Denmark has selected May el-Toukhy’s “Kvinde ukendt” as its entry for the 2027 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
DR reports that the Danish Oscar Committee announced the decision on Friday. The committee is made up of representatives from the Danish film industry and the Danish Film Institute.
The film stars Mathilde Arcel as Marie, a woman living in Denmark after the liberation in May 1945. She tries desperately to conceal a former relationship with a German soldier, fearing the consequences.
Tine Fischer, director of the Danish Film Institute and chair of the Oscar Committee, said in a press release that the committee was unanimous. Per Fischer, the film examines guilt, shame and morality, and shows how women’s bodies and fates become the center of society’s condemnation and control.
Fischer also stated that the film offers no easy answers but dares to ask difficult and important questions. According to her, its artistic vision and thematic complexity give it the right conditions to compete in the Oscar race.
Venice win preceded the selection
Kvinde ukendt received the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, earlier in September 2026. DR notes that the award followed strong reviews from international critics when the film screened in Italy.
Reuters adds that the Golden Lion victory on September 13, 2026, came alongside a second prize for the production. Arcel won the festival’s Best Actress award for her performance in the film.
As noted by the Danish Film Institute, the film was one of three titles initially under consideration for the Danish submission. Berlingske reports the committee’s choice and frames the film’s prospects as a sign of a potentially strong Danish Oscar year.
What happens next
Once countries have submitted their entries in the Best International Feature Film category, the field is narrowed in stages. A committee in the United States will first produce a shortlist of 15 films.
DR reports that the shortlist is scheduled to be published on December 15, 2026. The final Oscar nominations are due to be announced on January 21, 2027.
The Academy Awards ceremony itself takes place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027. Denmark has previously won the category, most recently with films by directors including Susanne Bier.
