At least seven Southeast Asian countries are sending films to compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. They are Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Viet Nam, and Malaysia.
The list was compiled by Screen Daily as of October 2, 2026, after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences closed submissions on September 30. Myanmar, Laos, Brunei, and Timor-Leste were not listed among the submissions.
One detail is worth noting. The category recognizes films, not countries. All submissions must still be accepted by the Academy before moving to the next stage. The 15-film shortlist will be announced on December 15, 2026, followed by the nominations on January 21, 2027. The awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.
Here are the seven films now carrying Southeast Asian stories into the Oscar race.
1. Cambodia: Becoming Human
Cambodia is sending Becoming Human, the feature debut of director Polen Ly, which was selected by the Cambodia Oscar Selection Committee in late August.
The film follows Thida, the ghostly guardian of an old cinema that is about to be demolished. After meeting a man named Hai, she must choose between being reincarnated or remaining a ghost.
The film premiered at Venice in August 2025 before traveling to festivals including Busan, BFI London, Golden Horse Taipei, Seattle, and Shanghai. At the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Becoming Human won the Golden Hanoman, the festival's top prize, as well as the audience award.
Piseth Chhun, who plays Hai, also won an acting award at the Asian Film Festival Roma.
2. Thailand: 9 Temples to Heaven
Thailand selected 9 Temples to Heaven by Sompot Chidgasornpongse after its committee narrowed 51 eligible films down to eight finalists.
The story begins with a prophecy. A family of nine then sets out to visit nine temples in a single day after learning that their grandmother may not live to see her next birthday.
The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. At the 2026 Shanghai International Film Festival, Sompot won Best Director in the Asian New Talent competition, while actor Sompop Songkampol took home Best Actor.
The film also has a major name behind it. Palme d'Or-winning director Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of its producers.
3. Philippines: Filipiñana
The Philippines selected Filipiñana, directed by Rafael Manuel, in September after considering eight films.
Set at an exclusive golf club outside Manila, the film follows Isabel, a newly hired tee girl who encounters Dr. Palanca. Elsewhere at the club, a member named Renato tries to convince his nephew to stay and continue the family business.
Filipiñana premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at Sundance 2026, where it won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.
The film also comes with a notable piece of Oscar history. According to Philstar, no Philippine film has ever made the shortlist or received a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category.
4. Singapore: We Are All Strangers
Singapore is sending We Are All Strangers by Anthony Chen, selected in September by a committee made up of eligible members of the Singapore Film Commission Advisory Committee.
Set in present-day Singapore, the film follows 21-year-old Junyang and his widowed father as they face changes in their family lives. Junyang's girlfriend becomes pregnant while his father begins a new relationship.
The film became the first Singaporean production to compete in the main competition of the Berlin International Film Festival. It also completes Chen's “Growing Up” trilogy, following Ilo Ilo (2013) and Wet Season (2019).
Both earlier films were also Singapore's Oscar submissions.
5. Indonesia: Empat Musim Pertiwi
Indonesia has selected Empat Musim Pertiwi, or Four Seasons in Java, directed by Kamila Andini.
The film follows Pertiwi, a woman who returns to her hometown after two decades away. Her homecoming brings rejection and forces her to confront memories of the past that once led to her imprisonment.
The cast includes Putri Marino, Arya Saloka, Christine Hakim, and Hana Malasan. The film is produced by Ifa Isfansyah through Forka Films.
Empat Musim Pertiwi premiered in the Centrepiece program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival before screening in Busan. It is not Andini's first appearance at a major international festival. Her earlier film Before, Now & Then competed at the Berlinale in 2022.
The film is scheduled for release in Indonesian cinemas on October 8, 2026.
6. Viet Nam: Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor
Viet Nam is submitting Hộ Linh Tráng Sĩ: Bí Ẩn Mộ Vua Đinh, released internationally under the title Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor.
Directed by Nguyễn Phan Quang Bình, the historical epic follows seven warriors tasked with carrying 99 coffins in different directions to conceal the location of Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng's tomb.
The cast includes Tuấn Trần and Johnny Trí Nguyễn. The film also made history as the first Viet Namese production to appear in the Gala section of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Domestically, the film has earned more than 38 billion Viet Namese dong after nearly a month in theaters. But officials quoted by Thanh Nien noted that a film's box-office performance and its significance as a national representative are two different measures.
7. Malaysia: The Fox King
Malaysia selected The Fox King, also known as Semusim Lara, directed by Woo Ming Jin.
The story follows twin brothers Ali and Amir, who grow up without their mother. Their lives change when Lara, a new English teacher, enters their world.
The film stars Idan Aedan, Hadi Putra, and Indonesian actress Dian Sastrowardoyo. The Fox King is also a Malaysia-Indonesia co-production, supported by the Creative Content Fund under the Ministry of Communications through FINAS.
The film premiered in the Centrepiece program at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before screening in Busan, Bangkok, and Beijing.
For all seven films, the Oscar journey is only beginning. They must first pass the Academy's selection process, with the 15-film shortlist set to determine which Southeast Asian stories will move one step closer to Hollywood's biggest awards night.
