Oscar Qualifying Festivals 2026: The Complete List for the 99th Academy Awards
To qualify a short film or documentary for the 99th Academy Awards through the festival route, your film must win a specific qualifying award at one of more than 180 Oscar qualifying festivals between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026. Below is the complete list from the Academy's official qualifying festival list (updated April 10, 2026), sorted by region, with every qualifying award named exactly.
Key facts at a glance
Question | Answer |
Which Oscars? | 99th Academy Awards |
Qualifying window | October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 |
Categories covered | Animated Short, Live Action Short, Documentary Short, Documentary Feature |
What counts | Winning a listed qualifying award, not a selection or nomination |
How many festivals | More than 180, in over 50 countries |
Official list version | Updated April 10, 2026; the Academy notes it may change without notice |
Questions to the Academy | qualifyingfestivals@oscars.org |
How Oscar qualification through festivals works
Only the named award counts. Being selected, nominated or winning a different prize at the same festival does not qualify a film.
- Your film wins one of the listed qualifying awards inside the window (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026).
- The award must match your category. An animation prize qualifies an animated short, not a live action short.
- Your film still has to meet all Academy eligibility rules for its category, for example the short film runtime limit of 40 minutes including credits.
- You then submit the film for Academy consideration within the Academy's own deadlines.
One qualifying win is enough. The festival route is one of several qualification paths; the Academy's current rules for each category set the full requirements.
A practical point: many top festivals on this list ask for world, international or national premiere status. Plan your premiere first, because the wrong first screening can close the door to several qualifying festivals at once.
Oscar qualifying festivals in North America
The United States has the most Oscar qualifying festivals of any country, with nearly 60 on the list, followed by Canada with 10.
United States
Festival | State | Qualifying awards |
AFI Fest | California | Grand Jury Prize: Animated Short; Grand Jury Prize: Documentary Short; Grand Jury Prize: Live Action Short |
AmDocs: American Documentary and Animation Film Festival | California | Best Documentary Short; Best Animated Short |
American Black Film Festival | Florida | Best Short Film Award |
Ann Arbor Film Festival | Michigan | Ken Burns Award for Best of the Festival; Chris Frayne Award for Best Animated Film; Lawrence Kasdan Award for Best Narrative Film |
Aspen Shortsfest | Colorado | Best Animation; Best Comedy; Best Documentary; Best Drama; Best Short Short (under 10 minutes) |
Athens International Film + Video Festival | Ohio | 1st Prize Animation Short; 1st Prize Narrative Short |
Atlanta Film Festival | Georgia | Best Animated Short; Best Documentary Short; Best Narrative Short |
Austin Film Festival | Texas | Animated Short Jury Award; Documentary Short Jury Award; Narrative Short Jury Award |
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival | Montana | Best Short Competition; Best Mini-Doc Competition |
BlackStar Film Festival | Pennsylvania | Short Documentary Jury Award; Short Narrative Jury Award |
BronzeLens Film Festival | Georgia | Best Short |
Camden International Film Festival | Maine | Best Short |
Chicago International Children's Film Festival | Illinois | Best Animated Short; Best Live Action Short |
Chicago International Film Festival | Illinois | Gold Hugo: Animated Short Film Competition; Gold Hugo: Documentary Short Film Competition; Gold Hugo: Live Action Short Film Competition |
Cinequest Film Festival | California | Best Short Animated Film; Best Short Narrative Film Comedy; Best Short Narrative Film Drama |
Cleveland International Film Festival | Ohio | Best Animated Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film; Best Live Action Short Film |
Dallas International Film Festival | Texas | Grand Jury Prize: Best Animated Short Film; Grand Jury Prize: Best Documentary Short Film; Grand Jury Prize: Best Narrative Short Film |
deadCenter Film Festival | Oklahoma | Best Animated Short; Best Documentary Short; Best Live Action Short |
DOC NYC | New York | DOC NYC Shorts Grand Jury Prize |
Florida Film Festival | Florida | Grand Jury Award: Best Animated Short; Grand Jury Award: Best Documentary Short; Grand Jury Award: Best Narrative Short |
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival | North Carolina | Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short |
Hamptons International Film Festival | New York | Best Narrative Short; Best Documentary Short |
Hawaii International Film Festival | Hawaii | Best Short Film; Made in Hawaii Best Short Film |
HollyShorts Film Festival | California | Best Short Film Grand Prize; Best Animation Short Film; Best Live Action Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film |
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival | Arkansas | Best Documentary Short |
Indy Shorts International Film Festival | Indiana | Animated Grand Prize; Documentary Grand Prize; Narrative Grand Prize |
LA Shorts International Film Festival | California | Best of Fest; Best Animation; Best Documentary; Best International |
