The jury appointed by German Films has selected Sandra Wollner’s feature film EVERYTIME as submission for the 99th Academy Awards in the “International Feature Film” category. The German productions YELLOW LETTERS and SHAME AND MONEY have also qualified.
After viewing the eleven films submitted for consideration, an independent nine-member jury appointed by German Films selected the drama EVERYTIME, produced by The Barricades, as Oscar candidate.
The jury's decision reads as follows:
"In EVERYTIME, director and writer Sandra Wollner achieves the remarkable feat of making grief tangible as a world thrown into disarray through purely cinematic means and with a surprising lightness of touch. The outstanding cinematography creates a shimmering and at times ethereal atmosphere without intruding on the characters. The ensemble of actors is convincing in its naturalness, with the characterizations remaining consistently precise and ambivalent. Playing elegantly with form and narrative ellipses, EVERYTIME explores the interstices of the pain of loss. Memory and the present, reality and imagination flow into one another almost imperceptibly, making this film a truly poetic cinematic experience."
Statement by the producers of The Barricades and Panama Film, as well as director and screenwriter Sandra Wollner, on the decision:
“We feel very honoured to be part of Germany’s Oscar preselection this year. At a time when German cinema has once again gained international visibility through strong auteur voices, we are particularly pleased to share this honour with our esteemed colleagues from YELLOW LETTERS and SHAME AND MONEY.
The attention EVERYTIME received in Cannes - and now the jury’s confidence in the film - reinforce our belief that cinema needs distinctive voices with the courage to follow their own form and, precisely by doing so, reach audiences across borders.
Our special thanks go to our cast, crew members, partners and funders, as well as to everyone who helped us make this film possible.”
About the film: The last photograph Jessie took shows the sun over Berlin. It hangs there as if nothing had happened. But Ella has lost her daughter. What remains is Jessie’s younger sister and a complicated relationship with the boy everyone blames. The unlikely trio ends up on a family holiday that never really existed. Under the shimmering sun of Tenerife, memory and the present become inseparably intertwined. The ghosts are everywhere.
EVERYTIME celebrated its world premiere at the 79th Festival de Cannes in May 2026. Sandra Wollner’s third feature film, for which she also wrote the screenplay, was selected for the Un Certain Regard sidebar where it won the Prix Un Certain Regard, the section’s top award. Cannes was followed by further invitations to such international festivals as the Sydney Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the New Zealand International Film Festival, and the Melbourne International Film Festival. At the Sarajevo Film Festival, EVERYTIME was awarded the Heart of Sarajevo Grand Prize. Its North American premiere will follow in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. Other festival appearances have already been confirmed, including the renowned New York Film Festival.
The German-Austrian co-production was produced by The Barricades and ZDF together with Austria’s Panama Film as a co-production partner. The film received funding from the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB) and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).
German distributor eksystent filmverleih Kijas released EVERYTIME in German cinemas on 6 August, 2026. Charades is handling international sales. EVERYTIME was sold to more than 30 territories worldwide within a short period of time. In North America, 1-2 Special is handling distribution, with a theatrical release planned for early 2027.
