The Saudi Film Commission has selected the feature film ‘A Matter of Life or Death’ to represent the kingdom at the 99th Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in the Best International Feature Film category. The winner in this category is due to be announced at the awards ceremony scheduled for March 2027.
Saudi committee reviewed films submitted for the Oscars
The film was selected after a number of Saudi entries were reviewed by the Saudi Film Selection Committee for the Oscars, under the supervision of the Film Commission. The committee comprises Saudi filmmakers and specialists who examine and assess the works according to the conditions and criteria set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for films competing in the Best International Feature Film category.
The Saudi Film Commission said the film, directed by Anas Batah, combines romance and black comedy in a single cinematic treatment. Set in the city of Jeddah, it follows ‘Hayat’, a young woman who believes a family inheritance foretells her death when she turns 30, after her mother and grandmother faced the same fate.
In a parallel storyline, the film introduces ‘Yusuf’, a heart surgeon with a health problem involving a slow heartbeat. Yusuf and Hayat meet in unexpected circumstances, and their relationship develops amid questions about love, fate and the meaning of life and death, in an atmosphere blending fantasy, human emotion and black comedy. The film was written by Sarah Taibah, who also stars in it alongside Yaqoub Al-Farhan.
The cast also includes Amani Al-Jameel, Hussam Al-Harthi, Wafy Fouad, Rahaf Ibrahim, Najlaa Al-Abdullah, Osama Al-Qass, Ghada Aboud and Mai Hakim, as well as a number of Saudi talents.