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival | California | Golden Reel Award for Narrative Short; Golden Reel Award for Documentary Short |
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) | California | Best US Latino Live Action Short Award; Best US Latino Animated Short Award |
Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival | Massachusetts | Best of the Best Award |
Mountainfilm | Colorado | Best Short Film |
Nashville Film Festival | Tennessee | Best Animated Short; Best Documentary Short; Best Narrative Short |
New Hampshire Film Festival | New Hampshire | Shorts Jury Award: Animation; Shorts Jury Award: Live Action; Shorts Jury Award: Documentary |
New Orleans Film Festival | Louisiana | Helen Hill Animated Short Jury Award; Documentary Short Film Jury Award; Narrative Short Jury Award |
New York International Children's Film Festival | New York | Jury Award, Best Animated Short; Jury Award, Best Live Action Short |
Out on Film | Georgia | Best Drama Short |
Palm Springs International ShortFest | California | Best of the Festival Award; Best Animation Short; Best Documentary Short; Best Live Action Short 15 minutes and under; Best Live Action Short over 15 minutes |
Pan African Film & Arts Festival | California | Best Short Narrative Film Award; Best Short Documentary Award; Best Animated Short |
Provincetown International Film Festival | Massachusetts | Best Documentary Short Film; Best Narrative Short Film; Best Queer Short Film |
Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival | New York | Reel Sisters Best Narrative Short Award |
RiverRun International Film Festival | North Carolina | Best Animated Short; Best Documentary Short |
St. Louis International Film Festival | Missouri | Best of Fest; Best Animated; Best Documentary; Best Live Action |
San Francisco International Film Festival | California | Golden Gate Award for Best Animated Short; Golden Gate Award for Best Documentary Short; Golden Gate Award for Best Narrative Short |
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival | California | Best Documentary Short Award |
San Jose International Short Film Festival | California | Best of the Fest |
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival | California | Best Documentary Short |
Santa Barbara International Film Festival | California | Best Animated Short Film; Best Live Action Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film |
Santa Fe International Film Festival | New Mexico | Best Animated Short; Best Narrative Short; Best Documentary Short |
Seattle International Film Festival | Washington | Grand Jury Prize for Animated Short Film; Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Short Film; Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short |
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival | California | Franklin J. Schaffner Jury Award for Short Film; Franklin J. Schaffner Jury Award for Mini-Doc |
SIGGRAPH | USA and Canada | Best in Show |
Slamdance Film Festival | California | Grand Jury Award for Animation Short; Grand Jury Award for Narrative Short |
South by Southwest (SXSW) | Texas | Animated Shorts Competition Jury Award; Documentary Shorts Competition Jury Award; Narrative Shorts Competition Jury Award |
Sundance Film Festival | Utah | Short Film Grand Jury Prize; Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction; Short Film Jury Award: US Fiction; Short Film Jury Award: Animation; Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction |
Tasveer Film Festival | Washington | Tasveer Grand Jury Award |
Thomas Edison Film Festival | Various | Stellar Award for Animation; Stellar Award for Experimental |
Tribeca Film Festival | New York | Best Animated Short Film Award; Best Short Documentary Award; Best Narrative Short Film |
Urbanworld Film Festival | New York | Best Narrative Short (U.S.) |
Woodstock Film Festival | New York | Best Animated Short; Best Narrative Short; Best Documentary Short |
Canada
Festival | Qualifying awards |
Calgary International Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize: Best Overall Short Film |
Canadian Screen Awards | Best Animated Short; Best Live Action Short Drama; Best Short Documentary |
Edmonton International Film Festival | Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short Film; Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action Short Film; Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short Film |
Festival du nouveau cinéma | Best Short Film, International Competition: Loup Argenté |
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival | Best International Feature Documentary; Best International Short Documentary; Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary |
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival | Best Live Action Short Award |
Ottawa International Animation Festival | Grand Prize for Best Short Animated Film |
REGARD: Saguenay International Film Festival | Grand Prize; Canadian Grand Prize |
Spark Animation | Best in Show |
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) | Best International Short Film; Best Canadian Short Film |
Oscar qualifying festivals in Europe
Europe has 72 Oscar qualifying festivals and awards, more than any other region outside the United States. Spain, Germany and the UK lead with six or more each, and Europe is home to most of the qualifying animation and documentary specialists.
