Three films about Ukraine's war made the Oscar 2026 shortlist, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcement on 16 December.
Mstyslav Chernov's documentary "2000 Meters to Andriivka" entered the Documentary Feature Film category, while Anastasia Falileieva's animated film "I Died in Irpin" made the Animated Short Film shortlist. British-German director Franz Böhm's "Rock, Paper, Scissors" advanced in the Live Action Short Film category.
The film did not make the International Feature Film shortlist, though Ukraine submitted "2000 Meters to Andriivka" to that category. The documentary follows a Ukrainian platoon from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade during their mission to liberate the village of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast. Chernov developed the film with Associated Press photographer Oleksandr Babienko, documenting the 2023 counteroffensive through helmet cameras, drones, and on-the-ground footage.
Chernov's previous film "20 Days in Mariupol" won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 96th Academy Awards becoming the first Ukrainian-directed film to receive an Academy Award. The Ukrainian Oscar Committee called "2000 Meters to Andriivka" "an uncompromisingly honest and deeply moving documentary that immerses viewers in the reality of the Russian-Ukrainian war through the human experience"
The 11-minute animated documentary "I Died in Irpin" tells Falileieva's personal story of traveling to Irpen with her boyfriend on the morning of the full-scale invasion to be with his parents. The animation uses charcoal drawings. The film previously won recognition from the European animation awards Emile Awards as Best Short Film.
Böhm's "Rock, Paper, Scissors" features Ukrainian actors Oleksandr Rudynskyi, Serhii Kalantai, Oleksandr Yatsenko, and Yurii Radionov. The film tells the story of a father and son operating a small hospital at the frontline who face a difficult decision when Russian soldiers approach their building. The BAFTA-winning short is based on a true story and was developed with input from the real Ivan, a Ukrainian soldier who died in combat in January 2024.
