Chile’s Film Academy has announced its selection for the 2027 Academy Awards’ Best International Feature category. The chosen film is “The Meltdown,” a mystery drama directed by Manuela Martelli that explores post-Pinochet Chile through the lens of a family-run Andes ski resort. The project marks Martelli’s follow-up to her earlier acclaimed work “Chile, 1976” and premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.
Gabriel Díaz, president of the Chilean Film Academy, highlighted the significance of this year’s submissions, noting that women directed half of all films considered for the first time in the institution’s history. She emphasized that the selected films represent a modernizing industry and noted that most projects received state backing and involved international partnerships that strengthen Chile’s broader audiovisual sector.
The film features Maya O’Rourke in her film debut as a nine-year-old who becomes entangled in disturbing events at her family’s resort. The international co-production involves filmmakers and studios from Chile, the United States, Mexico, and Spain, with U.S. distributor Kino Lorber planning a theatrical release and streaming platform Mubi acquiring Latin American rights.
Chile’s submission now enters the Academy’s evaluation process, where the full slate of international submissions will be narrowed to 15 semifinalists before the final nominees are announced. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.
Originally reported by Variety →
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