Actress of Kosovo origin Luana Bajrami has reached a major milestone on the global film stage, as the short film she stars in, “Deux personnes échangeant de la salive” (“Two People Exchanging Saliva”), has been officially nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 98th Oscars.

The film is a France–United States co-production and has gained strong international recognition since its debut. Bajrami plays the lead role, Malaise, in the black-and-white short written and directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata, praised for its bold visual style and unconventional storytelling.

Set in a dystopian version of Paris where kissing is forbidden and harshly punished, the film explores attraction, desire, rivalry and stylized violence through a darkly comedic lens. It premiered at the prestigious Telluride Film Festival and later won the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, establishing itself as one of the most talked-about short films of the year.

Adding further prestige to the project, renowned actresses Julianne Moore and Isabelle Huppert served as executive producers, helping elevate the film’s international profile and awards momentum.

This year’s Academy Awards are expected to be historic overall, with Ryan Coogler’s film “Sinners” leading the field with a record-breaking 16 nominations. Coogler is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, while Michael B. Jordan has earned his first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in March and is anticipated to be one of the most diverse and record-setting editions in Oscar history.