Checking In with the NEON International Feature Film Pickups from Cannes: ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ ‘The Secret Agent,’ and ‘Sirāt’
In a heated year for international films, NEON has dominated the conversation with its extensive slate of hot festival picks. Preserving their Palme d’Or-winning streak, their purchasing of Cannes’ hottest titles means wide releases and notable awards prospects for a greater crop of world cinema. Sentimental Value, which the distributor has been backing since its production last year, has stayed a guarantee within both year-end lists and Oscar contention since its premiere and Grand Prize win at Cannes, with many even predicting a Supporting Actor win for Stellan Skarsgård. Touching base at the Mill Valley Film Festival before transitioning to awards-friendly release dates, their three Cannes acquisitions now begin to test the waters outside of the festival circuit, with varying degrees of success to be expected.
It Was Just an Accident (dir. Jafar Panahi)
As various fall titles have lost steam following mixed-to-positive reviews (Jay Kelly, Frankenstein, Rental Family), Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident continues to cement itself as a reliable contender. The film, a damning exploration of the toll that systemic oppression takes on Iran’s citizens, is the director’s first project since being freed from prison in 2023. He spotlessly navigates tonal shifts whilst addressing each of his characters’ unique approach to revenge, culminating in a chilling final shot worthy of extensive discussion. The last three years have seen two international titles make the Best Picture lineup (All Quiet on the Western Front and Triangle of Sadness in 2023, The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall in 2024, Emilia Pérez and I’m Still Here in 2025). With support from critics circles likely incoming, Panahi’s engaging drama has pretty much secured that second spot, with a Best Director nod also well within reach. Now, it becomes a question of whether a third title can enter the race.
The Secret Agent (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)
Following I’m Still Here’s successful run last year, Brazil is strongly positioned to re-enter the International Feature race with The Secret Agent. Anchored by Wagner Moura’s gripping turn, the film navigates Brazil’s military regime quite differently than Walter Salles’ film, with Kleber Mendonça Filho opting for a more playful crime thriller approach. Having picked up both Best Actor for Moura and Best Director for Mendonça at Cannes, the film is well positioned to expand beyond the International Feature category. Moura in particular remains a major challenger in Best Actor, which would make him the first Brazilian to be nominated in the category. Its relaxed pacing may frustrate some, yet Mendonça fully immerses viewers into 1970’s Recife via his vivid imagery and equally colorful characters. A Best Picture nomination is not out of the question, especially if several big studio titles don’t garner enough passion from audiences to remain afloat.
Sirāt (dir. Oliver Laxe)
Although receiving strong notices upon its premiere — even sharing the Jury Prize with Sound of Falling —Sirāt has struggled to expand its appeal during its post-Cannes rollout. Landing at Toronto and New York alongside the distributor’s other titles, the reception has been far more muted than during its initial release. Even NEON’s marketing has taken note, promoting The Secret Agent and It Was Just an Accident more consistently in their social media posts and website. Frankly, the studio is right to prioritize their other titles more. One can see Sirāt’s merciless treatment of its characters and multiple shifts in tone and emphasis alienating many. Although strongly crafted, Oliver Laxe’s desert rave turned survival hellscape story lacks the thematic impetus to justify its ever-changing ambitions. Its chances seem to be limited to the International Feature category, and even then, it appears to be looking from the outside in.
In picking up a hefty group of Cannes’ hottest titles, NEON must now juggle an extensive international slate this awards season. The months following the French festival have shown just how diverse these films’ prospects are, with the Mill Valley Film Festival serving as a helpful temperature check for these three features. As of now, the independent distributor holds strong chances of securing multiple spots in various highly competitive categories. The road to nominations, however, still holds plenty of room for change.
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