NEON Makes History Before The 2026 Oscars
NEON Makes History Before The 2026 Oscars (Photo Credit: Instagram)

NEON led the International Feature Film category Oscar nominations announced on Thursday with a dominant showing. Four of the five films nominated in the category were distributed by NEON. The result showed the brand’s growing reach beyond the US market, with 18 nominations tied to these films.

Nominated International Feature Film Titles

The nominated Neon-backed titles for the 2026 Academy Awards are It Was Just An Accident (France), Sentimental Value (Norway), The Secret Agent (Brazil), and Sirāt (Spain). Tunisia completed the list with Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza War drama, The Voice of Hind Rajab, which is distributed in the US by Willa rather than Neon.

Neon Records Best-Ever Showing In The Category

The only Neon title from the shortlist that failed to secure a nomination was the Korean entry, No Other Choice. Even with that miss, the distributor posted its strongest result ever in the category. Neon previously tasted success at the Academy Awards with Parasite, which went on to win the Oscar. The current lineup now places the company as a hot favorite for the feature film category.

Sentimental Value boosts Norway’s Oscar history

Sentimental Value delivered Norway its seventh nomination in the category. Director Joachim Trier had already put the country on the map with The Worst Person in the World, which earned a 2022 nomination.

Other Nominated Movies

France’s contender, It Was Just An Accident, comes from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, backed by the weight of a Cannes Palme d’Or win. The film follows last year’s French entry Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, which reached the nomination stage and collected 13 nominations overall.

The Secret Agent will represent Brazil at the 97th Academy Awards. The Cannes premiere brought major recognition to the movie, including Best Actor for Wagner Moura and Best Director. The political thriller added a landmark moment on Thursday with Moura becoming the first Brazilian actor to be nominated for Best Actor.

Spain entered the race with Sirāt by Oliver Laxe, another Cannes debut that secured the jury prize. The film centers on a group of ravers searching for meaning and connection within Morocco’s desert rave culture.

The Voice Of Hind Rajab Stands Apart

The Voice of Hind Rajab stands apart as the only nominated film in the category not handled by Neon in the US and the only one to premiere in Venice rather than Cannes. Ben Hania’s film reconstructs the killing of a six-year-old Palestinian girl by Israeli troops in Gaza in January 2024. The Venice screening drew a 23-minute and 50-second ovation, attended by executive producers Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara.

International Feature Shortlist Films That Missed Nominations

Several other titles failed to advance from the 15-film International Feature shortlist. The list of omissions includes Belén from Argentina, Sound of Falling from Germany, Homebound from India, The President’s Cake from Iraq, Kokuho from Japan, All That’s Left of You from Jordan, Palestine 36 from Palestine, Late Shift from Switzerland, and Left-Handed Girl from Taiwan.

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