Lufthansa locates Talankin's Oscar checked as cargo at JFK Airport
Good news for filmmaker Pasha Talankin: Lufthansa has tracked down his missing Oscar.
The award, which he won for Best Feature Documentary in March 2026, disappeared after JFK Airport security called it a potential weapon and made him check it as cargo on his flight from New York to Frankfurt.
Lufthansa to return Oscar to Talankin
By Friday evening, Lufthansa confirmed the Oscar was safe in Frankfurt and will be sent back to Talankin soon, along with an apology.
The whole situation started when JFK Airport security stopped Talankin from carrying the Oscar on board and made him check it in as cargo, but he still filmed airline staff carefully packing the statuette.
He called JFK Airport's decision "It's completely baffling how they consider an Oscar a weapon... flew with it in the cabin, and there never was any kind of problem," especially since he'd traveled with the Oscar before without any trouble.