Oscars 2025: Jordan picks My Sweet Land for International Feature category

Jordan has selected the documentary My Sweet Land, directed by Sareen Hairabedian, to represent the country at the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

The documentary tells the story of Vrej, an 11-year-old boy living in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, an area affected by a long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. When violence breaks out again, Vrej and his family are forced to flee their home. Upon their return, they find their house destroyed, along with Vrej's hopes of a normal life.

My Sweet Land premiered this year at the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival. It is Hairabedian's first feature-length film, following her HBO documentary short We Are Not Done Yet. Jordanian filmmaker Azza Hourani produced the film and is a co-production between Ireland, France, Jordan, and the U.S.

Jordan has previously received only one Oscar nomination, for Naji Abu Nowar's Theeb in 2015.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will announce the shortlist for the Best International Feature Film category on December 17, and the Oscar nominations will be revealed on January 17, 2025. The 2025 Academy Awards will take place on March 2.