Festival | Country | Qualifying awards |
Tirana International Film Festival | Albania | Best Short Film |
Vienna Shorts | Austria | Vienna Short Film Award; ASIFA Austria Award; Austrian Short Film Award |
Anima: The Brussels Animation Film Festival | Belgium | Grand Prix Anima for Best International Short Film |
Brussels Short Film Festival | Belgium | International Grand Prize; National Grand Prize |
Docville International Documentary Film Festival | Belgium | Jury Award for Best International Documentary (Documentary Feature) |
Leuven International Short Film Festival | Belgium | Jury Award Best European Short Film; Jury Award Best Flemish Short Film |
Sarajevo Film Festival | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Heart of Sarajevo for the Best Documentary Film (Documentary Feature); Heart of Sarajevo for the Best Short Film; Best European Short Film |
In the Palace International Short Film Festival | Bulgaria | Best Short Fiction; Best Short Animation; Best Short Documentary; Best National Film |
Animafest Zagreb | Croatia | Grand Prix; Best Croatian Film |
Anifilm | Czech Republic | International Short Films Competition: Best Short Film |
Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival | Czech Republic | Best World Documentary Film (Documentary Feature); Best Central and East European Documentary Film (Documentary Feature) |
CPH:DOX | Denmark | Dox:Award (Documentary Feature) |
Odense International Film Festival (OFF) | Denmark | H.C. Andersen Award (International Competition); Best Danish Short Film; Børge Ring Award (Animation Competition); Best Short Documentary |
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF Shorts) | Estonia | PÖFF Shorts: International Live Action Competition; PÖFF Shorts: Best Animation Short; PÖFF Shorts: National Competition |
Tampere Film Festival | Finland | Grand Prix (International Competition); Best Fiction (International Competition); Best Documentary (International Competition); Main Prize (National Competition under 30 minutes) |
Académie des César | France | Best Short Fiction Film; Best Animated Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film |
Annecy International Animation Film Festival | France | Cristal for a Short Film; Best Jury Award: Short Films Competition |
Cannes Film Festival | France | Palme d'Or: Best Short Film; Golden Eye Documentary Prize (Documentary Feature) |
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival | France | Grand Prix (International); Grand Prix (National: French Competition) |
Germany | Golden Bear for Best Short Film; Berlinale Best Documentary Award (Documentary Feature); TEDDY Award: Best Documentary Feature (Documentary Feature) | |
DOK Leipzig | Germany | Golden Dove: International Long Documentary Competition (Documentary Feature); Golden Dove: International Competition Short Animated Film; Golden Dove: International Short Documentary Competition |
German Short Film Award | Germany | Animated Film (1 to 30 min.); Documentary Film (1 to 30 min.); Live Action (1 to 10 min.); Live Action (10 to 30 min.) |
interfilm Berlin | Germany | Best Animation, International Competition; Best Live Action, International Competition |
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen | Germany | Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen; Grand Prize of the German Competition |
Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) | Germany | Grand Prix International Competition |
Drama International Short Film Festival | Greece | Golden Dionysus: National Competition; Grand Prix: International Competition |
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival | Greece | Golden Alexander: International Competition (Documentary Feature) |
Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival | Hungary | Best Hungarian Live-Action Short Film; Best Hungarian Animation |
Animation Dingle | Ireland | Best Irish Professional Short |
Cork International Film Festival | Ireland | Grand Prix International Short; Grand Prix Irish Short; Grand Prix Documentary Short |
Galway Film Fleadh | Ireland | James Horgan Award for the Best Animation Short; Best Short Documentary; Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction Short |
Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA) | Ireland | IFTA Award for Live Action Short Film; IFTA Award for Animated Short Film |
David di Donatello Awards | Italy | Best Short Film |
Imaginaria Film Festival | Italy | Best Animated Short Film |
