Thailand has selected 9 Temples to Heaven, written and directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse, as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. The selection sends a film shaped by family, faith and Thai traditions into the international awards race after a journey through Cannes and Shanghai.
9 Temples to Heaven marks Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s move into feature fiction and was produced with the involvement of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the Palme d’Or-winning director of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Thailand selected the film from 51 eligible titles, with eight films reaching the final shortlist before 9 Temples to Heaven was chosen.
At the centre of the film is a family journey with an unusual deadline. After a prediction warns that the family’s grandmother may die before an upcoming birthday, relatives set out to visit nine temples in a single day. The trip brings together different generations, personalities and beliefs, turning a spiritual journey into a story about family relationships, fear and the tensions that can emerge when people are forced to spend time together.
That premise also gives the film a distinctly Thai identity while keeping its emotional ideas accessible. Religious belief and ritual shape the journey, but the story is equally interested in the people making it — what they believe, what they fear and how they relate to one another. For an international audience, the film offers a window into contemporary Thai life through a story built around one family’s urgent day on the road.
The selection committee highlighted 9 Temples to Heaven for its quality, creative and layered storytelling, as well as the positive response it had already received from international audiences and critics. The selection gives the film a new platform as it enters the Academy Awards race.
That international journey began at the Cannes Film Festival, where 9 Temples to Heaven had its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section. The screening gave Sompot Chidgasornpongse a major international showcase as he moved from documentary work into feature fiction. As a first feature, the film was also eligible for the Caméra d’Or, the Cannes prize recognising a director’s debut feature.
The Cannes launch was followed by further recognition at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Sompot Chidgasornpongse won Best Director, while Sompop Songkampol received the Best Actor award, adding to the film’s growing profile before Thailand made its Oscar decision. Those milestones mean the film enters the awards race with attention beyond Thailand.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s involvement as a producer adds another important connection to Thailand’s international cinema presence. His Palme d’Or win for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was a landmark achievement for Thai cinema. Yet the Oscar campaign now centres on Sompot Chidgasornpongse and a film that represents a new stage in his own career.
Thailand’s selection, however, is only the first step. 9 Temples to Heaven has not been nominated for an Oscar. As the country’s official submission, it will now be considered alongside entries from other nations. The Academy will announce a shortlist before selecting the five final nominees for Best International Feature Film.
The months ahead will determine how far the film can go. Its story began with a family travelling across Thailand to visit nine temples; its real-world journey has taken it from Cannes to Shanghai and now into the Oscar race. Whether it reaches the final shortlist or the five nominees remains uncertain, but Thailand’s choice has given 9 Temples to Heaven its biggest international opportunity yet and placed Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s name firmly in the next chapter of Thai cinema’s global journey.
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