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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

#61

FESPACO – Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou

The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) is Africa’s largest and most prestigious film festival.

#62

Fest Anča International Animation Festival

Fest Anča is an internationally acclaimed animation festival held annually in Trenčín, Slovakia.

#63

Festival du Nouveau Cinéma

The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC) is an annual film festival held in Montreal, Canada, known for its dedication to innovative and experimental cinema.

#64

Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre

Fantaspoa, the International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre, is the first Brazilian film festival dedicated to fantastic cinema, encompassing genres such as horror, science fiction, and fantasy.

#65

Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu

The Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu (CINELEBU) is a prestigious annual film festival held in the coastal city of Lebu, in Chile’s Biobío Region.

#66

FICX – Gijón International Film Festival

The Gijón International Film Festival (FICX) is one of Spain's oldest and most respected film festivals, held annually in Gijón, Asturias.

#67

Flickerfest

Flickerfest is Australia’s leading international short film festival, celebrating innovative storytelling and showcasing award-winning short films from around the globe.

#68

Florida Film Festival

The Florida Film Festival is a prestigious annual event held in Orlando and Maitland, Florida, showcasing a diverse selection of independent films from around the world.

#69

Foyle Film Festival

The Foyle Film Festival, founded in 1987, is one of the leading film festivals in the UK and Ireland.

#70

Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival

The Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival is a prominent annual event dedicated to the art of short filmmaking, held in Budapest, Hungary.

#71

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is a premier event celebrating the art of documentary filmmaking, showcasing impactful and thought-provoking works from around the world.

#72

Galway Film Fleadh

The Galway Film Fleadh is Ireland’s leading film festival, held annually in the vibrant city of Galway.

#73

German Film Award

The German Film Award, also known as the Deutscher Filmpreis or "Lola," is one of the most prestigious accolades in the German film industry.

#74

Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen

Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen is the premier short film festival in the Netherlands, held annually in the historic city of Nijmegen.

#75

Göteborg Film Festival

The Göteborg Film Festival (GFF) is Sweden’s largest and most prestigious film festival, held annually in Gothenburg.

#76

Guadalajara International Film Festival

The Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is one of Latin America’s most prestigious and influential film festivals.

#77

Guanajuato International Film Festival

The Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) is one of Mexico’s premier film festivals, held annually in Guanajuato City.

#78

Haifa International Film Festival

The Haifa International Film Festival is Israel's first international film festival, celebrating global and Israeli cinema with a vibrant programme of screenings, workshops, and industry events.

#79

Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF)

The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is a premier cultural event in the Pacific, celebrating global cinema with a unique focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

#80

Hamptons International Film Festival

The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is one of the premier film events in the United States, taking place annually in October with additional year-round programming in New York City and the Hamptons.

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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.

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2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

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