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

#101
The Israeli Television Academy Awards, established in 2003, celebrate excellence in Israel’s television industry.
#102
The Izmir International Short Film Festival is one of Turkey's premier platforms for showcasing short films from around the globe.
#103
The Jerusalem Film Festival (JFF), founded in 1984 by Lia Van Leer, is one of Israel's premier international film events, held annually in Jerusalem.
#104
The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (IDFF) is a leading annual event held every October in Jihlava, Czech Republic.
#105
The José Ignacio International Film Festival (JIIFF), founded in 2011, is a celebrated annual event in José Ignacio and Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay.
#106
Kaboom Animation Festival, established in 2019 through the merger of KLIK Amsterdam Animation Festival and Holland Animation Film Festival, is the Netherlands' foremost event dedicated to celebrating the art of animation.
#107
The Kraków Film Festival is one of Europe’s oldest film events, spotlighting documentary, animated, and short feature films, held annually in Kraków, Poland.
#108
The LA Shorts International Film Festival, founded in 1997 by Robert Arentz, is one of the largest and longest-running short film festivals in the world.
#109
The Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF), established in 1987, is the largest film festival in England outside of London.
#110
The Kortfilmfestival Leuven, established in 1995, is Belgium's leading short film festival, held annually in the historic city of Leuven.
#111
Founded in 1946, the Locarno Film Festival has long been a cornerstone of European cinema. Known for its eclectic programming, the festival features feature-length narratives, documentaries, shorts, avant-garde works, and retrospectives, offering a platform for diverse cinematic voices.
#112
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), founded in 1983 by Visual Communications, is Southern California’s largest film festival showcasing films by and about Asians and Pacific Islanders.
#113
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) was established in 1997 by actor Edward James Olmos and co-founders Marlene Dermer, Kirk Whisler, and George Hernandez.
#114
The Manchester Animation Festival (MAF), established in 2015, is the UK's largest event dedicated to the art of animation.
#115
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), established in 1952, is one of the world’s oldest film festivals, following Venice (1932), Cannes (1939), and Berlin (1951).
#116
The Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival, originally known as Warsaw Doc Review, was founded in 2004 and has grown to become Poland's largest documentary film festival.
#117
The Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), founded in 2003, is an annual event held in the second week of October in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
#118
Mountainfilm, founded in 1979 in Telluride, Colorado, is an annual documentary film festival held every Memorial Day weekend.
#119
The Movies that Matter Festival, initially known as the Amnesty International Film Festival, is an annual international film and debate event held in The Hague.
#120
The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm), originally founded as the Sinking Creek Film Celebration in 1969, is one of the United States' oldest and most respected film festivals.

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

#141
The St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), founded in 1992, is an annual celebration of cinema held in St. Louis, Missouri.
#142
San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), established in 1957, is the longest-running film festival in the Americas, renowned for celebrating cinematic excellence and diverse storytelling.
#143
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), founded in 1980, is the world's oldest and largest Jewish film festival, dedicated to celebrating the richness of Jewish life, culture, and identity through cinema.
#144
The San Jose International Short Film Festival (SJSFF) was founded in 2009 by two Silicon Valley businessmen passionate about filmmaking and the arts.
#145
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF), founded in 1993 by attorney Mary A. Harris, is a highly regarded annual event held in San Luis Obispo, California.
#146
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), established in 1986, is an 11-day annual event showcasing over 200 films, honoring cinematic excellence, and celebrating diverse storytelling.
#147
The Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFiFF), founded in 2009, is a distinguished annual event held in the artistic hub of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
#148
The Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), founded in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, has emerged as Southeast Europe’s leading film festival and a significant cultural event globally.
#149
The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), founded in 1976, is one of the largest and most renowned film festivals in the world.
#150
The Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (SDFF), founded in 2007, has grown from its regional roots in Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay Area to become a globally recognized event.
#151
The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), founded in 1999 by Japanese actor Tetsuya Bessho, is one of Asia's largest and most prestigious short film festivals.
#152
Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier international short film festival, established in 2006.
#153
SIGGRAPH, founded in 1974 and organized by ACM SIGGRAPH, is the preeminent annual conference dedicated to computer graphics and interactive techniques.
#154
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), founded in 1987 by Geoffrey Malone and L. Leland Whitney, is Singapore's longest-running film event.
#155
The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, founded in 1968 as the "1st International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies," is one of the world’s most renowned film festivals dedicated to fantasy, horror, science fiction, and thriller genres.
#156
The Slamdance Film Festival, founded in 1995, runs concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and is renowned for its commitment to showcasing independent films by emerging filmmakers.
#157
South by Southwest (SXSW), established in 1987, is an iconic festival blending film, music, and interactive media, renowned for spotlighting innovation and emerging talent in Austin, Texas.
#158
SPARK ANIMATION, founded in 2008, is Western Canada's leading animation festival, celebrating the art and innovation of animated storytelling.
#159
The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), founded in 1982, is a globally renowned event celebrating the art and craft of animation.
#160
The Sundance Film Festival, established in 1978, is America’s holy grail of independent film festivals, showcasing groundbreaking films and launching the careers of prominent filmmakers worldwide.

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