An award-winning film at Cannes does not automatically make it to the Oscars. To enter the race for the famous statuette, it also needs a promotional campaign, which can cost millions of dollars. Romania is trying to support the film “Fjord,” directed by Cristian Mungiu, with a budget of 500,000 lei.
The amount will be allocated by the Ministry of Culture for promoting the film at the 2027 Academy Awards, announced Minister Ioana Ciocan on Tuesday evening during an intervention on Digi24.
The minister compared Romania’s financial effort with the huge budgets of other competing productions. She gave the example of the Spanish film “La Bola Negra,” starring Penélope Cruz, which she said has a budget of 50 million dollars. “The Ministry of Culture made a superhuman effort – and I say this with great responsibility – to support the Oscar promotion with 500,000 lei,” said Ioana Ciocan.
How to win an Oscar
The minister explained that the artistic value of a film is not enough to obtain a nomination. Directors have to promote their productions to the members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in a competition she compared to an election campaign.
“Cristian Mungiu can make the most fabulous film on the surface of the Earth, but he has a kind of election campaign to run. He has to convince the 12,000 members of the Academy jury to vote for him,” explained Ioana Ciocan.
This means that the film must reach as many voters as possible through distribution, special screenings, online advertising, billboards, and appearances on television shows in the United States. “It is a Sisyphean task. Whether we will succeed, I don’t know. But, certainly, we will try,” added the Minister of Culture.
When we find out if “Fjord” enters the Oscar race
“Fjord,” awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, is Romania’s submission in the category “Best International Feature Film.” The first decisive moment will be December 15, 2026, when the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the shortlist of productions remaining in the competition.
The final nominations will be announced on January 21, 2027, and the Oscar award ceremony will take place on March 14, in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Romanian audiences will be able to see the film in cinemas starting January 15, 2027. The premiere will be marked by a gala at the Sala Palatului in Bucharest, where Cristian Mungiu and actors Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, along with other members of the team, are expected.