The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its 2026 shortlists for the 2026 Oscars, and historical epic Magellan, directed by Lav Diaz, is nowhere in sight.
Earlier this September, the Film Academy of the Philippines had submitted Diaz’s latest project as a contender for the 98th Academy Awards’ Best International FeatureFeatureA guest appearance by another artist on a song, usually credited as featuring or ft. in the title. Features introduce each performer to the other's fans, and they can sparkGo to Feature Glossary Film category. The film, which stars Gael García Bernal as the titular Portuguese explorer, had been chosen for its “aesthetic and technical excellence, embodiment of Filipino value and culture, international appeal, and the capability of the producer to mount an extensive campaign for Academy shortlisting and nomination.”
However, Magellan was not among the 15 films chosen to advance to the next round of voting in the International FeatureFeatureA guest appearance by another artist on a song, usually credited as featuring or ft. in the title. Features introduce each performer to the other's fans, and they can sparkGo to Feature Glossary Film category. Instead, contenders include production company Neon’s impressive five-film lineup (The Secret Agent, It Was Just An Accident, Sentimental Value, No Other Choice, and Sirât), as well as Iraq’s first-time inclusion in the category, The President’s Cake.
Besides Magellan, three other Filipino entries were also excluded from the Academy’s shortlists. Baby Ruth Villarama’s Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea had been deemed eligible for consideration in the DocumentaryDocumentaryA nonfiction film that explores real people, events, or issues, using interviews, archival material, and observation to tell its story. Documentaries can inform, challenge, and move audiences, and Philippine filmmakersGo to Documentary Glossary Feature Film category. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan’s Vox Humana had also been eligible for the Best Live Action Short Film category, and “Alitaptap,” performed by Morissette in King Palisoc’s Song of the Fireflies, for the Best Song category.
The Academy also announced the shortlist for other categories such as Cinematography, DocumentaryDocumentaryA nonfiction film that explores real people, events, or issues, using interviews, archival material, and observation to tell its story. Documentaries can inform, challenge, and move audiences, and Philippine filmmakersGo to Documentary Glossary Feature Film, Music (Original Song and Original Score) and the new Casting category.
Final nominations in the shortlisted categories will be settled in the coming weeks. After Academy members cast their votes between January 12 to 16, nominations will be announced on January 22.
The complete list of films shortlisted per category can be found here.
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