Sweden is sending Eagles of the Republic to the Oscars 2026, on Wednesday, unveiling it as its official entry for the best international feature film category at the Academy Awards.
Tarik Saleh (Dark and Clever Conspiracy Thriller) wrote and directed the political thriller, starring Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri and Zineb Triki, is set in the powerful and glamorous Egyptian film industry. “Its brightest shining star is drawn into the vicious undercurrent of deceit, corruption, and propaganda,” notes a synopsis.
Eagles of the Republic had its world premiere at Cannes in the main international competition in March before playing the festival circuit. THR‘s review called the timely movie a “dark and clever conspiracy thriller.”
It will next be screened in the Centrepiece section of the 50th edition of Toronto International Film Festival and also be this year’s opening film of the Stockholm International Film Festival.
SF Studios distributes the film across the Nordics, with a theatrical release scheduled for the fall.
Eagles of the Republic is the third and final film in Tarik Saleh’s Cairo trilogy after The Nile Hilton Incident (Grand Jury Prize award, Sundance 2017) and Cairo Conspiracy, aka Boy From Heaven (best screenplay, Cannes 2022). The movie was shot in Istanbul last spring and summer and wrapped up in Gothenburg.
”We are honored to have been selected to represent Sweden in such a strong year for Swedish film,” said Saleh. “Our journey only just started, but it will be extra fun to screen the film in Toronto with this recognition.”
Saleh’s Cairo Conspiracy had made the international Oscar shortlist but wasn’t nominted. Sweden has won three international Oscars, all courtesy of Ingmar Bergman, with the most recent win coming for his 1982 film Fanny and Alexander.
The 98th Oscars take place Sunday, March 15.