Tamara Stepanyan’s ‘My Armenian Phantoms’ is Armenia’s Oscars 2026 entry
Tamara Stepanyan directed “My Armenian Phantoms” (Իմ հայկական ուրվականները), a documentary film he co-wrote with Jean-Christophe Ferrari. Armenia submitted the film to the Best International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, also known as Oscars 2026.
“My Armenian Phantoms”
Stepanyan’s father Vigen Borisovvitch Stepanyan was an actor and a scriptwriter born in Yerevan, Armenia. He starred in the 2014 romantic comedy film “Thank You, Dad“, which he co-wrote with Michael Poghosian and was directed by Hrach Keshishyan.
On October 8, 2020, Vigen turned 68. On January 19, 2021, he passed away.
“My Armenian Phantoms” is about Tamara’s life living in an artistic Armenian family. The film shows what it was like for her to see her father in Soviet Armenian cinema.
Alice Baldo and Céline Loiseau produced the film with Tamara. Claire Mathon and Olivier Ferrari are the respective cinematographer and editor of the film, which features Cynthia Zaven‘s music.
On February 16, 2025, the film had its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in Berlin, German. It was screened at the 22nd Yerevan International Film Festival in Yerevan on July 14, 2025, at the 9th Armenian Film Festival Australia in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on August 9, 2025 and at the 17th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea on September 14, 2025.
Oscars 2026
On December 16, 2025, the shortlist of 15 entries to the Best International Feature Film category of the Oscars 2026 will be released. On January 22, 2026, the final nominees will be announced.
The Oscars 2026 awards ceremony will be held on March 15, 2026. Conan O’Brien will be back as the host.
