Pegah Ahangarani's Rehearsals for a Revolution has been selected as an official entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, according to Deadline, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter. Sony Pictures Classics announced the news and laid out the film's release plans.
IndieWire reported that the choice was made by a selection committee drawn from BAFTA's film committee.
A personal history of a country
The film is Ahangarani's first feature. Deadline describes it as an account of her life in exile as she rebuilds her creative practice, told through five portraits of relatives and mentors that double as acts of resistance.
She builds the story from personal archives, home videos, footage of street protests, newspapers and recorded voices. Together they span more than 40 years of her native country's history, from the early days of 1979 to the war that began in 2026, and sketch a place defined by political repression and a lingering hope for revolution. The Hollywood Reporter says Ahangarani, 42, wrote, researched and edited the film over more than two and a half years, working with a local team of collaborators.
The film premiered in Cannes' Special Screenings section and won the L'Oeil d'Or, the festival's documentary prize. It then played Telluride and the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Maysles Documentary Center recently gave it an Albie Award.
Two categories, a crowded field
IndieWire noted that Sony Pictures Classics had been positioning the film as a major Best Documentary contender, so the new status could open a path to nominations in both categories. The outlet pointed to Collective, Honeyland and Flee as films that have done that, with Flee also landing an Animated Feature nomination.
The international race will not be easy. IndieWire said the Academy changed its rules earlier this year so that nominees no longer need to be submitted by a country. Countries still make submissions, but other films can qualify by winning a designated award at an international festival, which widens the pool.
In a statement, Sony Pictures Classics said the selection "has the potential to be truly transformative for the film" and could shape Ahangarani's future career. The studio is also fielding other contenders this season, IndieWire noted, including The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, which is drawing Oscar attention for John Turturro's lead performance.
What happens next
Sony Pictures Classics will run Oscar-qualifying engagements in December. The film then opens exclusively at Landmark's Nuart Theatre and Film Forum on January 8, 2027, before expanding nationally over the following weeks.
The Hollywood Reporter said the Academy will announce its 15-film shortlist on December 15 and the five nominees on January 21. The ceremony is set for March 14, 2027. Last year's winner in the category was Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier.
For a debut feature that is both a family album and a political record, the selection adds an awards-season platform to a festival run that has already been strong.
Reporting sources: Deadline, “Oscars: UK Selects ‘Rehearsals For A Revolution’ For Best International Feature Film” · IndieWire, “Oscars: U.K. Selects ‘Rehearsals for a Revolution,’ Documentary About Iran, as Best International Feature Entry” · The Hollywood Reporter, “Oscars: U.K. Selects Iran Doc ‘Rehearsals for a Revolution’ as Best International Feature Entry”.