Khaberni - In a new achievement for Saudi cinema, the Film Authority, in cooperation with the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, announced the selection of the feature film "Migration" directed by Shahd Amin to officially represent the Kingdom at the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, following an accurate review process that included a selection of the most prominent Saudi cinematic productions of this year.
The choice of "Migration" for the Oscars came after it made a noticeable appearance at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where it won the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film.
The Film Authority explained that the selection committee appointed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences studied the nominated films according to approved artistic criteria, in a step that is considered a pivotal station in the journey of modern Saudi cinema.
The plot of the film "Migration" revolves around a dramatic and poignant journey of three Saudi women from different generations to Mecca to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in 2001.
The journey suddenly turns into a tragedy with the mysterious disappearance of the eldest girl, "Sarah," prompting the grandmother, accompanied by her youngest granddaughter, to begin a harsh search journey that uncovers buried family secrets and highlights the gap between the generations of women.
Poster of the film "Migration"
The film stars a number of Saudi actors, including Khairiya Nazmi, Lamar Faden, Nawaf Al-Dhafeeri, Baraa Aalam, Raghd Bukhari, and Abdulsalam Al-Huwaiti, and was filmed over 55 days in eight Saudi cities including: Bani Malik, Taif, Jeddah, Medina, Al-Ula, Tayma, Tabuk, Neom, and Dhiba, in an attempt to showcase the geographic and cultural diversity of the Kingdom.
"Migration" is set to compete against dozens of films from various countries around the world for the Best International Feature Film award, going through multiple elimination stages starting with the long list then the short list, before the winner is announced at the Oscar ceremony scheduled to be held in March 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
