TSA Confiscates Oscar Statuette at JFK: Missing Award Found in Germany

Russian documentarian Pavel Talankin’s missing Oscar statuette for “Mr Nobody Against Putin” has been located in Frankfurt, Germany, a day after he reported it was confiscated by the TSA at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“The Oscar statue has now been located and is safely in our care in Frankfurt,” Lufthansa told the BBC on Friday. “We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and have apologised to the owner. The careful and secure handling of our guests’ belongings is of the utmost importance to us.”

The airline added that an internal review of the circumstances is ongoing and that the prize will be returned to Talankin “as quickly as possible.”

TSA Mistook Oscar for a Weapon

On Thursday, Talankin arrived at JFK ready to fly home to Europe, carrying the Oscar as a carry-on. David Borenstein, his co-director, shared on Instagram:

“Yesterday he arrived at JFK ready to fly home to Europe, carrying the Oscar as a carry-on. I snapped the first picture here of him on his way out. At the airport, a TSA agent stopped him and said the Oscar could be used as a weapon. She wouldn’t let him carry it on board. Our EP Robin [Hessman] got on the phone and tried to reason with her. It didn’t work.”

Borenstein further questioned the incident:

“I’ve looked and I can’t find a single other case of someone being forced to check an Oscar. Would Pavel have been treated the same way if he were a famous actor? Or a fluent English speaker?”

Oscar Win and Film Details

Talankin, Borenstein, Helle Faber, and Alžběta Karásková won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars in March for “Mr Nobody Against Putin.”