Favorites

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

#41

Chilemonos International Animation Festival

#42

CINANIMA – International Animated Film Festival of Espinho

CINANIMA – International Animated Film Festival of Espinho is one of the oldest and most prestigious animation festivals in the world.

#43

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival

The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is the largest global film festival dedicated to short films.

#45

Cleveland International Film Festival

The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), founded in 1977, is one of the largest and most prominent film festivals in the United States.

#46

Cork International Film Festival

The Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) is Ireland’s oldest and one of its most prestigious film festivals, established in 1956.

#47

CPH:DOX – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festiva

CPH:DOX – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival is one of the world’s premier festivals dedicated to documentary filmmaking.

#48

Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival

Curtas Vila do Conde is a renowned international film festival dedicated to short films, held annually in Vila do Conde, Portugal.

#49

Dallas International Film Festival

The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) is an annual celebration of global cinema held in Dallas, Texas.

#50

deadCENTER Film Festival

The deadCENTER Film Festival is a celebrated annual event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, dedicated to independent cinema.

#51

DMZ International Documentary Film Festival

The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs), established in 2009, is an annual event held in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.

#52

Doc Edge Festival

Doc Edge, also known as the Documentary Edge Festival, is New Zealand’s premier documentary film festival.

#53

DOC NYC Film Festival

DOC NYC, established in 2010, is the largest documentary festival in the U.S., showcasing over 300 films annually and serving as a critical platform for nonfiction storytelling.

#54

Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival

Docaviv is Israel’s premier documentary film festival, held annually in Tel Aviv since its establishment in 1998.

#55

Doclisboa International Film Festival

Doclisboa is an internationally renowned documentary film festival held annually in Lisbon, Portugal.

#56

Docville International Documentary Film Festival

Docville is a renowned annual documentary film festival held in Leuven, Belgium.

#57

Drama International Short Film Festival

The Drama International Short Film Festival is one of Greece’s most prestigious platforms for short films.

#58

Durban International Film Festival

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is Africa’s longest-running and one of its largest film festivals.

#59

Edmonton International Film Festival

The Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) is a celebrated annual event showcasing innovative independent and international films, offering a platform for emerging and diverse voices in cinema.

#60

EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival

EnergaCamerimage is a prestigious international film festival that celebrates the art and craft of cinematography.

Top Picks

RØDE VideoMic GO II Helix | Ultra-Compact....

Sony WH-1000XM5 Premium Noise Canceling....

SmallRig Shoulder Rig Kit, One-Touch Quick Release....

More Deals>>

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

#121

New Hampshire Film Festival

The New Hampshire Film Festival (NHFF), launched in 2001 as the New Hampshire Film Expo, has grown into a flagship cultural event for New England.

#122

New Orleans Film Festival

The New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF), founded in 1989 by the New Orleans Film Society, is an annual cultural celebration held every mid-October.

#123

New York International Children’s Film Festival

The New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF), established in 1997 by Eric Beckman and Emily Shapiro, is North America’s largest film festival dedicated to young audiences.

#124

Nordisk Panorama Film Festival (Five Nordic Countries)

The Nordisk Panorama Film Festival, founded in 1990 by Filmkontakt Nord, is a leading annual event dedicated to showcasing Nordic short and documentary films.

#125

The Norwegian Short Film Festival

The Norwegian Short Film Festival (Kortfilmfestivalen) is Norway's largest and only Academy Award®-qualifying short film festival, showcasing Norwegian and international short films, documentaries, and music videos.

#126

OFF – Odense International Film Festival

The Odense International Film Festival (OFF), established in 1975, is Denmark’s oldest and most prestigious film festival dedicated exclusively to short films.

#127

Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), founded in 1975 by the Canadian Film Institute, held its inaugural event in 1976, marking the first major animation festival in North America.

#128

Out On Film, Atlanta’s International LGBTQ Film Festival

Out On Film, founded in 1987 by Rebecca Ranson and other community leaders, is one of the oldest and most respected LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the United States.

#129

Palm Springs International ShortFest

The Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, widely known as ShortFest, is an annual celebration of short films held in Palm Springs, California.

#130

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), founded in 1992 by Danny Glover, Ja'net DuBois, and executive director Ayuko Babu, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural understanding among people of African descent through the exhibition of films and arts.

#131

Premi David di Donatello – David di Donatello Film Awards

The David di Donatello Awards, founded in 1955 by Italo Gemini, stand as Italy’s most prestigious film honors, often referred to as the Italian equivalent of the Academy Awards.

#132

Premios Platino del Cine Iberoamericano

The Platino Awards, officially known as Premios Platino del Cine Iberoamericano, were established in 2013 to celebrate and promote excellence in Ibero-American cinema.

#133

Provincetown International Film Festival

The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF), founded in 1999, is a celebrated annual event held in Provincetown, Massachusetts, each June.

#134

Raindance Film Festival

The Raindance Film Festival, founded in 1992 by Elliot Grove, is the largest independent film festival in the UK, dedicated to showcasing and promoting independent films from around the world.

#135

Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival

The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series, founded in 1997 by African Voices magazine and Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus, is the first Brooklyn-based festival dedicated to supporting films produced, directed, and written by women of color.

#136

REGARD – Saguenay International Film Festival

REGARD – Saguenay International Short Film Festival, commonly referred to as REGARD, was founded in 1996 by Éric Bachand, a recent art graduate from the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi.

#137

Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival – Festival Curta Cinema

The Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, also known as Festival do Rio, is an annual event established in 1999.

#138

RiverRun International Film Festival

The RiverRun International Film Festival, founded in 1999, is an annual spring event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, showcasing a rich diversity of films from around the world.

#139

Run&Shoot Filmworks – Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival

The Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), founded in 2002 by Floyd and Stephanie Rance, is an annual event held in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.

#140

St. Kilda Film Festival

The St Kilda Film Festival, founded in 1983, is Australia’s longest-running short film festival and a premier event for celebrating Australian short films.

Affiliate Disclosure:

Filmmaker Journey participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you click product links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps fund our free rankings and resources.

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

Top Picks

More Deals>>

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

Affiliate Disclosure:

Join the community.

Log In

OR