Germany chose Mascha Schilinski's Crash ( En die sonne schauen ) as its submission to the Best International Long - Small Category at the 98th Academy Awards.
The multigenerational drama, produced by Studio Zentral, was chosen by an independent jury of German films from a shortlist of five candidates. The jury praised the film as "formally uncompromising, emotionally existential, and artistically unique, a solitary work in German and international cinema," noting its rare urgency and poetic narrative.
Crash debuted in competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it opened and won the Exaquo Jury Prize. The film has since been shown in Shanghai, Karlovy Vary, and festivals in Australia, with upcoming North American and New York premieres confirmed.
Set on an isolated farm in the Altmark region of Germany, the film draws the lives of four women in one century: Soul (1910), Erika (1940), Angelika (1980) and Nelly (2020), whose stories are interconnected by trauma, repression and recurring trauma.
“For our entire team, it is a great honor that Crash will represent Germany at the Oscars ,” Schilkinski said in a statement. “Our journey from Cannes to this moment proves that it pays to believe in your artistic vision and stay true to yourself—if you find the right partners along the way.”
Producers Maren Schmitt, Lucas Schmidt, and Lasse Scharge added: “It is a particular honor that Collide was chosen as Germany’s Oscar entry. In the 98th anniversary of the Oscars, films directed by women remain hardly isolated. We are proud to showcase the quality of German cinema internationally with the film Mascha Schilinski and look forward to enjoying the success it enjoyed at Cannes.”
Schilinski, who studied screenwriting in Hamburg and directed at the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy, made her mark with The Daughter , which debuted at the Berlinale in 2017. Crash is her second feature. Mubi has acquired rights to North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, and Turkey, while MK2 is handling international sales. Neue Visionen will release the film in Germany on August 28.
The Academy will present the full list of international submissions in November. A shortlist of 15 films will be presented on December 16, with the final nominees announced on January 22. The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15, 2026.
