Image: Museum of Italian Art, Lima
Peruvian filmmaker Paolo Tizón’s documentary ‘Vino la noche’ has been selected to represent Peru in the international feature-film category at the 99th Academy Awards and in the Ibero-American film category at the 41st Goya Awards, both scheduled for 2027. The Oscars will take place in the United States and the Goya Awards in Spain, according to Peru’s Ministry of Culture.
The selection was made by an independent committee of specialists from Peru’s film sector. The committee was formed from representatives proposed by national film guilds and associations, whose members watched the submitted films and chose the country’s representatives by vote. The Ministry of Culture coordinated and supported the process but did not participate in the voting.
‘Vino la noche’ is Tizón’s debut feature. The documentary follows young Peruvians who voluntarily enlist in the Peruvian Armed Forces, hoping to become what the film describes as ‘men of war’. It observes their preparation for special forces operations in the VRAEM, a region of Peru, while also focusing on the bonds of companionship, care and compassion that develop under the pressure of military training.
The film made its world premiere in the Czech Republic at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Award for Best Film. In 2025, Tizón won the Silver Biznaga for Best Director in the documentary section of the 28th Málaga Film Festival in Spain.
In Peru, ‘Vino la noche’ opened in commercial cinemas on November 13, 2025. Its production was supported by the Ministry of Culture’s 2021 Long-Format Documentary Project Competition, through which it received an economic grant of S/ 288,000. The ministry said the film may also qualify for support from its international-promotion programme, which assists with promotional and publicity campaigns for designated films.
The selection does not itself constitute an Oscar or Goya nomination. The respective academies are expected to announce their shortlists in December. After Peru’s selection was notified to the film academies in the United States and Spain, the production companies responsible for the film assumed responsibility for submitting the required documentation and managing the campaigns in coordination with those institutions. ‘Vino la noche’ will therefore continue its awards-season campaign as Peru’s designated entry in both competitions.
