Like a Limbless Tree, directed by Tunç Davut, has been selected as Türkiye’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards.
The decision was made during a meeting of the 15-member Türkiye Oscar Selection Committee, composed of representatives from professional cinema organizations. Seventeen films were evaluated, and Like a Limbless Tree was chosen by majority vote to represent Türkiye in the Best International Feature Film category.
The film follows the events that unfold after retired engineer Refik gives his Syrian caregiver Nesrin money to help her flee to Europe with her two sons. While Refik is looking forward to spending Eid al-Adha with his family, Nesrin disappears after leaving her two children in his care. Meanwhile, İhsan, a dairy products trader on the verge of bankruptcy, tries to persuade his father Refik and his sister Nalan to provide financial support for his plan to establish a livestock farm. Having left behind her academic career in Istanbul and preparing to settle in Germany, Nalan returns to her family home during the holiday after a long absence.
The film stars Ali İpin (Refik), Feyyaz Duman (İhsan), and Selen Kurtaran (Nalan). The cast also includes Dilan Düzgüner, Ceren Taşçı, Ahmed Esmer, Baran Can Eraslan, Nasreddin Meshed, and Ahmet el-Ali.
During its development, Like a Limbless Tree won the TRT Co-Production Award at 12 Punto 2019. The film had its world premiere at the 62nd Antalya Film Festival in October 2025 and went on to win the Best Editing Award at the 13th Bosphorus Film Festival in November 2025. It later continued its festival run at the 36th Ankara Film Festival.
Thanks to the Academy’s updated eligibility rules, Like a Limbless Tree became the second Turkish production, following the Germany-France-Türkiye co-production Yellow Letters, to qualify for Academy Award consideration in the Best International Feature Film category. On May 1, the Academy announced a rule allowing films to be considered in the category even without being officially submitted by their respective countries.
National submissions for the Best International Feature Film category will remain open until September 30, 2026. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 15, while the final Oscar nominees will be revealed on January 21, 2027. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 14, 2027.
