Ukraine has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1997. The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue.
As of 2026, Ukraine has submitted nineteen films, but none of them were nominated.
Submissions The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1956. The International Feature Film Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via secret ballot to determine the five nominees for the award.
Prior to its independence, Ukrainian film Wartime Romance (1984) was selected by the Soviet Union, but it was not nominated.
A Driver for Vera (2004) was disqualified for being a majority-Russian production. The film was largely shot in Ukraine, and was a co-production between Russian and Ukrainian production companies, but the film was made in Russian by a Russian filmmaker, Pavel Chukhray, who had been nominated representing Russia in 1997. In 2006, a Columbia University film professor alleged that Ukraine's selection process was opaque, and that cancer drama Aurora had never actually screened in accordance with AMPAS rules. Despite the protest, Aurora was accepted and screened.
In 2007, it was rumored that Ukraine would finally form a special committee to annually choose a Ukrainian nominee and that supposedly the movie Koroliova would be selected in 2007 as Ukraine's submission.Вітчизняне кіно: шукайте в кінотеатрах - Telekrytyka, 29.10.2007 However, eventually it was revealed that the committee did not meet to choose a nominee.Молодо-зелено. Чому Україна цього року відмовилася від «Оскара» - Week's mirror, 26.10.2007
In 2014, the decision to submit Oles Sanin's The Guide ahead of the more acclaimed festival hit The Tribe by Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, sparked a controversy that resulted in accusations of collusion by several members of the country's selection committee, who were forced to step down.
In 2015, Ukraine missed the deadline to submit a film. They requested an extension from the Academy but it was denied.
20 Days in Mariupol (2023) advanced to the December shortlist, but it was not nominated.
Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Ukraine for review by the Academy for the award by year and the respective Academy Awards ceremony.
Year(Ceremony) Film title used in nomination Original title Language(s) Director(s) Result 1997(70th) A Friend of the Deceased Приятель небіжчика Russian, Ukrainian Viacheslav Kryshtofovych 2003(76th) Mamay Мамай Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar Oles Sanin 2004(77th) A Driver for Vera Водій для Віри Russian Pavel Chukhray 2006(79th) Aurora Аврора Oksana Bairak 2008(81st) Illusion of Fear Ілюзія страху Russian, Ukrainian Oleksandr Kiriyenko 2012(85th) Firecrosser Той, хто пройшов крізь вогонь Ukrainian, English, Russian, Crimean Tatar Mykhailo Illienko 2013(86th) Paradjanov Параджанов Russian, Ukrainian Serge Avedikian, Olena Fetisova 2014(87th) The Guide Поводир Ukrainian, Russian, English Oles Sanin 2016(89th) Ukrainian Sheriffs Українські шерифи Ukrainian, Russian Roman Bondarchuk 2017(90th) Black Level Рівень чорного No dialogue Valentyn Vasianovych 2018(91st) Donbass Донбас Russian, Ukrainian Sergei Loznitsa 2019(92nd) Homeward Додому Crimean Tatar, Ukrainian Nariman Aliev 2020(93rd) Atlantis Атлантида Ukrainian Valentyn Vasyanovych 2021(94th) Bad Roads Погані дороги Russian, Ukrainian Nataliia Vorozhbyt 2022(95th) Klondike Клондайк Ukrainian, Russian, Chechen, Dutch Maryna Er Gorbach 2023(96th) 20 Days in Mariupol 20 днів у Маріуполі Ukrainian, Russian Mstyslav Chernov 2024(97th) La Palisiada Ля Палісіада Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Russian Philip Sotnychenko 2025(98th) 2000 Meters to Andriivka 2000 метрів до Андріївки Ukrainian, English Mstyslav Chernov 2026(99th) Traces Сліди Ukrainian Alisa Kovalenko, Marysia Nikitiuk
Shortlisted finalists In 2025, Divia was also shortlisted alongwith other seven films for consideration.
In 2020, The Earth Is Blue as an Orange by Iryna Tsilyk and My Thoughts Are Silent by Antonio Lukich were also shortlisted for consideration.
See also List of Academy Award winners and nominees for Best International Feature Film List of Academy Award-winning foreign language films List of Soviet submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Notes
References
External links The Official Academy Awards Database The Motion Picture Credits Database IMDb Academy Awards Page