Czech Republic Sends Documentary ‘If Pigeons Turned to Gold’ into Oscar Race

An intimate documentary is set to represent the Czech Republic at the 99th Academy Awards. If Pigeons Turned to Gold celebrated its world premiere at the Berlinale, where it received two awards.

The Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA) has selected the documentary If Pigeons Turned to Gold (Kdyby se holubi proměnili ve zlato) as the Czech entry for the Oscars. The work by Pepa Lubojacki will compete in the Best International Feature Film category.

Over a period of five years, Lubojacki documented the lives of their own brother and two cousins. Their addictions gradually cost them their relationships, a permanent home and their sense of security.

At the same time, the film explores the impact of addiction and intergenerational trauma on the entire family. Lubojacki combines personal video footage with staged memories, animated photographs and graphic collages. The causes of the family’s decline are examined without sentimentality, but with great personal intimacy.

Two Awards at the Berlinale

The documentary celebrated its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026. There, it won both the Berlinale Documentary Award and the independent Caligari Film Prize. The 110-minute film will officially be released in Czech cinemas on 24 September 2026.

Decision to Be Made in December

Whether the film makes it onto the shortlist will be revealed on 15 December 2026. On that day, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will publish its shortlist of 15 international films. The final nominations will be announced on 21 January 2027. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 14 March 2027.

Foto: Kdyby se holubi proměnili ve zlato

To date, two Czechoslovak films and one Czech film have won the Oscar: The Shop on Main Street by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos in 1965, Jiří Menzel’s Closely Watched Trains two years later, and Jan Svěrák’s Kolya from 1996.