Italy selects Paolo Strippoli horror film L'estranea for 99th Academy Awards

Selection committee decision

On 23 September 2026, the Italian selection committee established by ANICA on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected Paolo Strippoli's psychological horror film L'estranea as Italy's entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Meeting before a notary, the five-member panel comprised Giorgio Carlo Brugnoni, Cristina Comencini, Federica Lucisano, Francesco Melzi D'Eril, and Niccolò Vivarelli. The 33-year-old director's feature prevailed over 20 other eligible Italian titles, including Nanni Moretti's Succederà questa notte, Gabriele Muccino's Le cose non dette, Marco Bechis's Ritorno a Buenos Aires, and Riccardo Milani's La vita va così. Other entries in the 21-film pool included projects directed by Tommaso Landucci, Monica Guerritore, Damiano Michieletto, and Isabel Coixet. The selection committee cited the work as a fresh genre production from a young filmmaker that has earned recognition from domestic and international critics. Speaking by video link from Los Angeles, Strippoli reflected on the panel's choice:

“It is a huge, very strong signal, also because it is a genre film, and I think it has been many years since something that plays with thriller and horror has been proposed. Another aspect that makes this choice very unexpected and very courageous.”

Plot and creative team

Written by Strippoli alongside Salvatore De Chirico, L'estranea examines domestic vulnerability through the lens of psychological horror and family melodrama. The narrative follows Anna Colonna, played by Jasmine Trinca, who reveals to her adult daughter Alice, played by Romana Maggiora Vergano, a hidden agreement made two decades earlier. Following a severe childhood accident, Anna made a secret pact with an enigmatic entity, portrayed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, who returns years later to collect the price. Adriano Giannini completes the core cast as the father. Strippoli, a native of Corato in Bari and an alumnus of Sapienza University and the Centro Sperimentale, previously directed A Classic Horror Story with Roberto De Feo, Piove, and La valle dei sorrisi. The film is a co-production between Italy, France, and Belgium, produced by Marina Marzotto and Mattia Oddone for Propaganda Italia alongside Rai Cinema, Dinamo Film, Kazak Productions, and Tarantula. Paolo Del Brocco, chief executive of Rai Cinema, praised the film's artistic identity:

“We welcome with great joy the designation of the film L'estranea to represent Italy in the Oscar race. It is a very significant result, arrived at the end of a selection in which numerous films with high-level directorial and production paths participated.”

Oscar calendar and theatrical run

L'estranea entered the Oscar race following screenings on the international festival circuit in late 2026. The film premiered in main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where Strippoli was the youngest Italian filmmaker in contention, before earning second place for the People's Choice Midnight Madness Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Italian distributor 01 Distribution will release the title in cinemas across Italy on 8 October 2026. To secure an Academy Award nomination, the film must first advance to the Academy's 15-title international shortlist scheduled for release on 15 December 2026. The final five nominees will be announced on 21 January 2027, with the 99th Academy Awards ceremony set for 14 March 2027 in Los Angeles.