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

#141

St. Louis International Film Festival

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

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

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

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

San Jose International Short Film Festival

The San Jose International Short Film Festival (SJSFF) was founded in 2009 by two Silicon Valley businessmen passionate about filmmaking and the arts.

#145

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

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

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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

Santa Fe International Film Festival

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

Sarajevo Film Festival

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

Seattle International Film Festival

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), founded in 1976, is one of the largest and most renowned film festivals in the world.

#150

Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival

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

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia

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 Film Festival

Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier international short film festival, established in 2006.

#153

SIGGRAPH

SIGGRAPH, founded in 1974 and organized by ACM SIGGRAPH, is the preeminent annual conference dedicated to computer graphics and interactive techniques.

#154

Singapore International Film Festival

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), founded in 1987 by Geoffrey Malone and L. Leland Whitney, is Singapore's longest-running film event.

#155

Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia

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

Slamdance Film Festival

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)

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

SPARK ANIMATION, founded in 2008, is Western Canada's leading animation festival, celebrating the art and innovation of animated storytelling.

#159

Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), founded in 1982, is a globally renowned event celebrating the art and craft of animation.

#160

Sundance Film Festival

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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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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