Germany picks 'Sound of Falling' for 2026 Oscars after golden era

German drama "Sound of Falling" has been chosen as the country's entry for Best International Feature Film at next year's Oscars, hoping to replicate a stunning run of success for German cinema at the world's most famous film awards.

The film by director Mascha Schilinski portrays four young women who live on a farm in the northern Altmark region at different times, touching on issues ranging from domestic violence, suppressed longings and inherited trauma.

After having snatched the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, "Sound of Falling" beat four other films vying to become Germany's pick for the Oscars, according to German Films, which represents German cinema interests abroad.

But there is still a bit of a way to go until official Oscars nominations, with the Academy set to release its shortlist of contenders for Best International Feature Film on December 16.

The five nominated films will then be picked from the shortlist and announced on January 22, 2026, before the Oscars are held on March 15, 2026.

This year, Germany's "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" by Iranian-born director Mohammad Rasoulof, a film about political protests in Iran, managed to pick up an Oscar nomination but eventually lost out to Brazil's "I'm Still Here."

The prestigious award had gone to two German productions in the two previous years, with "All Quiet on the Western Front" winning the prize in 2022, and "The Zone of Interest" taking it home in 2023.