By Bosphorus News Life Desk
On October 4, 2026, three Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) co-productions are in the race for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards after being selected by France, Türkiye and Japan.
France selected Andrey Zvyagintsev's Minotaur, Türkiye chose Tunç Davut's Kesilmiş Bir Ağaç Gibi (Like a Limbless Tree), and Japan submitted Ryusuke Hamaguchi's All of a Sudden.
The Oscar selections come weeks before the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, which runs from October 24 to 31. Five TRT co-productions will compete across three sections, including Minotaur, winner of the Grand Prix at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Three TRT-backed films in the Oscar race
Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Zvyagintsev, Minotaur won the Grand Prix at Cannes in May and will now represent France at the 2027 Academy Awards.
The film follows Gleb, a powerful Russian businessman whose tightly controlled life begins to unravel under personal, political and professional pressure. It previously received TRT's International Co-Production Award at 12 Punto 2025, with Yusuf Aslanyürek among its co-producers.
Türkiye's submission, Kesilmiş Bir Ağaç Gibi (Like a Limbless Tree), is directed by Tunç Davut. The film made its world premiere at the 62nd Antalya Film Festival in October 2025 before appearing at the Bosphorus and Ankara film festivals.
Japan selected Hamaguchi's All of a Sudden. The film premiered at Cannes this year, where lead actresses Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto shared the Best Actress award.
The three films enter the Oscar race through separate national selections, with TRT attached as a co-production partner to each.
Five TRT co-productions to compete in Antalya
TRT will also have five films in competition at this year's Antalya Golden Orange.
Bir Anne Hakkında (About the Mother) and Elisa are in the National Feature Film Competition. Minotaur will compete in the International Feature Film Competition, while Karayazı and Süpermen Bozkıra Düştü (Superman Fell into the Steppe) are in the National Short Film Competition.
Antalya will host the Türkiye premiere of Minotaur after its Cannes run.
Büşra Bülbül's Bir Anne Hakkında (About the Mother), produced by Betül Demir, will also make its Türkiye premiere in Antalya after debuting at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The film follows Sibel, whose husband has reached the final stage of liver failure. Unable to find a suitable donor, she sells milk on the streets to help pay for his treatment.
Sinan Sertel's Elisa, produced by Hakan Sancaktutan, will have its world premiere at the festival. Set after nuclear war and environmental disasters have pushed humanity toward extinction, the film follows scientists searching for a rare mineral needed for a treatment that could provide genetic immunity.
The two TRT-backed shorts will also make their world premieres in Antalya.
Ahmet Duvar's Karayazı is set in an Erzurum village where frozen winter ground makes digging a grave impossible. Serdal Altun's Süpermen Bozkıra Düştü (Superman Fell into the Steppe) follows a man in financial difficulty who takes a job performing in a Superman costume at a circus.
The Academy is due to announce its 15-film international shortlist on December 15. Final nominations are scheduled for January 21, 2027, with the 99th Academy Awards set for March 14.
Sources: TRT, International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Festival de Cannes, Anadolu Agency, IMDb, Bosphorus News review and reporting.orus News review and reporting.