Chile submits Manuela Martelli’s “The Meltdown” for the Oscars’ Best International Feature category

Chile has selected writer-director Manuela Martelli’s “The Meltdown” as its official submission for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature category, The Hollywood Reporter reported on Aug. 26.

According to the report, “The Meltdown” is described as a period mystery and as Martelli’s second feature film. The film premiered at Cannes before being put forward as Chile’s entry for the Oscars.

The Hollywood Reporter said Martelli framed the story as overlapping personal coming-of-age and broader historical transition. She described the film as one that “overlaps the transition of a kid and the transition of a country and the world as well,” connecting the characters’ development to wider change.

The submission sets the film on the international-feature pathway that begins with entries submitted by each country, followed by Academy review and shortlist determinations. While the report did not specify Chile’s internal process for selection, the announcement makes the film eligible for the Academy’s standard Best International Feature voting cycle.

Martelli, who wrote and directed the project, is positioned in the report as a filmmaker returning with a second feature after her earlier work, with “The Meltdown” drawing attention for its combination of period elements and mystery structure. The report also links the film’s festival exposure at Cannes to its visibility ahead of the Oscars’ international-feature window.

As in prior years, the Oscars’ Best International Feature category typically involves screening and evaluation beyond the initial national selection, with final nominees determined by Academy members after earlier stages. Chile’s choice therefore represents a first step in a longer process rather than a guarantee of a nomination.

For audiences and Chilean film industry stakeholders, the submission can increase downstream visibility with festival buyers, distributors, and Academy-facing programmers during a time when titles compete for attention. It also places additional attention on Martelli’s film during the Academy’s review period, potentially affecting where and when the movie is screened or made available to qualifying voters, depending on the film’s distribution plan.