Tajikistan has chosen Black Rabbit, White Rabbit, a mystery drama directed by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri, as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.
The film, which recently won the Vision Asian Award at the Busan International Film Festival, will next be screened at the BFI London Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival.
A Tajikistan–UAE co-production, the movie was developed with support from Tajikfilm and is presented in Tajik and Persian. The cast features popular Tajik actors Babak Karimi, Hasti Mohammai, Kibriyo Dilyobova, and Bezhan Davlyatov.
Written by Shahram Mokri and Nasim Ahmadpour, and produced by Negar Eskandarfar, the film intertwines three mysterious storylines — a film prop believed to be real, an actor demanding a role, and a suspicious road accident — blending dark humor, magic realism, and seamless long takes into a thought-provoking narrative.
Produced by DreamLab Films, this is Tajikistan’s fourth Oscar submission, though the country has yet to receive a nomination.
Black Rabbit, White Rabbit marks Mokri’s fourth feature. His earlier films include Fish & Cat (2013), winner at the Venice Film Festival; Invasion (2017), which premiered at Berlinale; and Careless Crime (2020), winner of the Jury Prize at Chicago International Film Festival. The 98th Oscars will be held on March 15, 2026.
