Eagles of the Republic is Sweden’s Academy Award submission

Tarik Saleh, photo: Pelle T Nilsson / Swedish Press Agency. Lyna Khoudri and Fares Fares, photo: Yigit Eken

Eagles of the Republic by Tarik Saleh has been selected as Sweden’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

– We are honored to have been selected to represent Sweden in such a strong year for Swedish film. Our journey only just started but it will be extra fun to screen the film in Toronto with this recognition, says Tarik Saleh.

Egypt’s most beloved actor, George Fahmy (played by Fares Fares), is pressured into taking the lead role in a film commissioned by the highest political authority. He reluctantly accepts the role and is suddenly thrown into the inner circles of power. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he begins an affair with the mysterious wife of the general overseeing the film.

– Tarik has established himself as one of our truly great film directors. With the Cairo Trilogy, his international success has been truly impressive—not only in Sweden and France but across the globe. Competing twice in Cannes, shortlisted for an Oscar, and directing high-profile tv series in the U.S. means that no one in the Academy could have missed his brilliance. Add to that a winning personality and an incredibly strong team behind him. Altogether, this makes his chances at the Oscars with Eagles of the Republic great. Go Tarik, give it everything you’ve got! says Petter Mattsson, Head of the International Department at the Swedish Film Institute and Chair of the Swedish Oscar Committee.

Eagles of the Republic is written and directed by Tarik Saleh and produced by Linus Stöhr Torell / Unlimited Stories, Linda Mutawi, Johan Lindström / Apparaten, and Alexandre Mallet-Guy / Memento Production, in co-production with SVT, Film i Väst and others. The film received development support from former film commissioner Lena Runge at the Swedish Film Institute. The film's theatrical premiere will take place in Finland on September 19.

The Oscar shortlist will be announced on December 16, and the final nominations will be revealed on January 22. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.

Read more here about Sweden’s Oscar submissions over the years.

For interview inquiries about Eagles of the Republic, please contact Monday Relations:
Camilla Nasiell, camilla.nasiell@mondayrelations.se, +46 70 720 65 63