Puglia-born 33-year-old horror and thriller director Paolo Strippoli's 'L'Estranea' (The Spiral) was selected Wednesday to represent Italy at the Oscars.
The film, which had its world premiere in Venice recently, stars Jasmine Trinca (Anna), Romana Maggiora Vergano (Alice), Adriano Giannini (Walter), Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, and Andrea Genovese (Tobia).
It is about a mother who visits her daughter's apartment during a storm to confess a foundational family secret and a dark past pact, which unravels their relationship.
On Wednesday the selection committee for the Italian film to be submitted to the Oscars—established by ANICA at the behest of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and comprising Giorgio Carlo Brugnoni, Cristina Comencini, Federica Lucisano, Francesco Melzi D'Eril, and Niccolò Vivarelli—met before a notary and voted for 'L'Estranea' as the film to represent Italy at the 99th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category.
'L'Estranea' was selected from 21 Italian films including Cannes winner Nanni Moretti's and Gabriele Muccino's latest features.
The Oscars Academy is scheduled to announce the shortlists on December 15.
The nominations will be announced on January 21, 2027, while the Oscars¸ ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027.
Below are the titles of the films which Strippoli's film beat, listed in alphabetical order: ANNA by Monica Guerritore; CONTROCORRENTE A REBOURS by Angelo Antonucci; FINALE: ALLEGRO by Emanuela Piovano; GIOIA MIA by Margherita Spampinato; GLI OCCHI DEGLI ALTRI by Andrea De Sica; I FIGLI DELLA SCIMMIA by Tommaso Landucci; IL VANGELO DI GIUDA by Giulio Base; LA GRANDE PAURA DI HITLER - PROCESSO ALL'ARTE DEGENERATA by Simona Risi; LA SALITA by Massimiliano Gallo; LA VITA VA COSÌ by Riccardo Milani; LE BAMBINE by Valentina Bertani and Nicole Bertani; LE COSE NON DETTE by Gabriele Muccino;i; ORFEO by Virgilio Villoresi; PER TE by Alessandro Aronadio; PRIMAVERA by Damiano Michieletto; QUASI GRAZIA by Peter Marcias; RITORNO A BUENOS AIRES by Marco Bechis; SERPENTI by Roberto De Paolis Maino; SUCCEDERA' QUESTA NOTTE by Nanni Moretti; and TRE CIOTOLE by Isabel Coixet.
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