In crowded field, a celeb executive producer can make all the difference

Filmmakers are increasingly tapping A-listers to give their projects a competitive edge at the Oscars

- Story by Lesley O'Toole

WITH 86 FILMS ELIGIBLE for international feature, 201 for documentary feature and 207 for live-action short at the 2026 Academy Awards, the race for Oscars is extremely competitive well beyond the “big five” categories.

“Don’t torture me,” laughs Aleksandr “Sasha” Molochnikov, writer-director of live-action short “Extremist.” “It was 150 just weeks ago.” As a result, contenders now frequently add A-list executive producers to help their profile.

Molochnikov attracted Ben Stiller as EP for his true story of young Russian Sasha Skochilenko, who changed supermarket price tags to antiwar messages. Initially, Molochnikov feared his “niche story about Russia” might “get less relevant because the Ukrainian war would be replaced with another, which is sort of what was happening.” Instead, his tale of what it means to speak out in Russia caught the actor and director's eye.

“I was struck by how immediate and honest it felt,” says Stiller. “I wanted to help get it in front of as many people as possible.”

Another EP on the film, Odessa Rae (“Navalny”), is also an original producer of “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” One of three Palestine-set entries in the international feature category, representing Tunisia, its EPs include Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer.