BRATISLAVA: Tereza Nvotová’s third feature film Father / Otec has been selected as Slovakia’s candidate for the 98th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the Best International Feature Film category. The film is a coproduction between Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic.
Father had its world premiere in the Orizzonti competition of the 82nd Venice Film Festival (27 August – 9 September 2025), and it recently opened the 20th IFF Cinematik Piešťany (10 – 15 September 2025).
A drama based on real events, Father tells the story of a man who has everything until one tragic summer day, when he realises too late that the infant daughter he thought he dropped off at the nursery is actually still locked in the back of the car.
„Every year, all around the world, dozens of children die in exactly this way. Often, the facts are the same: one day, the loving parent gets confused by a change to their daily routine and while busy, forgets the child inside a vehicle. Experts call this phenomenon ‘Forgotten Baby Syndrome’ and it is a legally recognised condition across the world, not in Slovakia,“ Tereza Nvotová told FNE back in the film’s shooting stage.
The Slovak and Czech cast includes Milan Ondrík, Dominika Morávková, Martina Sľuková, Peter Ondrejicka, Anna Geislerova and Filip Kaňkovský.
Slovak DANAE Production produced the film in coproduction with Czech´s moloko film, Polish Lava Films and the Czech Television, with support from the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Czech Film Fund and the Polish Film Institute (pisf.pl).
The shortlist in the international film category will be unveiled on 16 December 2025, followed by the nominations on 22 January, and the 98th annual award of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on 15 March 2026.