98th Academy Awards: Polish and Central European Filmmakers Secure Major Victories

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony brought multiple highlights connected to Polish and Central European filmmakers, with Maciek Szczerbowski, a Polish-Canadian director born in Poznań, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film on March 15, 2026, for "The Girl Who Cried Pearls," produced by the National Film Board of Canada. Szczerbowski shared the award with his longtime creative partner Chris Lavis. The ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and hosted by Conan O'Brien, also saw the documentary "Mr Nobody Against Putin" take the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film, and Natalie Musteață and Alexandre Singh win Best Live Action Short Film for "Two People Exchanging Saliva" in a rare tied result. The big winner of the night was "One Battle After Another," which collected six awards including Best Picture.

Poznań celebrates its Oscar-winning son Szczerbowski, born on April 21, 1971, in Poznań, is a Polish-Canadian filmmaker and animation director who has worked alongside Lavis under the banner of Clyde Henry Productions since 1997. The duo had previously received an Oscar nomination for their animated short "Madame Tutli-Putli," which won the Genie Award for Best Animated Short. "The Girl Who Cried Pearls," described in trade coverage as a fable addressing themes of unfettered greed, was shortlisted for the Oscar and nominated at the Annie Awards before taking the Academy Award. Residents of Poznań reacted with enthusiasm to the news, with local media reporting that the city was celebrating the win as a point of civic pride. According to Głos Wielkopolski, one local source described the mood as reaching a zenith of enthusiasm. The film's production by Canada's national film board underscores the long creative partnership between Szczerbowski and Lavis, who have built their careers at the intersection of animation, puppetry, and illustration.

Anti-Putin documentary wins amid filmmakers' safety concerns "Mr Nobody Against Putin," directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film, drawing international attention to its subject matter. The film follows Talankin in his work at a school in Karabash, a poor mining town near the Ural Mountains, while documenting the Putin administration's efforts to control public perception. Czech producer Radovan Síbrt, who was involved in the production, spoke publicly about the risks surrounding the project after the win. „Putin knows about us...” — Radovan Síbrt via Blesk.cz The documentary's Oscar win prompted reactions in Russia, according to Polish outlet o2.pl, which reported on how the film was being received there. The film presents what its creators describe as an unretouched portrait of life in Russia under the current political system, according to reporting by Gazeta Prawna. The involvement of a Czech producer alongside the film's Russian and international directors reflects the cross-border nature of the production.

Rare Oscar tie crowns "weird film" about saliva exchange The Best Live Action Short Film category produced one of the evening's more unusual outcomes, with the Oscar going jointly to "Two People Exchanging Saliva" and "The Singers" in a rare tie. "Two People Exchanging Saliva," known in French as "Deux personnes échangeant de la salive," was written and directed by Natalie Musteată and Alexandre Singh, a married couple and filmmaking duo who co-directed the French-language production. The film, a United States and France co-production, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. Musteată addressed the Academy directly in her acceptance remarks. „Thank you to the Academy for supporting a weird film” — Natalie Musteată via Stirile ProTV The tie was confirmed by the Academy, with Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt accepting for "The Singers" alongside Singh and Musteată. Tied Oscar results are historically uncommon. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded tied Oscars on only a handful of occasions across its nearly century-long history. The 98th ceremony in 2026 marked one such rare instance in the short film categories, according to source reporting on the event.