The Spanish film “Sirât” has come into the spotlight following the release of the 2025 Oscar shortlists. Representing Spain in the Best International Feature Film category, the movie is among fifteen contenders still in the running for a nomination. This year, competition is particularly intense, with entries from France, Germany, Norway, South Korea, Brazil, Tunisia, and Iraq also making the list.
Alongside “Sirât,” several other high-profile projects have made the shortlists. Among them are the musical blockbuster “Wicked: For Good” and Ryan Coogler’s mystical thriller “Sinners,” both of which lead in the number of mentions across various categories. Each film has secured eight shortlist spots, including for makeup, sound, visual effects, music, casting, and cinematography. In addition, both have two original songs competing for a place in the final list.
Music and Songs
This year’s music categories are especially diverse. For “Wicked: For Good,” Stephen Schwartz’s compositions “The Girl in the Bubble” and “No Place Like Home” have made the shortlists. In “Sinners,” “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” by Ludwig Göransson, Miles Caton, and Alice Smith, as well as “I Lied to You” by Göransson and Raphael Saadiq, are contending for a nomination.
The song ‘Golden’ from the Netflix animated hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ written by EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick, also received attention. In this category, it competes for a spot in the top five alongside works by renowned musicians such as Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner with a song for ‘Train Dreams,’ John Mayer, Ed Sheeran and Blake Slatkin with their track ‘Drive’ for the film ‘F1,’ as well as Miley Cyrus, Simon Franglen, Mark Ronson, and Andrew Wyatt with the song ‘Dream as One’ from ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash.’
Documentary Features
The documentary feature category also showcased compelling works. Among the fifteen contenders are ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow,’ ‘The Perfect Neighbor,’ ‘The Alabama Solution,’ ‘Come See Me in the Good Light,’ ‘Cover-Up,’ and ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’ by Mstyslav Chernov, created in collaboration with Associated Press and PBS Frontline.
These films address pressing social and political issues, which traditionally draws the attention of both industry professionals and audiences. This year, the jury faces a difficult decision, as each of the nominated works offers a unique perspective on contemporary challenges.
New Category — Casting
For the first time in Oscar history, a separate nomination has been introduced for Best Casting. The shortlist includes ten films: ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Marty Supreme,’ ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘The Secret Agent,’ ‘Sentimental Value,’ ‘Sinners,’ ‘Sirât,’ ‘Weapons,’ and ‘Wicked: For Good.’ Notably, some highly anticipated projects such as ‘Jay Kelly’ and ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ did not make the list.
The addition of this new category highlights the crucial role of casting directors and their contribution to a film’s success. For Spain, having ‘Sirât’ on this shortlist is a significant achievement, underscoring the high caliber of the national film industry.
Composers and Technical Categories
Among the nominees for Best Music are Ludwig Göransson (“Sinners”), Johnny Greenwood (“One Battle After Another”), Max Richter (“Hamnet”), Alexandre Desplat (“Frankenstein”), and Kangding Ray (“Sirât”). These are names that have already been heard multiple times at major international film festivals.
In the technical categories—such as sound, visual effects, makeup, and hairstyling—the shortlists include not only season favorites but also some surprise entries. For example, “The Alto Knights” is recognized for its work in makeup and hairstyling, while “Tron: Ares” and “The Electric State,” despite mixed reviews from critics, made the list thanks to their visual effects.
Anticipating the nominations
The final nominees in all categories will be announced on January 22. This year, the Oscar ceremony will take place for the 98th time. The show will be hosted by Conan O’Brien, and the broadcast will begin on March 15 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time on ABC.
For Spanish filmmakers, having “Sirât” make it onto the shortlists in two prestigious categories—International Feature Film and Casting—is already considered a major achievement. Now, the entire country is eagerly awaiting to see if the Spanish drama will make it to the finals and compete for the coveted golden statuette.
