director Cherien Dabis, and Palestine 36 by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir.
Directed by Hasan Hadi, The President’s Cake draws on childhood experiences in southern Iraq under Saddam Hussein, when severe shortages left basic ingredients such as sugar and flour banned, yet children were still required to bake a cake for the former leader’s birthday. The film follows nine-year-old Lamia as she searches her town for ingredients, capturing the quiet fear, coercion, and distorted logic that shaped everyday life at the time without overt explanation or moralizing.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in March 2026, honoring films released in 2025 and recognizing achievements across cinema, including the Best International Feature Film category. The awards are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and represent one of the film industry’s most prominent global honors.
