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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oscars: Ireland Picks ‘Sanatorium,' Doc on Ex-Soviet Wellness Resort in Ukraine, as Best Int'l Feature Submission
Sanatorium, a documentary directed by Gar O'Rourke about an ex-Soviet wellness resort in Ukraine, is Ireland's submission for the best international feature film category at the 98th Oscars. The Irish Film and Television Academy unveiled its choice of Ireland's official entry for the international feature category at the Academy Awards on Tuesday. In 2022, The Quiet Girl became the first film submitted by Ireland to be nominated in the category. The country has never won the international Oscar. More from The Hollywood Reporter Oscars: Palestine Picks 'Palestine 36' as Best International Feature Submission Disney Hires Netflix's Tony Zameczkowski for APAC Exec Role Nia DaCosta Reveals Her One Amendment to Alex Garland's '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Script - "More Infected" Last year's submission was Rich Peppiatt's Kneecap. 'Both patients and staff search for health, happiness, and love while the [Russia-started] war echoes through the lime green corridors' of Kuyalnyk Sanatorium, reads a film synopsis. 'Every summer, people of all ages arrive in their thousands at a huge ex-Soviet treatment center in Odesa on the southern coast of Ukraine. A time capsule from the '70s, built in the brutalist style of the era, it still offers therapeutic treatments from the glory days of the Soviet Union. The main attraction is the mysterious mud which is believed to cure infertility, chronic ailments, and a myriad of other health problems.' But beyond the physical health goals, many guests are really searching for happiness and love above all else, Sanatorium shows as O'Rourke and the camera of cinematographer Denys Melnyk follow them to tell their stories. As such, the doc is also a declaration of love for the Ukrainian people, their spirit, and their resilience. Sanatorium was produced by Venom Films by IFTA-winning Ken Wardrop and Andrew Freedman (His & Hers, Making the Grade), along with Samantha Corr. Sanatorium was co-produced by 2332 Films Ukraine and made with support from Screen Ireland, BBC Storyville, MetFilm Sales, France TV, and Creative Europe. The film was edited by John Murphy (editor of An Cailín Ciúin), with Denys Melnyk (Militantropos) as director of photography. Irish Distributor Eclipse Pictures will release the film in Irish cinemas on Sept. 5. Sanatorium had its World Premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen in the main international competition in March before playing the festival circuit. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 10 Wrestlers Turned Actors, Ranked The 25 Best U.S. Film Schools in 2025 The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History Solve the daily Crossword
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Ukrainian-language film Sanatorium to represent Ireland in Oscars international category
Ukrainian-language film Sanatorium has been selected by the Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) to represent Ireland in the International Feature Film category at next year's 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. The documentary film, directed by Galway-born filmmaker Gar O'Rourke, is set in Kuyalnik Sanatorium, a crumbling wellness centre near Odessa in Ukraine, where "staff and visitors are determined to have a holiday away from the outside world, a moment in their lives to 'restore' themselves" despite the war raging in the country. At the facility, guests can avail of the therapeutic treatments from the Soviet-era, including a mysterious mud which is said to cure infertility, chronic ailments, and a myriad of other health issues. The fly-on-the wall work has already garnered much acclaim on the festival circuit: it won Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh, and screened at festivals in Copenhagen, Switzerland, Edinburgh, and Melbourne. The film was produced by Venom Films with Ifta-winners Ken Wardrop and Andrew Freedman, along with Samantha Corr. It was co-produced by 2332 Films Ukraine and made with support from Screen Ireland, BBC Storyville, MetFilm Sales, France TV, and Creative Europe. It will released here on September 5. Gar O'Rourke said it was a privilege to be representing Ireland "on the biggest stage in world cinema". "This was a film that set out to show the power of healing, the resilience of community, and above all the strength of the Ukrainian spirit in the face of such traumatic time," he said. 'Sanatorium' has already garnered much acclaim on the festival circuit: it won Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh, and screened at festivals in Copenhagen, Switzerland, Edinburgh, and Melbourne. Producers Andrew Freedman, Ken Wardrop and Samantha Corr said being selected by Ifta was "an honour" and "a huge recognition of the dedication of Gar O'Rourke, John Murphy and everyone who helped bring this story to the screen". "Most of all, it salutes the resilient community of Kuyalnik Sanatorium outside Odessa — where even in the shadow of war, people come to heal, to laugh and to show extraordinary humanity," they added. Sanatorium follows in the footsteps of An Cailín Ciúin, nominated for an Oscar in 2023, and Kneecap, shortlisted for an award last year. The shortlist for the International Feature Oscar will be announced on December 16. The final five nominees will be announced on January 22. The 98th Academy Awards take place on March 15.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ukrainian-language film selected by Irish movie bosses for this year's Oscars
