The film “Everytime,” directed and written by Sandra Wollner, has been selected to represent Germany in the “Best International Feature Film” category at the 99th Academy Awards. This was announced by German Films, the body responsible for the selection process.
The nine-member jury praised “Everytime,” noting that Wollner successfully uses purely cinematic means and surprising lightness to convey grief as a condition within a fragmented world. The jury highlighted the outstanding cinematography, which creates a shimmering, sometimes detached atmosphere without distracting from the characters. Furthermore, the cast’s naturalism and the consistently precise and ambivalent character studies were singled out as strengths.
The plot centers on Ella, who is grappling with the loss of her daughter, Jessie. Her life now involves Jessie’s younger sister and a complicated relationship with a young man who is the focus of blame. The trio embarks on a family vacation that, in reality, never actually took place, resulting in a seamless entanglement between memory and the present day.
In response to rule changes introduced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this spring, films that have won significant prizes at selected international film festivals can now be submitted for the “International Feature Film” category. This new provision qualifies two other German productions for the Oscars: “Von Scham und Geld” by Visar Morina, which received the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and “Gelbe Briefe” by Ilker Catak, which won the Golden Bear at the International Film Festival Berlin.
The committee plans to announce the list of 15 titles vying for the “Best International Feature Film” award on December 15th. From this list, the five nominated films will be selected and announced on January 21, 2027, ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 14, 2027.
