The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has selected Sanatorium, a Ukrainian-language feature directed by Galway-born filmmaker Gar O’Rourke, to represent Ireland in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards.
This marks a striking and culturally unique choice, emphasising Ireland’s growing openness to films in languages other than English.
Should Sanatorium go on to secure a nomination, it would follow the legacy of The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin)—Ireland's first-ever Oscar-nominated film in the International Feature category—which itself made history in the 2023 ceremony.
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The IFTA selection aligns with the Academy's criteria, which require submitting films to be predominantly in non-English dialogue. Ireland, primarily producing English-language cinema, now occasionally offers more diverse entries—Sanatorium being the latest example.
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