The Vatican has submitted a film for Academy Award consideration. The Holy See has coproduced a 39-minute documentary short titled Green Lava, developed in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication, entering the race ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony on March 15, 2027.
The Bottom Line
- The Move: The Vatican is competing for an Oscar, not in the international feature film category, but via a documentary short.
- The Subject Matter: Titled Green Lava, the 39-minute film chronicles the life of Giacomo, an Italian young man living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
- The Institutional Push: The project is backed by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, led by Paolo Ruffini.
Inside the Vatican’s Oscar Play with Green Lava
Pop culture history remembers when the Roman Catholic Church made waves at the Academy Awards.
This time, the Vatican itself is stepping in as a producer.
Rather than entering the race for Best International Feature Film—a slot used by nations like France with its selection of Minotaure—the Holy See is targeting the documentary short subject category. Green Lava marks the first time the Vatican produced a film candidatant to the competition.
The Human Story at the Heart of the Dicastery’s Vision
Directed under the umbrella of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Green Lava is an intimate, grounded human portrait. The 39-minute film centers on Giacomo, a young Italian man battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The documentary explores not only the physical toll of the degenerative condition but also the emotional weight of losing a brother to the exact same illness. It maps out how Giacomo navigates his daily life anchored by a tight-knit community of friends and family.
“The story of Giacomo deserves to be known by all, and that is why we are thrilled to be able to include Green Lava in the Oscar submission process,” stated Paolo Ruffini, who leads the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication.
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Film Title | Green Lava |
| Runtime | 39 minutes |
| Category | Documentary Short Subject |
| Producing Body | Dicastery for Communication (Holy See) |
| Target Ceremony | March 15, 2027 |
Navigating the Competitive Landscape of the Academy Awards
Entering the documentary short race means going toe-to-toe with other non-fiction filmmaking. Last year’s category winner, Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones’s All the Empty Rooms, turned its lens toward the impact of American school shootings.
By positioning Green Lava within this awards ecosystem, the Vatican is utilizing the global film circuit. Whether voting members of the Academy’s documentary branch respond to the Holy See’s voyage remains to be seen.
As the campaign trail heats up ahead of March 2027, the real question is how Hollywood’s seasoned publicists and voting guilds will receive a contender bearing the official seal of the Holy See. Drop your thoughts in the comments below—do you see Green Lava making the shortlist?
