Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' out of 2026 Oscars shortlist

Lav Diaz's Magellan is out of the 98th Academy Awards shortlist for International Feature Film.

On Dec. 16, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list of films that made the cut in 12 categories, including Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature film, Documentary short film, International Feature Film, Live Action short film, Makeup and hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound, and Visual Effects.

The Best International Feature Film shortlist includes: Argentina's Belén, Brazil's The Secret Agent, France's It Was Just an Accident, Germany's Sound of Falling, India's Homebound, Iraq's The President’s Cake, Japan's Kokuho, Jordan's All That’s Left of You, Norway's Sentimental Value, Palestine's Palestine 36, South Korea's No Other Choice, Spain's Sirât, Switzerland's Late Shift, Taiwan's Left-Handed Girl, and Tunisia's The Voice of Hind Rajab.

Baby Ruth Villarama’s documentary, Food Delivery: Fresh from the Philippine Sea was likewise snubbed at the Documentary feature shortlist.

According to the Academy, films from 86 countries were eligible for the Best International Feature Film category, where members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting.

Fifteen films were then selected for the next round. The five final nominees will be announced by the Academy on Jan. 22, 2026. 

So far, no Filipino film has made it in the International Feature Film category.