Det Danske Filminstitut has named three films in contention to become Denmark’s official entry for the 2027 Oscar for Best International Feature Film. One of them will be selected on September 25.
The three candidates are “Hjem,” directed by Marijana Jankovic, “Dobbeltfejl,” directed by Amalie Næsby Fick, and “Kvinde ukendt,” directed by May el-Toukhy. According to Avisen Danmark, citing Ritzau, the Danish Film Institute made the decision on Monday afternoon, August 24.
The Danish Oscar committee will then pick one of the three films as the country’s final submission on September 25. In its press release, distributed via Ritzau, Det Danske Filminstitut states that the committee is made up of representatives from the film industry and the institute. The institute says the selected films are judged to have the strongest international potential.
The road to a nomination
Each country may submit only one film in the category. The Danish entry must reach the Academy no later than September 30, 2026. A committee then reviews all submissions, and 15 films are placed on a shortlist to be announced on December 15, 2026.
The five nominations will be made public on January 21, 2027, and the Oscar ceremony takes place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027, according to figures from the Danish Film Institute carried by Avisen Danmark and Ni.dk.
Politiken reports that “Hjem” is Jankovic’s feature-length directorial debut and follows a Balkan family adapting to Danish society. The same outlet describes “Kvinde ukendt” as a post-war drama set in Copenhagen in 1945, centered on a young woman named Marie who hides her relationship with a German soldier. Politiken notes that the film has not yet opened in Danish cinemas.
Per the institute’s press release, “Dobbeltfejl” is a drama about a suspected sexual assault on a teenage boy committed by two classmates. Sofie Gråbøl, Sidse Babett Knudsen and Asta Kamma August appear in key roles. The film is scheduled for its Danish cinema premiere on September 24, 2026.
Filmmagasinet Ekko notes that all three shortlisted films are directed by women. Ekko adds that “Kvinde ukendt” will premiere in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, while “Dobbeltfejl” has been selected for Toronto’s Discovery program. TV2 Østjylland highlights that Næsby Fick comes from Silkeborg.
Denmark has won the award for Best International Feature Film four times. The wins came in 1988 with Gabriel Axel’s “Babettes gæstebud,” in 1989 with Bille August’s “Pelle Erobreren,” in 2011 with Susanne Bier‘s “Hævnen,” and most recently in 2021 with Thomas Vinterberg’s “Druk.”
The institute’s press release frames Monday’s decision as the first formal step in Denmark’s 2027 Oscar process, timed to the Academy’s September 30 submission deadline.
