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

#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.

2026 Academy Awards Qualifying Film Festival List Top Entries

#1
The Goya Awards, established in 1987, are Spain's foremost national film honors, celebrating excellence in acting, directing, screenwriting, and more across the Spanish film industry.
#2
The Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, is a prestigious institution responsible for promoting French cinema and recognizing its achievements.
#4
The Alcalá de Henares Film Festival (ALCINE) is a celebrated short film competition, held annually in November in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.
#5
The Alexandria Short Film Festival is an international Oscar-qualifying event held annually in Alexandria, Egypt.
#6
The American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) is an annual celebration of documentary films and independent filmmaking.
#7
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF), originally launched as the Acapulco Black Film Festival, is an influential independent film festival dedicated to celebrating Black filmmakers and cinema.
#8
Anifilm is an International Festival of Animated Films that has been held annually in the Czech Republic since 2010.
#9
Anima, the Brussels Animation Film Festival, provides a platform for both established and emerging animators to showcase their creativity to an international audience.
#10
Animation Dingle was founded as a collaboration between Maurice Galway and John Rice, stemming from an initial film festival event in Dingle, Ireland.
#11
Animator International Animated Film Festival is an annual celebration of animated films held in Poznań, Poland. Established in 2008, it is the country’s largest festival dedicated solely to animation.
#12
Animayo is a globally renowned festival dedicated to animation, visual effects, and video games, fostering creativity, innovation, and emerging talent since its establishment in 2006.
#13
Animest International Animation Film Festival is Romania’s premier animation event and the country’s only Oscar-qualifying festival.
#14
The Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF), founded in 1963, is the oldest experimental and avant-garde film festival in North America.
#15
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, established in 1960, is one of the oldest and most renowned festivals dedicated to celebrating animated works worldwide.
#16
Aspen Shortsfest is an internationally acclaimed film festival dedicated to celebrating short films from around the globe.
#17
The Athens International Film and Video Festival (AIFVF) has been a platform for independent cinema for over 50 years, bringing experimental, animated, narrative, and documentary films from around the world to Athens, Ohio.
#18
The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF), established in 1976, is one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the United States.
#19
The Austin Film Festival (AFF), established in 1994, is an annual event renowned for its focus on storytelling in film and television.
#20
The Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) is an annual event that has become a prominent fixture in the Asian film industry since its establishment in 2007.

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