Ukraine selects 2,000 meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov as its Oscar entry

Ukrainian Oscar Committee announced this.

“It is an uncompromisingly honest and piercing documentary that immerses viewers in the reality of the Russian-Ukrainian war through the human experience – fragile, exhausting, yet filled with dignity. This Ukrainian film must gain even greater visibility worldwide, as it speaks on behalf of those who defend freedom and the right to life every day,” the Committee stated.

The director commented on the decision, stressing that it is a great honor for the team to represent Ukraine at the Oscars.

“We will do everything possible to make the voices of Ukraine and Ukrainian soldiers heard. This feels especially important now, when this morning Kyiv suffered a massive bombardment. I received the news about the selection while filming as the bodies of civilians were being pulled from the rubble. This places an even greater responsibility on us—documentarians, artists—to speak to the world, to cry out about what is happening, even when it feels hopeless,” Chernov said.

About the film

2,000 Meters to Andriivka explores the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war through a deeply personal and painful perspective. Following his historic chronicle of civilian losses in Mariupol, Chernov turns his camera to Ukrainian soldiers—who they are, where they come from, and the unimaginably difficult decisions they must make in the trenches while fighting for every inch of their homeland.

Set against the backdrop of Ukraine’s ill-fated 2023 counteroffensive, Chernov, together with AP colleague Oleksii Babenko, follows a Ukrainian brigade as it advances through roughly 2,000 meters of heavily fortified forest in a mission to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka. Blending original footage, intense body-cam video from Ukrainian soldiers, and powerful moments of personal reflection, 2,000 Meters to Andriivka shows with haunting intimacy that the further soldiers move through their ravaged homeland, the more they realize this war may never end for them.

The world premiere of 2,000 Meters to Andriivka took place at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025, where the film won the award for Best Directing in the World Cinema Documentary category. Its Ukrainian premiere was held at the Docudays UA festival, where it won in three categories.

About this year’s Oscars

The shortlist of 15 films in the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on December 16, 2025. The five nominees will be revealed on January 22, 2026.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026.