Romania has selected Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, a decision the country’s selection committee reached unanimously. The film, which stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, arrives as the reigning Palme d’Or winner from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it also collected the FIPRESCI Prize, the Ecumenical Jury Prize, the Prix de la Citoyenneté and the François Chalais Prize.
Mungiu, a two-time Palme d’Or winner who first claimed the prize in 2007 for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” wrote and directed “Fjord” as his first English-language feature. The story follows a Romanian man and his Norwegian wife who relocate to her remote hometown with their children, only to face a child-abuse accusation that exposes deep cultural and religious rifts in the community. Tudor Vladimir Panduru handled cinematography, Mircea Olteanu edited the film, and Simona Pădurețu designed the production.
Stan, born in Romania and raised there until age eight, called working on the project a personal homecoming for Mungiu, telling reporters at the Marrakech Film Festival last November that he valued reconnecting with the director’s home country through the role. Reinsve arrives at this year’s race fresh off her own Oscar nomination for Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” which won Best International Feature at the last ceremony, giving the pairing unusual momentum heading into voting season.
The submission also extends a striking run for distributor Neon, which has now backed seven consecutive Palme d’Or winners dating back to “Parasite” in 2019. Four of those six prior winners, including “Parasite” and last year’s “Anora,” went on to earn Best Picture nominations, with both eventually taking home the top prize. That track record positions “Fjord” as an early favorite in a category that will narrow considerably before nominations arrive.
Academy rules mean “Fjord” would have qualified for the international feature category regardless of Romania’s choice, since France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland co-produced the film. The Academy will reveal a 15-film shortlist on December 15, followed by five nominees on January 21, 2027. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.
