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\n\tPaolo Strippoli<\/a>\u2018s \u201cThe Spiral<\/a>\u201d has been designated as Italy\u2019s candidate in the best international feature film category of the 2027 Academy Awards.<\/p>\n \n\tThe high-concept thriller stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as a demonic character called The Stranger, who entices a young mother played by Jasmine Trinca into forging a Faustian pact.<\/p>\n \n\tThe film, which premiered in competition at Venice Film Festival earlier this month, centers on a mother-daughter relationship that spirals out of control following a shocking revelation. At the film\u2019s start, a woman named Anna suddenly shows up at her daughter\u2019s Alice\u2019s house during a thunderstorm saying she wants to tell her a dark truth about their family. She claims to have made a pact with The Stranger to save Alice\u2019s leg after an accident 20 years earlier. That pact \u201chas triggered a domino effect causing terrible events over the years. Only Alice can help to put everything right. But at what price?\u201d the synopsis says.<\/p>\n \n\tThe 21-strong list of submitted titles \u2014 all of which were theatrically released in Italy in the period between Oct. 1, 2025 and Sept. 30, 2026 \u2014 also included \u201cThe Spiral\u2019s\u201d fellow Venice competition entries \u201cIt Will Happen Tonight\u201d from Nanni Moretti and \u201cBack to Buenos Aires\u201d by Marco Bechis.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe Spiral\u201d was chosen to represent Italy in the Oscars<\/a> race by a commission of experts named by Italy\u2019s motion picture association ANICA.<\/p>\n \n\tItaly last won the best international feature film Oscar in 2014 with Paolo Sorrentino\u2019s \u201cThe Great Beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe shortlist for the 2027 Oscar nominations will be announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Dec. 15, with the final selection revealed on Jan. 21. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 14 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n