Three Films on Russian-Ukrainian War Advance to the 2026 Oscar Shortlists
Ukrainian cinema has gained prominent international recognition after two films connected to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine advanced to the shortlists for the 2026 Academy Awards.
The Gaze reports this, referring to a statement made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The documentary ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’ by Oscar-winning filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov and the animated short ‘I Died in Irpin’ by director Anastasiia Falileieva were included among the preliminary contenders in their respective categories, placing Ukrainian storytelling at the forefront of this year’s Oscar race.
Chernov’s ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’ was shortlisted in the Documentary Feature Film category. The film follows Ukrainian soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade as they fight near the frontline village of Andriivka in eastern Ukraine, offering an unfiltered portrayal of modern warfare through first-hand reporting.
The documentary was produced in partnership between The Associated Press and Frontline (PBS) – the same collaboration behind Chernov’s earlier film 20 Days in Mariupol, which won the 2024 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Although Ukraine also submitted ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’ for consideration in the International Feature Film category, it did not advance to that shortlist.
Meanwhile, Falileieva’s ‘I Died in Irpin’ earned a place on the shortlist for Animated Short Film. The 11-minute work combines stark charcoal-style animation with personal archival materials to recount the filmmaker’s own experience during the opening days of Russia’s invasion, as fighting reached the Kyiv suburb of Irpin.
Another film tied to Ukraine, ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ by German director Franz Böhm, was shortlisted in the Live Action Short Film category. The film, which addresses the impact of the war on ordinary lives, features several Ukrainian actors, including Oleksandr Rudynskyi, Serhii Kalantai, Oleksandr Yatsenko, and Yurii Radionov. The project previously received a BAFTA award, further strengthening its awards-season profile.
The Academy emphasized that shortlists are not final nominations. Official Oscar nominees will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 15, 2026.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the National Society of Film Critics in the United States has selected 2000 Meters to Andriivka, the latest documentary by acclaimed Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, as one of the five best documentary films of 2025.
Read more on The Gaze: Ukrainian Cinema: 9 Must-Watch Films That Define a Nation’s Spirit