The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the shortlists in 12 categories for the 98th Academy Awards, which include several Latin American selections.
As largely expected, the Brazilian film The Secret Agent / O Agente Secreto by Kleber Mendonça Filho was included in the shortlist of 15 films advancing to the next round of the International Feature Film competition and was also shortlisted in the new Casting category.
Nominated for three Golden Globes, the political thriller—set in 1977 and starring Wagner Moura—follows a widower who arrives in Recife, a city as vibrant as it is violent. A technology researcher, he suddenly becomes an unwitting target in the heart of the dictatorship’s political maelstrom. On the run from mercenary killers, haunted by ghosts of the past, and confronting the ruthless, mischievously militant spirit of the city, his primary goal is to escape Brazil with his young son. With the help of a mysterious woman and her compatriots in the growing underground resistance, he navigates a tense, unpredictable world of danger and deception.
The surprise on the shortlist was the Argentine film Belén, the second feature by actress-director Dolores Fonzi. The abortion courtroom drama is set in Tucumán in 2014 and tells the story of a young woman who is admitted to a hospital with severe abdominal pain, unaware that she is pregnant. She wakes up handcuffed to a gurney and surrounded by police. Accused of having self-induced an abortion, she spends two years in detention before being sentenced to eight years in prison for aggravated homicide.
A female lawyer from Tucumán fights for her freedom with the support of thousands of women and organizations who unite to change the course of history. In addition to Fonzi, the film stars Camila Plaate—winner of the Best Supporting Actress Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival—Laura Paredes, Julieta Cardinali, Luis Machín, and César Troncoso.
In the Documentary Feature category, the Brazilian documentary Apocalypse in the Tropics / Apocalipse nos Trópicos by Petra Costa made the shortlist, seeking her second Oscar nomination after The Edge of Democracy in 2020. Costa’s latest documentary is a probing exploration of the blurred line between democracy and theocratic influence in Brazil, focusing on the rising political power of evangelical leaders. With unprecedented access to key figures—including President Lula, former president Jair Bolsonaro, and the nation’s most prominent televangelist—Costa follows a charismatic pastor whose ambitions extend toward shaping the country’s far-right leadership from behind the scenes.
Also shortlisted in Documentary Feature is Yanuni, which follows the extraordinary journey of Juma Xipaia, an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon, from a remote village in Xipaya territory to the political frontlines of climate justice. Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the film is directed by Austrian filmmaker Richard Ladkani.
Additionally, the Brazilian film Amarela (Yellow) by André Hayato Saito made it to the Live Action Short Film shortlist. Set in São Paulo in July of 1998 on the day of the World Cup final between Brazil and France, the film follows 14-year-old Erika Oguihara, a Japanese-Brazilian teenager who rejects her family's traditions, is eager to celebrate a world title for her country. Amidst the tension that builds during the match, Erika experiences a violence that seems invisible and plunges into a painful sea of emotions.
In the Cinematography category, Brazilian director of photography Adolpho Veloso earned a nomination for his work on Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams, while Chilean cinematographer Claudio Miranda nabbed a nomination for Joseph Kosinski’s F1.
And Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was also selected in six of the announced shortlists—Casting, Cinematography, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Sound, and Visual Effects—making it a strong contender for the final nominations.
The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026, and the 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
