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Pegah Ahangarani’s “Rehearsals for a Revolution” has been selected as the United Kingdom’s entry for Best International Feature Film Entry for the upcoming Oscars.
It’s welcome news for the filmmaker and for Sony Pictures Classics, which had positioned “Rehearsals for a Revolution” as a major contender in the Best Documentary race. It now has a chance to nab nominations in both categories. That’s something a handful of films, such as Romania’s “Collective,” North Macedonia’s “Honeyland,” and Denmark’s “Flee” have pulled off. In fact, “Flee” also earned a nomination in the Best Animated Feature category.
“Rehearsals for a Revolution” will face fierce competition in the Best International Feature race because there are a wider pool of contenders. Earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences changed its rules and no longer requires nominees to be submitted by a country. They still will make submissions for the category, but other foreign films can be considered if they win a qualifying award at an international film festival.
“Rehearsals for a Revolution” emerged from Ahangarani’s experience of living in exile from Iran, as well as her efforts to reestablish herself in London. To tell her story and that of her native country, she relies on personal archives, home videos, street protests footage, newspapers, and recorded voices, while retracing 40 years of Iran’s history.
“Rehearsals for a Revolution” was released in the U.K. in September. It will have qualifying runs in New York and L.A. in December, before opening exclusively at the Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in L.A. and the Film Forum in New York on January 8, 2027, before rolling out across the country over the following weeks. Sony Pictures Classics is fielding several contenders this season, including “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” which is generating Oscar heat for John Turturro’s lead performance.
“Rehearsals for a Revolution” was one of the breakouts at Cannes where it won the prestigious L’Oeil d’Or. It also screened at the Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. It was recently honored with an Albie Award from the Maysles Documentary Center.
“How extraordinary to see Pegah’s remarkable film recognized in this category,” Sony Pictures Classics stated. “From winning the L’Oeil d’Or at Cannes to the standing ovations at TIFF and now this recognition, ‘Rehearsals for a Revolution’ is building incredible momentum and marking a significant moment for a formidable female filmmaker creating in exile from her home country. This selection in the Best International Feature category has the potential to be truly transformative for the film, opening doors to audiences around the world while shining a spotlight on Pegah’s extraordinary talent and her vital voice. It’s a recognition that will have a lasting impact not only on the life of this film, but on Pegah’s future career as a filmmaker.”
The film was chosen as the U.K.’s official entry by a selection committee made up of members of BAFTA’s film committee.
English (US) ·