- Conan OBrien opened Oscars 2026 with a brief political monologue on global chaos and optimism
- Two Iranian and Israeli films were nominated in different categories but lost
- Cutting Through Rocks, an Iranian documentary, lost Best Documentary Feature to Mr Nobody Against Putin
The 98th Academy Awards unfolded under the long shadow of the Iran-Israel War and the Gaza War. Several celebrities hit the red carpet, dressed to the nines, sporting pins like 'No a la Guerra (No To War)', 'ICE Out'/ 'F**K ICE', and 'Artists4Ceasefire'.
Host Conan O'Brien, who returned to the Oscars stage as the emcee for the second consecutive time, opened with a political monologue that was very short-lived.
"Everyone watching right now, around the world, is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times. It's at moments like these that I believe that the Oscars are particularly resonant - 31 countries across six continents are represented this evening, and every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty," he said.
"We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today - optimism. So let us celebrate not because we think all is well but because we work and hope for better," he added.
For all the hope of celebrating cinema from across the world at the ceremony, conducted by the Los Angeles-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Science, was quietly shattered. Two films each from Iran and Israel were nominated at the Oscars, albeit in different categories.
None of them won. Not even celebrated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, whose country is at war with Israel, which has had another ongoing war in Gaza against Hamas for almost three years, could make the cut for his Palme d'Or winning-movie It Was Just An Accident. The film, a French production, was nominated in the Best International Feature Film category. Sentimental Value from Norway won the award.
Cutting Through Rocks was nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar. Directed by Iran-born Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki, the documentary follows Sara Shahverdi, the first elected councilwoman of a remote Iranian village.
It lost the award to David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin's Mr Nobody Against Putin, another political film.
Mr Nobody Against Putin follows Pavel Talankin, a Russian schoolteacher in Karabash, a poor mining town near the Ural Mountains. While filming his students, the teacher also captured the Putin administration's efforts to shape public opinion amid the ongoing Russia-Ukrainian war.
Congratulations to MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN, this year's Best Documentary Feature Film #Oscars pic.twitter.com/uTTu9gtKYe
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 16, 2026
"In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now!" said Pavel Talankin, through an interpreter.
But the most vocal and pronounced political statement from the Oscars stage came from former Oscar winner Javier Bardem, a longtime supporter of Palestine.
“No to war and Free Palestine” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/YR6g6QDHPR
— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) March 16, 2026
Wearing the 'No a la Guerra (No To War)' pin and a pin with the drawing of Handala, a cartoon character associated with the Palestinian identity, Javier Bardem introduced the International Feature Film Oscar with the slogan of "No to war, and free Palestine".
On the red carpet, the Spanish actor spoke to reporters, "I'm wearing a pin that I used in 2003 with the Iraq war, which was an illegal war and we are here, 23 years after, with another illegal war, created by (Donald) Trump and (Benjamin) Netanyahu with another lie."
Israeli films also lost at Oscars 2026. Children No More: "Were and Are Gone", which documents a vigil that began in March 2025 in a public square in Israel's Tel Aviv, each holding a photo of a child killed in Gaza. It was nominated for the Documentary Short Oscar. All The Empty Rooms was the winner in the category.
Another Israeli film, Butcher's Stain, which was nominated for a Best Live Action Short Oscar, also left empty handed. The film follows Samir, Palestinian butcher working at an Israeli supermarket. It lost the award to The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva, who shared the award.
Late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose show Jimmy Kimmel Live! was temporarily suspended by ABC following his monologue remarks regarding the murder of conservative activist and key ally of US President Donald Trump Charlie Kirk, cracked a joke at Oscars about Melania Trump's documentary.
"And there are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes. There are some countries whose leaders don't support free speech. I'm not at liberty to say which. Let's just leave it at North Korea and CBS," Jimmy Kimmel said.
The cast of The Voice of Hind Rajab, which was nominated for the Best International Feature Film, wore pins calling for a "permanent" ceasefire. The film chronicles the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl and much of her family in Gaza by Israel. The team of The Voice of Hind Rajab sported pins by Artists4Ceasefire in collaboration with the artist Shepard Fairey.
Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees, who was part of the film, could not attend Oscars 2026 due to Trump's travel ban.
Some celebrities wore the 'ICE Out' And 'F**K ICE' pins to rally against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency under Donald Trump's presidency which has been under fire over the deaths of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Also Read | With Priyanka Chopra By Him, Javier Bardem Says 'No To War, Free Palestine' At Oscars 2026
