If Pigeons Turned to Gold: The road to the Oscars
The personal story of a family affected by addiction has resonated with international audiences and won the top documentary award at the Berlinale. Pepa Lubojacki’s film If Pigeons Turned to Gold is now seeking an Oscar nomination in two categories: Best Documentary Feature Film and Best International Feature Film. We have supported a campaign that will introduce this Czech documentary to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and help it build on its international success.
Why we support this project
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this distinctive film by a Czech documentary filmmaker with a strong artistic voice has earned recognition from international festival juries and deserves the opportunity to compete for an Oscar
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its personal story explores universally relatable themes of addiction, family relationships and intergenerational trauma, helping to break down taboos and reach audiences worldwide
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a targeted campaign will help the film gain the attention of Academy members and make the most of its opportunity to compete in two Oscar categories
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presenting the film abroad brings the creative team new experience and contacts while raising the profile of Czech filmmaking
About the project
For five years, director Pepa Lubojacki documented the lives of her brother and two cousins as addiction gradually cost them their relationships, homes and sense of security. If Pigeons Turned to Gold combines video diaries, animated photographs, stylised memories and graphic collages. Through her own family’s experiences, the filmmaker explores the roots of intergenerational trauma and the boundary between helping someone close to you and trying to control their life.
The film won the Berlinale Documentary Award and the independent Caligari Film Prize at the 2026 Berlinale. Further festival awards and international distribution followed. The Czech Film and Television Academy selected it as the Czech entry for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. It is also competing in the Documentary Feature Film category, for which its Berlinale win qualified it.
The campaign we are supporting aims to bring the film to the attention of Academy members voting in both categories. The team is working with international sales agent Split Screen and PR partners abroad. The campaign includes screenings in the United States and Europe, discussions with the filmmakers, online access to the film for Academy members and targeted promotion.
This support builds on our backing of Oscar campaigns for Living Large, I’m Not Everything I Want to Be, 9 Million Colours and Robert Richardson: White Devil. We help Czech filmmakers build on their international achievements and bring their work to people who can shape its future. Alongside the chance of an award, the campaign offers an opportunity to raise the profile of Czech cinema and forge new professional connections.
