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

#161
The Sydney Film Festival (SFF), founded in 1954, is one of the longest-running film festivals in the world.
#162
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, founded in 1962, is one of the most prestigious events celebrating Chinese-language cinema.
#163
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), founded in 1997, has grown into one of Northern Europe's largest and most prestigious film festivals.
#164
The Tampere Film Festival, founded in 1969, is one of Europe’s most esteemed international short film festivals.
#165
The Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (TSAFF), established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington, is the world's largest South Asian film festival.
#166
The Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF), founded in 1983, is one of Iran's most prestigious and longest-running film festivals, dedicated exclusively to short films.
#167
The Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival (TIFF), founded in 1960 as the Week of Greek Cinema, has evolved into one of Southeastern Europe's premier film festivals.
#168
The Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF), originally known as the Black Maria Film Festival, was founded in 1981 by John Columbus.
#169
The Tirana International Film Festival (TIFF), established in 2003, is Albania’s premier film festival, showcasing innovative works across genres, bridging cultures, and celebrating global cinematic excellence.
#170
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), established in 1976, is one of the largest and most influential film festivals, renowned for showcasing global cinema and predicting awards season success.
#171
The Tribeca Film Festival, founded in 2001, is a multidisciplinary event celebrating storytelling across film, television, VR, and gaming, revitalizing Lower Manhattan's culture and economy post-9/11.
#172
The Uppsala International Short Film Festival, established in 1982, is Sweden's premier event for short films and one of Europe's most prominent short film festivals.
#173
The Urbanworld Film Festival, founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes, is one of the largest internationally competitive festivals dedicated to celebrating multicultural storytelling across cinema and media platforms.
#174
The Venice Film Festival, founded in 1932, is one of the world’s oldest film festivals, showcasing international cinema and hosting world premieres, including films that dominate awards season.
#175
Vienna Shorts, Austria's largest international short film festival, takes place annually in May in Vienna.
#176
The Vilnius Short Film Festival (VSFF) is Lithuania’s largest and most prominent festival dedicated to short films.
#177
Visions du Réel, originally founded as the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival in 1969, is one of the world’s leading platforms for documentary cinema.
#178
The Warsaw Film Festival (WFF), founded in 1985 by the Film Discussion Club "Hybrydy" under Roman Gutek, has grown into one of the most prominent cultural events in Poland and Eastern Europe.
#179
The Woodstock Film Festival, founded in 2000, is an Oscar-qualifying event in New York's Hudson Valley, renowned for celebrating independent filmmaking and fostering innovative storytelling through diverse programming.
#180
The Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (YIDFF), established in 1989, is Asia's first international documentary film festival and one of the longest-running documentary festivals in the world.

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