Ecuador has selected the film "Hiedra" (Ivy), directed by Ana Cristina Barragán, as its official entry in the race for the 2027 Oscars and Goya Awards. The country's Academy of Cinematographic and Audiovisual Arts announced the choice on September 4, 2026, following a national call for submissions.
The selection was revealed on social media and marks only the beginning of the process. The academy stressed that the announcement does not guarantee a nomination or ensure the film's place in the final stages of either award.
Path to eligibility
For the Oscars, "Hiedra" must still be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States, which will decide whether it meets the eligibility requirements to compete in the Best International Feature Film category. The process also includes several rounds of preliminary voting before any shortlist is drawn up.
International run since Venice
The choice comes after an international run that began with the film's world premiere on September 3, 2025, in the Orizzonti section, one of the official strands of the Venice Film Festival. There, Barragán won the Orizzonti Award for best screenplay.
The film later received a special mention in the Horizontes Latinos section of the 2025 San Sebastián Film Festival and went on to screen at other international festivals.
A story of abandonment
"Hiedra" stars Mexican actress Simone Bucio and Ecuadorian actor Francis Eddú Llumiquinga in a drama that explores childhood wounds and their consequences in adulthood. It follows two young people marked by abandonment.
Azucena, who became a mother at a young age, searches for the son she left behind when she herself was still a child. Julio never knew his parents and grew up in a foster home. The two meet in a shared space of pain that the film turns into visual and emotional poetry.
Barragán's earlier Oscar bid
This is not the first time Barragán has represented Ecuador in the race for the Academy Awards. Her debut feature, "Alba," was chosen by the country for the 2017 edition, when the international category was still known as Best Foreign Language Film.
