Oscars: Iran selects drama film In the Arms of the Tree as official entry for Best International Feature

As the race for Oscars intensifies with countries looking through their portfolios to send their best of the year for Best International Feature submission, Iran has joined the competition with family drama In the Arms of the Tree.

The film, In the Arms of the Tree, has been selected as Iran’s official submission for the best international feature film category of the 2025 Academy Awards. The decision was announced by the Farabi Cinema Foundation.

In the Arms of the Tree

The Babak Khajeh Pasha-directed film waschosen after 10 days of scouting through their best cinema work in the last year.

In the Arms of the Tree tells the story of a couple married for twelve years, whose life crisis shatters their children’s world. The film features actors Maral Baniadam, Javad Ghamati and Rouhollah Zamani.

The Oscar hopeful had its world premiere at Iran’s Fajr Film Festival in February last year and also played at the Shanghai International Film Festival this year.

Iran is currently going through a tough time in terms of cinema liberty. Many Iranian filmmakers are currently working outside the official system, due to censorship and other restrictions. Some have retorted to this as part of their protest against authoritarian clampdowns. Many others have left Iran and are making films about their home from outside the country.

Notably, one of the most talked about Iranian films of the year, Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig has become the official submission of Germany for Oscars 2025. The film even received a special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

In Iran, Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the political content of his films.