Hamburg, 14 September 2026 – The first step has been taken: the drama *Elephants in the Mist*, produced by the Lübeck-based company Zischlermann, is in the running for an Oscar on behalf of Nepal in the ‘International Feature Film’ category. This makes the film the third MOIN-funded Oscar contender, joining “Yellow Letters” and “Rose”. “Elephants in the Mist” will celebrate its German premiere at Filmfest Hamburg at the end of September.
For the MOIN Film Fund, the decision from Nepal marks yet another success in the Oscar race: in addition to the entry that has now been selected, “Gelbe Briefe” by İlker Çatak has already qualified for the “International Feature Film” category following its victory at the Berlinale. For Çatak, this marks his second chance at an Oscar nomination: his film *The Teachers’ Lounge* received an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film in 2024. This year’s Oscar entry from Austria, “Rose” by Markus Schleinzer, was also supported by the MOIN Film Fund. Sandra Hüller received the Silver Bear at the 2026 Berlinale for her performance in the Austrian-German co-production. The debut film “Elephants in the Mist” by Nepalese director Abinash Bikram Shah won the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” section at Cannes and will celebrate its German premiere at Filmfest Hamburg.
Helge Albers, CEO of MOIN Film Fund: “This is a first: with ‘Elephants in the Fog’, ‘Yellow Letters’ and ‘Rose’, three MOIN-funded films are in the running for an Oscar nomination in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category. This is a tremendous success for the film industry in northern Germany – we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the three teams as they take the next steps.”
This continues a success story for MOIN Film Fund: As early as 2024 with *The Teachers’ Lounge* and in 2025 with *The Seed of the Holy Fig Tree* by Mohammad Rasoulof, MOIN-funded productions provided Germany’s Oscar nominees. With ‘Elephants in the Fog’, ‘Yellow Letters’ and ‘Rose’, MOIN is now represented three times on the road to the Academy Awards.
Oscar kick-off at Filmfest HamburgHow an Oscar campaign actually works is also a topic at the Filmfest Hamburg Industry Days: On 28 September at 5.30 pm, the German Film Academy, German Films and MOIN Film Fund are hosting a talk entitled ‘How does an Oscar campaign actually work?’ at the Curio-Haus. The Executive Producers of “Everytime”, “Gelbe Briefe” and “Von Scham und Geld” will offer insights into their upcoming campaigns and discuss how a film generates international attention and catches the eye of Academy members. The talk is accessible with Filmfest Hamburg Industry Accreditation.
The Road to the Oscars
This coming winter will determine whether the three films will continue on their path towards an Oscar nomination. On 15 December 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the shortlist of 15 titles in the ‘International Feature Film’ category. On 21 January 2027, the five nominated films will be announced. The 99th Academy Awards will take place on 14 March 2027 in Los Angeles.
Elephants in the Mist
“Elephants in the Mist” is the feature film debut of the Nepalese director Abinash Bikram Shah, whose short films and work as a Script Writer have already attracted international attention. The film tells the story of Pirati, the matriarch of a community of Kinnar women in a Nepalese village, who must choose between personal happiness and responsibility. The German-led co-production was produced under the leadership of Lübeck-based Zischlermann Filmproduktion and the Cologne-based production company Die Gesellschaft DGS. The MOIN Film Fund has supported the project with 65,000 euros.
On 25 September 2026 at 5.30 pm, “Elephants in the Mist” will celebrate its German premiere at Filmfest Hamburg in the CinemaxX Dammtor. Find out more about the premiere and tickets at filmfesthamburg.de
Yellow Letters
With “Yellow Letters” (if… Productions Film, Munich), Oscar-nominated director İlker Çatak presents a drama set in Turkey, which was filmed in Germany and has already won the Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlinale. Filming took place over three weeks in Hamburg. The film tells the story of Derya and Aziz, an artist couple from Ankara, who find themselves in the state’s crosshairs overnight and lose their jobs and home. Together with their daughter, they move to Istanbul, where they must choose between their values and their shared future as a family. The film received €450,000 in production funding from the MOIN Film Fund.
Rose
In the German-Austrian co-production “Rose” (ROW Pictures, Leipzig), the plot is set in a 17th-century Protestant village. The arrival of a scarred Stranger (Sandra Hüller) sows mistrust amongst the villagers. However, The Stranger proves to be hard-working and God-fearing and becomes part of the community – even though his desire to belong is based on a lie. In his historical drama, directors Markus Schleinzer and Thomas Stuber tell the story of a person who was born a woman, lived as a man and thereby deceived an entire village. At the 2026 Berlinale, Sandra Hüller was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her performance in “Rose”. The film received funding of 100,000 euros from the MOIN Film Fund.
