PETALING JAYA: The Fox King (Semusim Lara) has been selected as Malaysia’s official submission for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 26), said the film was selected by its Film Selection Committee based on eligibility requirements set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, United States, on March 14, 2027.
Written and directed by Woo Ming Jin, The Fox King follows twin brothers Ali and Amir, who grow up without their mother.
Their lives and relationship begin to change following the arrival of Lara, a new English teacher.
The film stars Idan Aedan, Hadi Putra and Dian Sastrowardoyo.
A Malaysia-Indonesia co-production, the film also received support from the Creative Content Fund under the Communications Ministry through Finas.
The Fox King had its world premiere under the Centrepiece programme at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept 9, 2025.
It subsequently travelled to several international film 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 San Francisco International Film Festival.
The Communications Ministry and Finas congratulated Woo, the cast and the production team on the selection.
The film began screening in Malaysian cinemas on Sept 17.
