Hungary has selected Ildikó Enyedi's "Silent Friend" as its official submission for the best international feature film category at the 2027 Oscars, the country's film academy confirmed exclusively to Variety. Enyedi previously received an Oscar nomination in the same category in 2018 for "On Body and Soul," which had won the Golden Bear at Berlin, making this her second bid for the award. The film, which explores the relationship between humans, plants and time, stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm and Léa Seydoux.

"Silent Friend" has already gathered significant acclaim, winning six awards at the Venice Film Festival and earning a nomination for the FIPRESCI Grand Prix, as well as being named best film at Budapest's Hungarian Film Week, where its cinematographer, editor and producer also won prizes. It is an international co-production between companies in Germany, Hungary, France and China, with distribution secured across numerous territories including the US. The Academy will announce its shortlist on 15 December, with final nominations confirmed on 21 January ahead of the 99th Academy Awards ceremony on 14 March in Los Angeles.