The UK has selected Pegah Ahangarani’s Rehearsals For A Revolution as its entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 99th Academy Awards.
The film explores Iranian filmmaker Ahangarani’s experience of exile as she rebuilds her life and creative practice in London, through five portraits of relatives and mentors, which are also expressions of resistance. The UK played an integral role in the film’s journey, serving as the base where it was written.
Drawing from personal archives, home videos, street protests footage, newspapers, and recorded voices, Ahangaran retraces more than 40 years of Iran’s history. From the early days of 1979, until the war that began in 2026, she pieces together intimate and collective memories, forming the portrait of a country shaped by political repression and in constant hope for a revolution.
Sony Pictures Classics, which acquired North America, Latin America, Asia (except Japan), New Zealand, Turkey Portugal, and global airlines out of Cannes, announced the selection of the film as the UK’s entry and also detailed release plans.
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The distributor said it will give the film qualifying runs in New York and L.A. in December. It will then open it exclusively at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in L.A. and the Film Forum in New York on January 8, 2027, before rolling it out across the country over the following weeks.
The deeply personal debut feature premiered as a Special Screening at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the L’Oeil d’Or (Golden Eye), and played last month at the Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
It was recently honored with an Albie Award from the Maysles Documentary Center, an award honoring those who inspire, not only through their work, but also through their roles as mentors, role models, and champions of social justice.
“How extraordinary to see Pegah’s remarkable film recognized in this category. From winning the L’Oeil d’Or at Cannes to the standing ovations at TIFF and now this recognition, Rehearsals For A Revolution is building incredible momentum and marking a significant moment for a formidable female filmmaker creating in exile from her home country,” said SPC in a statement.
“This selection in the Best International Feature category has the potential to be truly transformative for the film, opening doors to audiences around the world while shining a spotlight on Pegah’s extraordinary talent and her vital voice. It’s a recognition that will have a lasting impact not only on the life of this film, but on Pegah’s future career as a filmmaker.”