A Ukrainian-Language film has been selected by Irish filmmakers for this year's Oscars International Feature Film category. The Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) has announced that Sanatorium, a Ukrainian-language film directed by Galway-born filmmaker Gar O'Rourke, will represent Ireland in the category at the 2026 Academy Awards. The documentary, set in a wellness centre near Odesa, offers a wry and vivid portrait of residents seeking love, healing and escape through unusual therapies, including the use of a mysterious black mud said to cure infertility and physical ailments. Despite the backdrop of war, the community carries on, determined to find joy and restoration. Announcing the selection, IFTA Chief Executive Áine Moriarty praised the film as "intriguing and quietly powerful", adding: "It is so inspiring to see an Irish director and creative team collaborate with Ukrainian colleagues to capture these moments in time, which will no doubt resonate with audiences worldwide." Speaking on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland, she said: "There are all sorts of strange treatments for ailments, mysterious black mud that can cure infertility and physical disabilities. It is just quite funny..." She added that in the film, you can see in the distance the war going on, but said the centre was chosen by people because it was "away from the beaten path". It is a fly-on-the-wall type of documentary, she said, in which people tell their stories. "It is really why film matters in a sense because people can bear witness, build empathy and show a shared humanity." Director Gar O'Rourke said representing Ireland at the Oscars was "an incredible honour", describing the film as a tribute to "the power of healing, the resilience of community, and above all the strength of the Ukrainian spirit in the face of such traumatic times." Sanatorium follows in the footsteps of recent Irish Oscar contenders An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl), which was nominated in 2023, and Kneecap, which made the shortlist earlier this year. Past IFTA entries have included films in Irish, Spanish, Arabic and Serbo-Croatian. The Oscar shortlist for International Feature will be announced on 16 December, with the final five nominees revealed on 22 January. The 98th Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on 15 March 2026. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Ireland's going for Oscar glory
Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive of the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA), announces Ireland's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Ukrainian-language feature film to represent Ireland at next year's Oscars
The Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) announced that Sanatorium will follow in the footsteps of Oscar-nominated An Caitlín Ciúin in 2023 and Kneecap from this year by competing in the International Feature Film category. It was directed by Galway-born filmmaker Gar O'Rourke and produced by Venom Films by IFTA-winning Ken Wardrop and Andrew Freedman. The film documents a small colourful group's quest for normality and respite in a wellness centre in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa as war rages around the country. Participants gather in a Soviet-era building to undergo mud treatments using black mud that is said to cure infertility and physical disabilities. Sanatorium was selected by IFTA's 2025 Selection Committee which consists of prominent Irish filmmakers from several previously Oscar-nominated films. IFTA chief executive Áine Moriarty has said that the film will resonate with audiences around the world. "What an intriguing and quietly powerful film, with its vibrant and visually stunning scenery and colourful cast of real-life characters who find escapism within the confines of an unconventional wellness centre in Ukraine,' she said. "It is so inspiring to see an Irish Director and creative team collaborate with Ukrainian colleagues to capture these moments in time.' The film's director Gar O'Rourke said that the film has been received very well by audiences since its release. 'Since the premiere of Sanatorium earlier this year, the international response has been overwhelming. "This was a film that set out to show the power of healing, the resilience of community, and above all the strength of the Ukrainian spirit in the face of such traumatic times.' Its producers Andrew Freedman, Ken Wardrop and Samantha Corr highlighted the importance of the film's display of 'extraordinary humanity', despite the horrors of war. This is not the first time a foreign-language film been chosen to wave the Irish flag in Hollywood – Spanish-language film Viva was shortlisted in 2006, as well as the Arabic-language films Gaza in 2019 and The Shadow of Beirut in 2024.
