Fez — Morocco has selected Laila Marrakchi’s “La Más Dulce” as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Academy Awards.
The Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) announced the decision after its selection committee met on Wednesday, September 2. The committee unanimously chose Marrakchi’s film from four competing features.
The CCM said the decision was based on the film’s subject, artistic and technical qualities, and opportunities for international distribution.
The selection does not mean “La Más Dulce” has secured an Oscar nomination. It places the film in contention for the international feature shortlist and, subsequently, the final five nominees.
A story of Moroccan women in Andalusia
“La Más Dulce,” also presented internationally as “Strawberries,” follows Hasna and Meriem, two Moroccan women who leave Morocco for seasonal agricultural work in southern Spain.
The Cannes Film Festival describes the women as traveling to Andalusia to pick strawberries while hoping to provide better lives for their families. They soon confront difficult working conditions and an exploitative system before deciding to resist.
The 101-minute drama is a co-production involving Morocco, France, Spain, and Belgium. Marrakchi co-wrote the screenplay with Delphine Agut.
The Cannes Film Festival selected “La Más Dulce” for its 2026 “Un Certain Regard” section, giving the film significant international exposure ahead of Morocco’s Oscar selection.
Cannes later highlighted the film’s exploration of sisterhood and exploitation, tracing its story from Andalusian strawberry farms to the courts.
The appearance also marked Marrakchi’s return to “Un Certain Regard” more than two decades after her film “Marock” appeared in the section in 2005.
Four films competed for Morocco’s submission
Three other films were considered for Morocco’s 2027 Oscar submission: Zhor Fassi Fihri’s “L’Homme des signes,” Saloua El Gouni’s “The Wound,” and Mohamed Nadif’s “L’Héritier des secrets.”
The CCM confirmed that Tariq Khalami, assistant director and representative of the center, chaired the selection committee. The panel also included professionals working across directing, distribution, acting, criticism, screenwriting, production, and cinema exhibition.
“La Más Dulce” will now join films submitted by countries around the world for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Academy announced that the Oscars shortlists will be revealed on December 15, 2026, followed by nominations on January 21, 2027. The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 14, 2027.
