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

#42
CINANIMA – International Animated Film Festival of Espinho is one of the oldest and most prestigious animation festivals in the world.
#44
The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is the largest global film festival dedicated to short films.
#45
The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), founded in 1977, is one of the largest and most prominent film festivals in the United States.
#46
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 Festival is one of the world’s premier festivals dedicated to documentary filmmaking.
#48
Curtas Vila do Conde is a renowned international film festival dedicated to short films, held annually in Vila do Conde, Portugal.
#49
The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) is an annual celebration of global cinema held in Dallas, Texas.
#50
The deadCENTER Film Festival is a celebrated annual event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, dedicated to independent cinema.
#51
The DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs), established in 2009, is an annual event held in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
#52
Doc Edge, also known as the Documentary Edge Festival, is New Zealand’s premier documentary film festival.
#53
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 is Israel’s premier documentary film festival, held annually in Tel Aviv since its establishment in 1998.
#55
Doclisboa is an internationally renowned documentary film festival held annually in Lisbon, Portugal.
#56
Docville is a renowned annual documentary film festival held in Leuven, Belgium.
#57
The Drama International Short Film Festival is one of Greece’s most prestigious platforms for short films.
#58
The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is Africa’s longest-running and one of its largest film festivals.
#59
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 is a prestigious international film festival that celebrates the art and craft of cinematography.

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.

Join the community.

Subscribe for fresh news, resources, and exclusive content you won't find anywhere else.

Log In

OR