The feature film The Heist of the Century, directed by Teodora Ana Mihai, with a screenplay by Cristian Mungiu, will represent Romania in the Best International Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards (Oscars).
The Heist of the Century will be available to watch in Romania starting September 23, distributed by Forum Film.
"I am delighted that The Heist of the Century was selected to represent Romania at the Oscar Awards, confirming the very good reactions the film received from the public in the preview screenings. It is obviously a film for viewers, not for festivals, so the nomination for a prize that usually rewards films with an impact on broad audiences is all the more so appropriate. Of course, we don't expect to win the Oscar. Our biggest reward would be for the film to be well-received by the viewers at home. It is ultimately a film about 'us and them' at a time when millions of Romanians live with the frustration of being considered second-class citizens in the countries where they have settled," screenwriter and producer Cristian Mungiu said in a statement.
The Heist of the Century was rewarded with the Grand Prize at the International Film Festival in Warsaw (2024), the Best Actress Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (2024) for Anamaria Vartolomei, the Balkan Film Award (for best film in the Balkan competition) at the Sofia International Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
The leading roles feature Anamaria Vartolomei, Rares Andrici and Ionut Niculae.
The film is a Romania - Belgium - Netherlands co-production with the contribution of well-known producers from Romania (Cristian Mungiu, Tudor Reu, Vlad Radulescu) and from abroad (Jean Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Annemie Degryse, Jan De Clercq, Delphine Tomson, Jeroen Beker, Linda Van Der Herberg, Sean Wheelan, Kristina Borjeson).
The shortlist for the 2026 Oscars will be announced by the American Film Academy on December 16, and the final selection - on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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