China Selects ‘Welcome to Long Restaurant’ as Oscar Entry for Best International Feature

China has selected Welcome to Long Restaurant as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, the film's official account announced Wednesday.

Directed by Wen Muye and starring Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming and other actors, the film was released in Chinese cinemas on Aug. 11 and has become one of the biggest domestic box-office hits of 2026.

As of Oct. 7, Welcome to Long Restaurant had grossed more than 2.356 billion yuan ($331 million), ranking second on China's 2026 annual box-office chart, behind Pegasus 3, which has grossed about 4.42 billion yuan, according to Chinese box-office data cited by local media.

The film is set against the backdrop of wartime turmoil and centers on a Chinese restaurant in the Middle East. It follows chef Xu Fu, who travels overseas to work at the restaurant and later finds himself and those around him caught up in the outbreak of war.

The story uses the restaurant and its food as a contrast to the surrounding conflict, focusing on the experiences of ordinary people whose lives are disrupted by war.

Wen said at a Shanghai film industry event on Sept. 16 that the film uses a Chinese restaurant in a war zone to portray ordinary people caught up in conflict and to explore the idea that there are no bystanders in wartime. He said he hoped the film would encourage audiences to appreciate the value of peace.

The film's strong domestic box-office performance has added momentum to its Oscar campaign. It has remained popular since its summer release and continued to perform strongly during China's National Day holiday period.

The Best International Feature Film category recognizes films produced outside the United States that are predominantly non-English-language productions. China's selection of Welcome to Long Restaurant puts the film into the international competition for the 99th Academy Awards.