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.

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Following the rule changes introduced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this spring, films that have won significant awards at selected international film festivals are also eligible for submission to the “International Feature Film” category. Thus, the Grand Jury Prize awarded to Visar Morina’s SHAME AND MONEY (VON SCHAM UND GELD) at the Sundance Film Festival and the Golden Bear won by İlker Çatak’s YELLOW LETTERS (GELBE BRIEFE) at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival qualify the two German productions for submission to this Oscar category.

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YELLOW LETTERS by İlker Çatak tells the story of artist couple Derya and Aziz, whose professional lives are abruptly destroyed by state repression. After losing their jobs, they move to Istanbul with their 13-year-old daughter, where they try to make a fresh start under difficult circumstances. While Aziz remains committed to his political convictions, Derya looks for pragmatic solutions, putting increasing pressure on their relationship.

YELLOW LETTERS had its world premiere in the Main Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival where it won the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear. The film subsequently screened at festivals including the Sydney Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the Jerusalem Film Festival. Further festival appearances have already been confirmed.

YELLOW LETTERS was produced by Germany’s if…productions, with Haut et Court from France and Liman Film from Turkey serving as co-producers. The film received funding from the German Federal Film Board (FFA), the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern (FFF Bayern), the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, as well as the German-French Co-Production Fund of the FFA and CNC.

YELLOW LETTERS was released theatrically in Germany by Alamode Film on 5 March, 2026. Be For Films is handling international sales for the film.

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In Visar Morina’s SHAME AND MONEY, a family in Kosovo loses its livelihood in the countryside and moves to the capital in search of a new beginning. Family patriarch Shaban tries to provide for his wife Hatixhe and their children despite mounting financial difficulties, while the family becomes increasingly dependent on support from relatives. The film explores economic pressure, wounded pride and the struggle to preserve dignity and family cohesion under precarious circumstances.

Visar Morina’s SHAME AND MONEY premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. The film subsequently screened at festivals including the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the Sarajevo Film Festival. At the Munich International Film Festival, SHAME AND MONEY also received the CineMasters Award for Best International Film. Further festival appearances, including in the International Competition of the Brussels International Film Festival, have already been confirmed.

The film was produced by Germany’s Schuldenberg Films in co-production with Eagle Eye Films (Kosovo), Vertigo (Slovenia), Quetzalcoatl (Belgium), On Film Production (Albania), and List Produktion (North Macedonia). On the German side, SHAME AND MONEY received funding from the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

SHAME AND MONEY will be released theatrically throughout Germany by eksystent Filmverleih. Its nationwide German theatrical release is scheduled for 24 September, 2026. The Yellow Affair is handling international sales.

The road to the Oscars:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will publish a list of all films submitted for the International Feature Film category in early November.
Last year, 86 countries submitted films. The shortlist of 15 titles in this category will be announced on 15 December, 2026.

The five nominated films will be selected from this shortlist and announced on 21 January, 2027.
The Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 14 March, 2027.

Contact:
Nicole Kaufmann (Head of Regional Desk USA & UK)
Angela Sonntag (Head of Press & Public Relations)