Germany selects Sandra Wollner's Everytime as its submission for the 99th Academy Awards

Jury decision in Munich

An independent jury organized by German Films announced on 25 August 2026 in Munich that the German-Austrian co-production Everytime will represent Germany in the best international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards. Directed by Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner, the selection emerged from a competitive field of domestic submissions. The drama prevailed over other shortlisted German entries, including Simon Verhoeven's Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke and Volker Schlöndorff's Heimsuchung. The decision officially submits the film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration ahead of the winter voting stages.

Storyline, cast and festival record

Everytime follows Ella and her younger daughter Melli as they attempt to rebuild their everyday routine one year after the sudden death of their older daughter Jessie. The family's unresolved grief surfaces through small gestures, archived text messages, and home video recordings. Repressed emotions return when both travel to Tenerife alongside Jessie's partner Lux. Photographed in warm tones by cinematographer Gregory Oke, the film stars Birgit Minichmayr, Carla Hüttermann, and Tristan Lopez in the principal roles. This project represents the third feature film for Wollner, who was born in Leoben in 1983 and resides in Berlin, following Das unmögliche Bild and The Trouble with Being Born. Before its selection by Germany, the production earned the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and captured the Heart of Sarajevo award for best feature film at the Sarajevo Film Festival in mid-August 2026.

Broadened eligibility through festival awards

New regulations introduced by the Academy in spring 2026 may allow Germany to enter up to three films into the international feature competition this cycle. Under the updated framework, foreign-language titles that win primary honors at recognized film festivals qualify directly for submission, including winners of the Cannes Palme d'Or, the Venice Golden Lion, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, or the Berlinale Golden Bear. Because of these provisions, İlker Çatak's Yellow Letters (Gelbe Briefe), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, and Visar Morina's Shame and Money (Von Scham und Geld), which secured the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, are eligible for submission. The production companies of these primarily German-produced titles must still complete formal submission paperwork with the Academy.

Voting timeline and category changes

The Academy also restructured the formal recognition rules for the international feature category. The film itself now stands as the official nominee rather than the submitting nation, and the director receives the statuette on behalf of the creative team. Eligible entries will first compete for placement on a 15-film shortlist scheduled for publication on 15 December 2026. Academy voters will then narrow that list to five nominated films, which will be announced on 21 January 2027. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on 14 March 2027.