November 14: Brazil and Mexico have chosen their entries for the 2027 Oscar for International Feature Film. Brazil has picked Allan Deberton’s Feito Pipa, the story of a boy who dreams of becoming a footballer, which won two prizes at the Berlin film festival. Mexico has chosen David Pablos’s En el camino, set in the desert of northern Mexico. Brazil won the category at the 2025 Oscars with Ainda Estou Aqui (I’m Still Here), and the Academy will name its 15-film shortlist on December 15.
Key highlights
- Brazil: Feito Pipa, chosen by the Academia Brasileira de Cinema on September 16 from 15 eligible films and a shortlist of six.
- Mexico: En el camino, chosen by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC); Fernando Eimbcke’s Moscas is Mexico’s entry for Spain’s Goya awards.
- Berlin prizes: Feito Pipa won the Crystal Bear and the grand jury prize of the Generation Kplus section.
- Public support: both Mexican films received EFICINE support; Feito Pipa was backed by Brazil’s Ancine and the Ceará state government, among others.
- Timeline: shortlist December 15; nominations January 21, 2027; ceremony March 14, 2027.
The two films
| Feito Pipa (Brazil) | En el camino (Mexico) | |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Allan Deberton | David Pablos |
| Story | Gugu, a boy who lives with his grandmother and dreams of football, hides her worsening health from his father so they will not be separated | Veneno, a young drifter, meets Muñeco, a lonely man; their friendship is complicated by a dangerous past |
| Setting | Filmed in Quixadá, Ceará | The desert of northern Mexico |
| Cast | Lázaro Ramos, Teca Pereira, Yuri Gomes | Not listed by IMCINE |
| Home release / distributor | In Brazilian cinemas from November 5, 2026 | Cinépolis Distribución |
Brazil: a story from Ceará
Feito Pipa draws on the childhood memories of its screenwriters, Deberton and André Araújo, in the town of Russas in Ceará, and was shot in Quixadá in the same state, Brazil’s Ministry of Culture said. It premiered at the Berlin film festival, where it won the Crystal Bear and the grand jury prize of the Generation Kplus section. Brazil’s shortlist of six also included 100 Dias, A Natureza das Coisas Invisíveis, Nosso Segredo and Vicentina Pede Desculpas.
The film has also travelled to Asia: it was screened at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival in the Belt and Road Film Week and a Focus Brazil programme, held during the Brazil–China Cultural Year.
Mexico: love and masculinity on the road
IMCINE described En el camino as a story about love and masculinities in the desert landscape of northern Mexico. Mexico’s Goya entry, Moscas, follows Olga, who is forced to rent a room in her flat to a father and forms an unlikely bond with his nine-year-old son. Both projects were developed with IMCINE’s involvement and received EFICINE support; Moscas is distributed in Mexico by MUBI.
Our calculation
| Question | Answer | How we got it |
|---|---|---|
| Brazilian films eligible for the one slot | 15 | Ministry of Culture figure |
| Days between Feito Pipa’s Brazilian release and the shortlist | 40 | November 5 to December 15 |
| Days from today to the Oscars ceremony | 120 | November 14 to March 14, 2027 |
What it means for India and Asia
Latin American cinema is looking east. Feito Pipa’s Shanghai screening came under the Brazil–China Cultural Year, and IFFI in Goa this month has a BRICS focus with films from all 11 member countries, including Brazil.
What to watch
- The Academy’s list of all films submitted in the category.
- Whether Brazil or Mexico makes the 15-film shortlist on December 15.
- Argentina’s and other Latin American entries as the Academy publishes the full list.
Mexican director David Pablos at the Valladolid International Film Festival in 2025 (file photo). Image: Pedro J Pacheco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
- Ministry of Culture, Brazil: Feito Pipa chosen to represent Brazil at the 2027 Oscars
- Academia Brasileira de Cinema: Oscar 2027 selection
- IMCINE: Moscas and En el camino will represent Mexico at the Goya and Oscar 2027
- PIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting): IFFI 2026 curtain raiser
The Entertainment Desk covers cinema from India, Asia and Hollywood: releases, box office, awards and festivals, reported from official announcements. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
