Ukraine picks '2,000 Meters to Andriivka' as its 2026 Oscars contender
The Ukrainian film "2,000 Meters to Andriivka," directed by journalist Mstyslav Chernov, has been selected to compete for the Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars, the Ukrainian Oscar Committee announced on Aug. 28.
"This is an uncompromisingly honest and deeply moving documentary that immerses viewers in the reality of the Russian-Ukrainian war through the human experience — fragile, exhausting, and yet filled with dignity," the statement reads.
"This Ukrainian film deserves greater international recognition, as it speaks on behalf of those who defend freedom and the right to live every single day."
The documentary follows Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, as Chernov embeds with a platoon from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. Their mission was to liberate Andriivka, a strategically important village in Donetsk Oblast.
Surrounded by mines, the village is accessible only through a narrow stretch of forest, making the battle particularly grueling.
Award-winning war correspondent and filmmaker Chernov developed the film in collaboration with Associated Press (AP) photographer Oleksandr Babienko, with production led by Michelle Mizner and Rainey Aronson-Rath.
"We’ll do everything we can to make sure the voices of Ukraine and its soldiers are heard," the filmmaker said on Aug. 28.
Chernov's previous film, "20 Days in Mariupol," won an Oscar as the Best Documentary at the 96th Academy Awards last March.
The film captures the Russian siege of Mariupol in the early weeks of the full-scale invasion in 2022, offering a firsthand account from Chernov and his team. It is the first Ukrainian-directed film to ever receive an Oscar.
