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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

Beirut Shorts International Film Festival

The Beirut Shorts International Film Festival (Beirut Shorts) is an annual event dedicated to celebrating short films.

#22

Bengaluru International Short Film Festival

The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) is a prominent annual event dedicated to celebrating the art of short filmmaking.

#23

Berlin International Film Festival

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

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

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

BitBang International Animation Festival

The BitBang International Animation Festival, established in 2014, is a premier event held annually in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

#26

BlackStar Film Festival

The BlackStar Film Festival is an annual event celebrating the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and global Indigenous communities.

#27

Bogoshorts – Bogotá Short Film Festival

Bogoshorts is an annual international film festival held in Bogotá, Colombia, dedicated to celebrating the art of short filmmaking.

#28

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

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

BronzeLens Film Festival

The BronzeLens Film Festival (BLFF) is an annual event held in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to celebrating the work of filmmakers of color.

#30

Brussels Short Film Festival

The Brussels Short Film Festival (BSFF) is an annual international event dedicated to celebrating the art of short filmmaking.

#31

Bucheon International Animation Festival

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

Busan International Short Film Festival

The Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) is one of Asia's premier platforms dedicated to celebrating short films.

#33

Cairo International Film Festival

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the Arab world, founded in 1976.

#34

Calgary International Film Festival

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

Camden International Film Festival

The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) is a renowned annual event held in Camden, Maine, dedicated to showcasing innovative non-fiction storytelling.

#36

Canadian Screen Awards [Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television]

The Canadian Screen Awards (CSA) is the premier awards event celebrating excellence in Canadian film, television, and digital media.

#37

Cannes Film Festival

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

Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival

The Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI) is the oldest film festival in Latin America, founded in 1959.

#39

Chicago International Children’s Film Festival

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

Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza.

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2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

#141

St. Louis International Film Festival

The St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), founded in 1992, is an annual celebration of cinema held in St. Louis, Missouri.

#142

San Francisco International Film Festival

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), established in 1957, is the longest-running film festival in the Americas, renowned for celebrating cinematic excellence and diverse storytelling.

#143

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), founded in 1980, is the world's oldest and largest Jewish film festival, dedicated to celebrating the richness of Jewish life, culture, and identity through cinema.

#144

San Jose International Short Film Festival

The San Jose International Short Film Festival (SJSFF) was founded in 2009 by two Silicon Valley businessmen passionate about filmmaking and the arts.

#145

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF), founded in 1993 by attorney Mary A. Harris, is a highly regarded annual event held in San Luis Obispo, California.

#146

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), established in 1986, is an 11-day annual event showcasing over 200 films, honoring cinematic excellence, and celebrating diverse storytelling.

#147

Santa Fe International Film Festival

The Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFiFF), founded in 2009, is a distinguished annual event held in the artistic hub of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

#148

Sarajevo Film Festival

The Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), founded in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, has emerged as Southeast Europe’s leading film festival and a significant cultural event globally.

#149

Seattle International Film Festival

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), founded in 1976, is one of the largest and most renowned film festivals in the world.

#150

Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival

The Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (SDFF), founded in 2007, has grown from its regional roots in Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay Area to become a globally recognized event.

#151

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia

The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), founded in 1999 by Japanese actor Tetsuya Bessho, is one of Asia's largest and most prestigious short film festivals.

#152

Show Me Shorts Film Festival

Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier international short film festival, established in 2006.

#153

SIGGRAPH

SIGGRAPH, founded in 1974 and organized by ACM SIGGRAPH, is the preeminent annual conference dedicated to computer graphics and interactive techniques.

#154

Singapore International Film Festival

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), founded in 1987 by Geoffrey Malone and L. Leland Whitney, is Singapore's longest-running film event.

#155

Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia

The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, founded in 1968 as the "1st International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies," is one of the world’s most renowned film festivals dedicated to fantasy, horror, science fiction, and thriller genres.

#156

Slamdance Film Festival

The Slamdance Film Festival, founded in 1995, runs concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and is renowned for its commitment to showcasing independent films by emerging filmmakers.

#157

South by Southwest (SXSW)

South by Southwest (SXSW), established in 1987, is an iconic festival blending film, music, and interactive media, renowned for spotlighting innovation and emerging talent in Austin, Texas.

#158

SPARK ANIMATION

SPARK ANIMATION, founded in 2008, is Western Canada's leading animation festival, celebrating the art and innovation of animated storytelling.

#159

Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), founded in 1982, is a globally renowned event celebrating the art and craft of animation.

#160

Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival, established in 1978, is America’s holy grail of independent film festivals, showcasing groundbreaking films and launching the careers of prominent filmmakers worldwide.

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2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

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