2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List

Here is the Qualifying Film Festival List for the upcoming Academy Awards.

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

#21
The Beirut Shorts International Film Festival (Beirut Shorts) is an annual event dedicated to celebrating short films.
#22
The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) is a prominent annual event dedicated to celebrating the art of short filmmaking.
#23
The Berlin International Film Festival, commonly known as Berlinale, is one of the world's most prestigious film festivals, renowned for its artistic excellence and political relevance.
#24
The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, established in 2003, is the largest documentary film festival in the American West, showcasing over 150 nonfiction films and supporting filmmakers worldwide.
#25
The BitBang International Animation Festival, established in 2014, is a premier event held annually in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
#26
The BlackStar Film Festival is an annual event celebrating the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and global Indigenous communities.
#27
Bogoshorts is an annual international film festival held in Bogotá, Colombia, dedicated to celebrating the art of short filmmaking.
#28
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-renowned British institution dedicated to celebrating excellence in film, television, and video games.
#29
The BronzeLens Film Festival (BLFF) is an annual event held in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to celebrating the work of filmmakers of color.
#30
The Brussels Short Film Festival (BSFF) is an annual international event dedicated to celebrating the art of short filmmaking.
#31
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is an annual event held in Bucheon, South Korea, dedicated to celebrating genre cinema, with a special focus on fantasy, horror, science fiction, and thrillers.
#32
The Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) is one of Asia's premier platforms dedicated to celebrating short films.
#33
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the Arab world, founded in 1976.
#34
The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is a premier annual event in Calgary, Canada, established in 2000 to celebrate cinematic excellence and promote both Canadian and international films.
#35
The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) is a renowned annual event held in Camden, Maine, dedicated to showcasing innovative non-fiction storytelling.
#36
The Canadian Screen Awards (CSA) is the premier awards event celebrating excellence in Canadian film, television, and digital media.
#37
The Cannes Film Festival, established in 1946, is one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, renowned for showcasing groundbreaking films and celebrating artistic excellence in global cinema.
#38
The Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI) is the oldest film festival in Latin America, founded in 1959.
#39
The Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF) is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals dedicated to children and young audiences worldwide.
#40
The Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza.

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

#1
The Goya Awards, established in 1987, are Spain's foremost national film honors, celebrating excellence in acting, directing, screenwriting, and more across the Spanish film industry.
#2
The Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, is a prestigious institution responsible for promoting French cinema and recognizing its achievements.
#4
The Alcalá de Henares Film Festival (ALCINE) is a celebrated short film competition, held annually in November in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.
#5
The Alexandria Short Film Festival is an international Oscar-qualifying event held annually in Alexandria, Egypt.
#6
The American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) is an annual celebration of documentary films and independent filmmaking.
#7
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF), originally launched as the Acapulco Black Film Festival, is an influential independent film festival dedicated to celebrating Black filmmakers and cinema.
#8
Anifilm is an International Festival of Animated Films that has been held annually in the Czech Republic since 2010.
#9
Anima, the Brussels Animation Film Festival, provides a platform for both established and emerging animators to showcase their creativity to an international audience.
#10
Animation Dingle was founded as a collaboration between Maurice Galway and John Rice, stemming from an initial film festival event in Dingle, Ireland.
#11
Animator International Animated Film Festival is an annual celebration of animated films held in Poznań, Poland. Established in 2008, it is the country’s largest festival dedicated solely to animation.
#12
Animayo is a globally renowned festival dedicated to animation, visual effects, and video games, fostering creativity, innovation, and emerging talent since its establishment in 2006.
#13
Animest International Animation Film Festival is Romania’s premier animation event and the country’s only Oscar-qualifying festival.
#14
The Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF), founded in 1963, is the oldest experimental and avant-garde film festival in North America.
#15
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, established in 1960, is one of the oldest and most renowned festivals dedicated to celebrating animated works worldwide.
#16
Aspen Shortsfest is an internationally acclaimed film festival dedicated to celebrating short films from around the globe.
#17
The Athens International Film and Video Festival (AIFVF) has been a platform for independent cinema for over 50 years, bringing experimental, animated, narrative, and documentary films from around the world to Athens, Ohio.
#18
The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF), established in 1976, is one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the United States.
#19
The Austin Film Festival (AFF), established in 1994, is an annual event renowned for its focus on storytelling in film and television.
#20
The Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) is an annual event that has become a prominent fixture in the Asian film industry since its establishment in 2007.

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