Saudi Arabia Submits ‘A Matter of Life & Death’ to the Oscars

Saudi Arabia has selected Anas Ba-Tahaf’s A Matter of Life and Death as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

Written by and starring Sarah Taibah alongside Yagoub Alfarhan, the 2025 film is a romantic dark comedy set in contemporary Jeddah, where superstition, mortality and an unlikely love story collide. Taibah plays Hayat, a young woman convinced that a family curse will kill her when she turns 30. Alfarhan plays Yousef, an introverted heart surgeon whose unusually slow heartbeat has left him emotionally guarded. Their paths cross, setting up a romance that is as concerned with fate and fear as it is with love.

The film premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2025 before its Saudi theatrical release in June 2026. At the 12th Saudi Film Festival, it received a Jury Special Mention, while Taibah won Best Actress for her performance.

Directed by Ba-Tahaf, whose 2021 Fay’s Palette was among the early Saudi features made after the country’s 35-year cinema ban was lifted, the film is produced by Film Clinic, Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Arabia Pictures, with support from the Red Sea Fund.

The submission marks Saudi Arabia’s ninth attempt at the Academy’s international feature category. The 15-film shortlist for the 99th Oscars is due December 15th, with nominations announced January 21st and the ceremony set for March 14th, 2027.