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

#81
The Hiroshima International Animation Festival (HIAF) is one of the most prestigious animation festivals in the world.
#82
The HollyShorts Film Festival is a premier short film event in Hollywood, showcasing innovative works and providing a platform for emerging talent to gain recognition in the film industry.
#83
Hot Docs is the largest documentary film festival in North America, held annually in Toronto, Canada.
#84
The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (HSDFF) is one of the most celebrated documentary film festivals in North America, and it holds the distinction of being the longest-running all-documentary festival in the region.
#85
The Huesca International Film Festival, founded in 1973, is one of the most celebrated festivals in Spain dedicated to the art of short filmmaking.
#86
The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), established in 1976, is one of Asia’s oldest and most prominent film festivals.
#87
The Imaginaria Film Festival is an annual event held in Conversano, Italy, dedicated to celebrating the art of animated films.
#88
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals globally.
#89
The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the largest Indigenous film and media arts festival in the world, held annually in Toronto, Canada.
#90
In The Palace International Short Film Festival is an annual event held in Bulgaria, dedicated to promoting short films, new media, and digital arts.
#91
Established in 2018, the Indy Shorts International Film Festival is an annual six-day summer event in Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated to showcasing the art of short films.
#92
The Interfilm International Short Film Festival Berlin is one of the most prestigious short film festivals in Europe.
#93
The International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) is an annual event held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
#94
Sheffield DocFest, established in 1994, is a premier international documentary festival held annually in Sheffield, England.
#95
The International Festival of Documentaries and Short Films of Bilbao, commonly known as ZINEBI, is a prestigious annual festival held in Bilbao, Spain.
#96
DOK Leipzig is the oldest documentary film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious platforms for documentary and animated films globally.
#97
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen is one of the most renowned short film festivals globally, established in 1954 in Oberhausen, Germany.
#98
The Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur is Switzerland’s premier short film festival and a key event in the European film calendar.
#99
The Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA) are presented annually by the Irish Film & Television Academy to honor outstanding achievements in Irish film and television.
#100
The It’s All True – International Documentary Film Festival (É Tudo Verdade - Festival Internacional de Documentários) is Latin America’s premier documentary film festival.

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.

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