Lav Diaz's Magellan is PH's Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film

Lav Diaz's historical drama "Magellan" has been selected as the Philippines' official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026.

The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) chose the film after it fulfilled criteria including artistic and technical excellence, universal appeal, campaign viability, and the embodiment of Filipino values.

The nearly three-hour film, which premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival last May, stars Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal in the title role and explores Ferdinand Magellan's final months in the Philippines leading up to his death on Mactan Island in 1521.

The film was partly shot in the Philippines, specifically in Sampaloc, Quezon, as well as in Spain and Portugal.

Director Lav Diaz, who recovered from tuberculosis during the shoot, described the filmmaking process as incredibly difficult, stating, "Ang haba ng nilakbay ng 'Magellan,' from 1521 to now... Ang haba na rin ng pagdurusa ng ating bayan. Ang hirap ipaliwanag paano natapos ito, ang hirap gawin ng 'Magellan,' napakahirap, muntik pa ako namatay."

This marks Diaz's second film chosen as the Philippines' Oscars entry, following his 2013 film "Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan."