'Drive My Car' Director's New Film Chosen as Japan's 2027 Oscar Entry

Japan has selected All of a Sudden, the new film by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, as its submission for the Best International Feature category at the 2027 Oscars.

Everything you need to know about All of a Sudden

One of the highlights of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, All of a Sudden premiered to an 11-minute standing ovation and earned the Best Actress award for its leads Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto.

Set between France and Japan, the film follows Marie-Lou (Efira), director of an elder care facility who tries to implement an approach centered on listening and preserving patients’ dignity. Her path changes when she meets Mari (Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer. The two develop a friendship and begin fighting together to turn their ideas into reality. Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna, based on a loose adaptation of a literary work.