Germany selects Iranian movie as contender for 2025 International Academy Awards
Germany has selected The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Iranian dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof to be its entry for the best international feature category at the 2025 Oscars.
This is the first instance of an Iranian film being chosen by Germany for the international Oscar competition. Rasoulof’s film qualifies for consideration as it is a collaborative effort between Iran, France, and Germany, and the director is now a resident of Germany after fleeing Iran to avoid imprisonment earlier in the year.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, awarded a special jury prize at Cannes, is banned in Iran due to Rasoulof’s criticism of the Tehran regime, making it unlikely to be submitted by the government for the Oscars.
Neon holds the North American distribution rights for the film.
German and Iranian directors have a strong track record at the Academy Awards. Germany has won the best international feature category four times, with the most recent win for Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Iran has secured two wins in the same category, both by director Asghar Farhadi for A Separation in 2012 and The Salesman in 2017.
The deadline for submissions for the 96th Oscars is Nov. 14, with the shortlist for best international feature contenders set to be announced on Dec. 17. Nominations for the 2025 Oscars will be revealed on Jan. 17, and the ceremony is scheduled for March 2.