The film selected to represent Portugal at the 98th edition of the Academy Awards was chosen after a vote by members of the Portuguese Film Academy, which took place between August 22 and September 10, with ‘Banzo’ receiving the most votes, the APC announced.
Also in contention were the feature films ‘Hanami’ by Denise Fernandes, ‘Os Papéis do Inglês’ by Sérgio Graciano, ‘Sobreviventes’ by José Barahona, and ‘Sonhar com Leões’ by Paolo Marinou-Blanco.
The nominations for the Oscars, for which ‘Banzo’ is a contender, will be announced on January 23, 2026, according to the Hollywood Academy’s schedule, with the shortlist of finalists set to be revealed on December 21 of the preceding year.
‘Banzo’ explores the heritage of Portuguese colonialism in Africa, revisiting historical memories and scars from a contemporary perspective. It stands out “for its visual strength and intimate narrative, offering a powerful reflection on identity, pain, and collective memory,” the APC emphasized in a statement.
The fictional story is set at the beginning of the 20th century on an African tropical island and depicts the violent relationship between Portuguese colonizers and enslaved Black people.
In the film, Carloto Cotta plays the role of a doctor from the metropolis sent to the island to heal a group of Black slaves, forcibly taken to plantations and suffering from profound sorrow.
The work was awarded the 2024 Árvore da Vida Prize at the IndieLisboa Festival and had already been selected by the Portuguese Film Academy to represent Portugal in the Best Ibero-American Film category at the 2025 Macondo Awards by the Colombian Film Academy and the 2026 Goya Awards by the Spanish Film Academy.
The 98th edition of the Oscars will be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
