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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

ACADEMIA DE LAS ARTES Y LAS CIENCIAS CINEMATOGRÁFICAS DE ESPAÑA [GOYA AWARDS]

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.

Académie Des César [French Academy Of Cinema]

The Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, is a prestigious institution responsible for promoting French cinema and recognizing its achievements.

AFI FEST (American Film Institute)

ALCINE – Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares

The Alcalá de Henares Film Festival (ALCINE) is a celebrated short film competition, held annually in November in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.

Alexandria Short Film Festival

The Alexandria Short Film Festival is an international Oscar-qualifying event held annually in Alexandria, Egypt.

AMDOCS – American Documentary and Animation Film Festival

The American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) is an annual celebration of documentary films and independent filmmaking.

American Black Film Festival

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.

Anifilm

Anifilm is an International Festival of Animated Films that has been held annually in the Czech Republic since 2010.

Anima – The Brussels Animation Film Festival https://animafestival.be/en

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

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

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 International Film Festival

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

Animest International Animation Film Festival is Romania’s premier animation event and the country’s only Oscar-qualifying festival.

#14

Ann Arbor Film Festival

The Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF), founded in 1963, is the oldest experimental and avant-garde film festival in North America.

#15

Annecy International Animation Film Festival

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

Aspen Shortsfest is an internationally acclaimed film festival dedicated to celebrating short films from around the globe.

#17

Athens International Film and Video Festival

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

Atlanta Film Festival

The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF), established in 1976, is one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the United States.

#19

Austin Film Festival

The Austin Film Festival (AFF), established in 1994, is an annual event renowned for its focus on storytelling in film and television.

#20

Bali International Film Festival

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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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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