Slovakia has selected Martin Gonda’s Flood (Potopa) as its submission for the 99th Academy Awards, giving the Czech film industry another entry into the international feature film race through a cross-border production.
The drama, Gonda’s feature debut, centers on the forced displacement of a Rusyn community in eastern Slovakia following the construction of the Starina water reservoir. The film was selected by the Slovak Film and Television Academy from five feature films and was the most awarded title at Slovakia’s 2025 national film awards, the Sun in a Net Awards, where it received six prizes.
The selection also means Czechia will have at least three films represented in the early stages of the 2027 Oscar race for Best International Feature Film. Czechia has selected If Pigeons Turned to Gold as its official submission, while Lithuania has chosen Czech co-production How to Divorce During the War and Slovakia has now selected Flood. Most European Union countries and other potential contenders have yet to announce their submissions.
A Slovak story with Czech production ties
Flood is rooted in the history of eastern Slovakia and the Rusyn community that was displaced during the construction of the Starina reservoir. The project explores the loss of homes and the disruption of communities through a story focused on identity, freedom, family heritage and the relationship between people and their disappearing homeland.
For Gonda, the project represents his transition from short-form filmmaking to features. His previous work includes the student film Pura Vida, while Flood marks his feature directing debut. The film combines professional actors with nonprofessional performers, with the filmmakers emphasizing an effort to authentically represent the experiences of the displaced community.
The production has a Czech connection as part of its international financing and production structure, placing it alongside a growing number of Czech-backed films that are entering the Academy Awards race through neighboring countries. That distinction is particularly relevant this year as Czech production companies and filmmakers are involved in Oscar contenders representing several different national cinemas.
The film’s domestic reception has helped establish its awards credentials ahead of the Oscar campaign. Flood received six Sun in a Net Awards for 2025, making it the most decorated film at this year’s Slovak national film awards. The recognition included honors across creative categories and reflected the strong response to Gonda’s debut.
The Slovak Film and Television Academy said the film’s subject has a local foundation but carries broader international relevance. Martin Šmatlák, vice president of the academy, pointed to forced displacement as an experience that has affected communities throughout history and across different regions.
The academy’s selection process considered five feature films, with Flood receiving the support of more than half of the voting membership.
Three Czech-backed films in Oscar race
The Slovak selection gives Czech cinema an unusual position in the early 2027 Oscar competition. Czechia’s own submission is If Pigeons Turned to Gold, while How to Divorce During the War represents Lithuania and Flood will represent Slovakia.
All three are connected to Czech production, but only If Pigeons Turned to Gold will compete as the Czech Republic’s official submission. The other two enter the International Feature Film category under the countries that selected them.
The development follows a similar pattern from the previous Oscar cycle. In 2025, Denmark selected Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a Czech co-production that ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Slovakia selected Father, another Czech co-production, while Poland submitted Franz, the Czech-Polish-German drama directed by Agnieszka Holland.
The proliferation of Czech-linked titles in the international feature race highlights the increasingly cross-border structure of European film production. Czech producers can participate in projects that are officially submitted by neighboring countries, particularly where co-production agreements, financing and creative personnel connect the films to the Czech industry.
For Flood, the Oscar submission now provides an international platform for Gonda’s debut and for the history of the displaced Rusyn community depicted in the film. The movie is scheduled to screen on the closing day of the 21st Cinematik International Film Festival in Piešťany on Sept. 13, 2026.
The 99th Academy Awards will take place March 14, 2027. Slovakia is participating in the Oscar competition for the 30th time. The submission process will continue internationally in the coming months as countries announce their respective candidates, with the Academy later narrowing the field to a shortlist before the final nominations are announced.
For Czech cinema, however, the international competition is already taking shape with at least three Czech-connected productions in contention — an indication of how broadly the country’s producers and filmmakers are participating in European co-production and awards campaigns.
