Rwanda Submits First Film 'Ben’Imana' for 2026 Oscars

Rwanda has submitted its first-ever film for the Academy’s Best International Feature Film category with Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s debut feature 'Ben’Imana'. The 2026 film, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, is the first Rwandan film to screen in the festival’s official selection.

Continental momentum in the race

African nations are increasing their presence in the Oscars race. Algeria holds a continental record with twenty-seven submissions and five nominations. Nigeria is returning after failing to submit a film for the previous 98th Academy Awards. New entries are joining the field from Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Chad's submission is Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's 'Soumsoum, la Nuit des Astres'. Regarded as the first Chadian filmmaker to direct a feature-length film, Haroun saw his 2026 film premiere in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival before screening in the Centrepiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is submitting for only the second time ever; its first was Zeka Laplaine’s 'Macadam Tribu' in 1997.

North African and regional trends

Tunisia did not announce a submission for the 99th Academy Awards as of the 30th September 2026 deadline. In contrast, Morocco has submitted twenty-two films and an entry every year since 2011. Its five most recent submissions have featured complex female protagonists, with four directed by women. To date, none have been nominated, though three were shortlisted.

Kenya's eight-year submission streak from 2017 to 2024 ended in 2025 when no film met entry requirements. Its 2025 submission, 'One Woman One Bra', is its tenth attempt hoping for a first-ever nomination. Kenya's first submission was 'Nairobi Half Life' in 2012.

West African challenges and hopes

Nigeria continues to face obstacles. Its first submission, Genevieve Nnaji’s 'Lionheart', was disqualified in 2019 for not meeting the language requirement. In 2022, the Official Selection Committee's decision to make no submission stoked controversy. In 2025, Akinola Davies Jr.’s 'My Father’s Shadow' was submitted by the United Kingdom, while Nigeria had no entry. Despite multiple submissions, no Nigerian film has ever been nominated or shortlisted.

Cameroon's 2026 submission, the Pidgin-English film 'Mabanda', aims to break through. It follows a pregnant teenager trapped by her emotionally abusive father. The film won the public-voted Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa) category at the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. Its lead, Nchini Sylvia-Bright, also co-led Cameroon’s 2021 Oscars submission, 'Hidden Dreams'. If nominated, 'Mabanda' would become the first Cameroonian film nominated for Best International Feature.

The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on 14th March 2027, where the Best International Feature Film winner will be announced.