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‘Minotaur’ Clip: Russian Director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s International Oscar Hopeful
Andrey Zvyagintsev’s political thriller *Minotaur* has been selected as France’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. The film’s recognition follows a Cannes Grand Prix win and selections at several major festivals, making it an international awards contender.
Set in Russia in 2022, the story follows businessman Gleb as companies face pressure to support the war effort and workers are drafted; his personal life begins to unravel over suspicions that his wife is having an affair. Dmitriy Mazurov and Iris Lebedeva star in Zvyagintsev’s first film since *Loveless* in 2017, and Mubi plans a US theatrical release on 20 November 2026. *Minotaur* has also received several Gotham nominations, including for Best International Feature, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
In short
- France chose *Minotaur* for its international Oscar submission.
- The film won Cannes’ Grand Prix.
- Mubi plans a US release on 20 November 2026.
Explained simply
Andrey Zvyagintsev is a Russian film director whose earlier film Loveless was also an international awards contender. Minotaur is set in Russia in 2022, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The film follows Gleb, a businessman whose companies face pressure to support the war effort while some workers are drafted into military service. At the same time, he suspects his wife is having an affair, bringing pressure at work and conflict at home into the same story.
France has chosen the film as its submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, a category in which each country puts forward an entry. Its festival recognition and awards nominations have brought it wider attention, while its planned US cinema release is set for November 2026.
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