‘The Fox King’ chosen as Malaysia’s official Oscar entry for International Feature Film

Malaysia-Indonesia co-production ‘The Fox King’ (Semusim Lara) has been selected as Malaysia’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. — Picture courtesy of Kuman Pictures

By Ian Jeremiah Patrick

First Published: Wednesday, 30 Sep 2026 9:14 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — Malaysian filmmaker Woo Ming Jin’s The Fox King (Semusim Lara) has been selected as Malaysia’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.

Written and directed by Woo, the Malaysia-Indonesia co-production stars Idan Aedan, Hadi Putra and Indonesian actress Dian Sastrowardoyo, and received support from the Creative Content Fund (DKK) under the Ministry of Communications through Finas.

The film had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 9, 2025, where it screened in the festival’s Centrepiece programme.

It later screened at several international festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival, Jakarta Film Week, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival, Far East Film Festival in Udine and the San Francisco International Film Festival.

The selection was made by the Finas Film Selection Committee, according to a statement posted by Finas on social media yesterday, based on eligibility requirements set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 14, 2027.

The Fox King centres on twin brothers Ali (Idan) and Amir (Hadi), who grow up without their mother.

Their lives change when Lara (Dian), a new English teacher, arrives and gradually becomes part of their lives, affecting the brothers’ relationship along the way.

The film joins previous Malaysian submissions in the International Feature Film category, including Emir Ezwan’s Roh and Muzzamer Rahman’s Prebet Sapu.

After completing its international festival run, The Fox King opened in Malaysian cinemas on September 17.

The Ministry of Communications and Finas also congratulated Woo, the cast and production team on the selection.