The Czech Film and Television Academy announced its selection for the international feature film category at the Academy Awards. The chosen submission is an intimate documentary titled If Pigeons Turned to Gold, directed by Pepa Ljubojacki.
According to the academy, the film follows the director’s brother and two cousins over a five-year period as they struggle with addictions that gradually damage their relationships, homes, and sense of security. The work employs a distinctive formal approach, combining diary footage, stylized memories, photographic elements, and graphic collages to explore the circumstances surrounding their challenges and the broader effects on the family unit.
The documentary premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, where it received the award for best documentary feature as well as the independent Caligari prize. The film is scheduled for theatrical release in Czech cinemas later in September. International distribution rights are being managed by Split Screen, a company based in Croatia.
The Academy’s selection process will continue with the publication of a 15-film international feature shortlist on Dec. 15, followed by the announcement of five nominees on Jan. 21. This year’s submission follows last year’s Czech entry, I’m Not Everything I Want to Be by Klára Tasovská. Historically, films from the Czech region have achieved recognition in this category, with three prior winners including The Shop on Main Street in 1965, Closely Watched Trains, and Kolya in 1996.
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