Oscars 2027: Iraq, Morocco, and Palestine Announce Their Official International Feature Film Submissions

Iraq, Morocco, and Palestine have officially selected their entries for the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming 2027 Academy Awards. These three compelling films explore deeply distinct themes, ranging from the aftermath of the fight against ISIS in Iraq and the harsh realities faced by Moroccan seasonal workers in Spain, to the harrowing daily struggles of life during wartime in Gaza. With the Academy's submission deadline set for September 30, several more Arab nations are expected to unveil their official selections in the coming weeks.

The journey to the Academy Awards will continue when the 15-film shortlist is revealed on December 15, followed by the announcement of the five official nominees on January 21. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027. Here is a closer look at the initial Arab contenders.

Iraq: No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman

Iraq has chosen No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman, an intense action drama directed by Kurdish-Norwegian filmmaker Halkawt Mustafa. The Kurdish-language narrative centers on Vyan, portrayed by Kurdish actress Avan Jamal, a seasoned sniper who has numbed her emotions following years of combat. Upon learning that her younger sister—who vanished during a 2014 ISIS assault—might still be alive, Vyan journeys back to Mosul to track her down. The film also stars Norwegian actor Thorbjorn Harr.

Director Mustafa drew inspiration from real-life Kurdish women who took up arms against ISIS, as well as his personal encounters with women Peshmerga fighters on the front lines in 2014. The movie is slated for its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, screening out of competition in the Venice Open section. As a multi-national co-production involving Norway, Iraq, the UAE, and Sweden, this submission brings a notable UAE connection. This marks Mustafa's second time representing Iraq at the Oscars, following his 2016 film El Clasico.

Morocco: La Mas Dulce

Morocco will be represented internationally by Laila Marrakchi's feature La Mas Dulce, also recognized globally under the title Strawberries. The story tracks Hasna and Meriem, two young Moroccan women who travel to Andalusia to work as seasonal strawberry pickers in order to support their families back home. Instead of financial security, they face severe exploitation, harassment, and difficult labor conditions, ultimately confronting a critical choice about whether to challenge their employers.

The film previously debuted in May within the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. Marrakchi developed the project after researching the lives of Moroccan women in Spain's agricultural sector. Selected unanimously by Morocco's committee on September 2 from a pool of four contenders, the film was praised for its thematic depth, artistic quality, and strong distribution potential. The project marks Marrakchi's return to Cannes two decades after her 2005 breakthrough debut Marock, and succeeds her 2013 feature Rock the Casbah.

Palestine: Citizen Osama

Palestine has selected Ahmed Hassouna's documentary Citizen Osama, captured directly in northern Gaza throughout the ongoing conflict. The 69-minute film documents Osama Al-Ashi, a former artistic photographer turned war documentarian, who records widespread destruction while desperately working to keep his wife and newborn child safe. The documentary has quickly established itself as one of the standout Palestinian features at this year's Venice Film Festival.

When the festival lineup was unveiled in July, Citizen Osama was featured alongside Muayad Alayan's Conversation With the Sea as the two selected Palestinian features. Having its world premiere out of competition in Venice, the documentary alternates between Al-Ashi's professional documentation and his domestic life, presenting a raw and intimate portrait of survival, hunger, loss, and displacement in northern Gaza. Palestinian Minister of Culture Imad Hamdan formally announced the selection on August 31 following recommendations from an independent jury of film professionals, marking Palestine's 19th submission to the category since 2003.