Venice International Film Festival | Italy | Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film |
Vilnius Short Film Festival | Lithuania | Grand Prix |
Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen | Netherlands | Best European Short Animation Film; Best European Short Documentary Film; Best European Short Fiction Film; Best Dutch Short Film |
IDFA | Netherlands | IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary; IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary |
Kaboom Animation Festival | Netherlands | Best Short Film; Best Dutch Short Film |
Movies that Matter | Netherlands | Grand Jury Documentary (Documentary Feature) |
Nordisk Panorama Film Festival | Five Nordic countries | Best Nordic Short Film |
Norwegian Short Film Festival | Norway | Golden Chair for Best International Short Film; Golden Chair for Best Norwegian Short Film; Golden Chair for Best Short Documentary |
Animator International Animated Film Festival | Poland | Grand Jury Prize: The Golden Pegasus |
EnergaCAMERIMAGE | Poland | Golden Frog for Short Documentary |
Krakow Film Festival | Poland | Golden Horn for Documentary Film (Documentary Feature); Golden Dragon for Best Short Film; Silver Dragon for Best Short Animated Film; Silver Dragon for Best Short Documentary; Silver Dragon for Best Short Fiction Film |
Millennium Docs Against Gravity | Poland | Grand Prix Bank Millennium Award (Documentary Feature) |
Warsaw International Film Festival | Poland | Grand Prix for Best Short Film; Best Animated Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film; Best Live Action Short Film |
Cinanima | Portugal | Grand Prize: City of Espinho Award |
Curtas Vila do Conde | Portugal | Grand Prix: International Competition; Best Short Film Prize: Portuguese Competition |
Doclisboa | Portugal | Best Short Film |
Animest International Animation Film Festival | Romania | Animest Trophy; Best Romanian Film |
Fest Anča | Slovakia | Best Animated Short; Best Slovak Animated Short |
Alcine: Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares | Spain | First Prize National Competition; First Prize European Competition |
Animayo | Spain | Grand Jury Award; Best Short Film from a Spanish-Speaking Country |
FICX Gijón International Film Festival | Spain | Principality of Asturias Award for Best Short Film |
Goya Awards | Spain | Best Animated Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film; Best Fiction Short Film |
Huesca International Film Festival | Spain | 1st Prize: International Danzante Award; 1st Prize: Ibero-American Danzante Award; 1st Prize: Documentary Danzante Award |
Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival | Spain | SOFC Best Short Film Award; Best Animated Short Film |
ZINEBI Bilbao | Spain | ZINEBI Grand Prize: International Short Film Competition; Mikeldi for Best Documentary Short Film |
Göteborg Film Festival | Sweden | Dragon Award for Best Nordic Documentary (Documentary Feature); Dragon Award Best Swedish Short |
Uppsala International Short Film Festival | Sweden | Uppsala Grand Prix; Best Swedish Short Film |
Fantoche International Animation Film Festival | Switzerland | Best Film: International Competition |
Switzerland | Grand Prize for the International Competition; Prize for the Best Swiss Film; Promotional Award: International Competition | |
Locarno Film Festival | Switzerland | Pardino d'Oro Swiss Life for the Best Swiss Short Film; Pardino d'Oro SRG SSR for the Best International Short Film |
Visions du Réel | Switzerland | International Feature Film Competition Grand Jury Prize (Documentary Feature); Jury Prize for Best Short Film |
Izmir International Short Film Festival | Turkey | Best National Short Animation; Best National Short Fiction Film |
BAFTA | United Kingdom | British Short Film; British Short Animation |
Foyle Film Festival | United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) | Best International Short Film; Best Irish Short Film; Best Animated Short Film |
Leeds International Film Festival | United Kingdom | Louis Le Prince International Short Film Competition (Grand Prize); World Animation Competition (Grand Prize) |
Manchester Animation Festival | United Kingdom | Best Short Film |
Raindance Film Festival | United Kingdom | Best Live Action Short; Best Animated Short; Best Documentary Short |
Sheffield DocFest | United Kingdom | Grand Jury Award for the International Competition (Documentary Feature); Best Short Film: International Short Film Competition |
Oscar qualifying festivals in Latin America
Latin America has 12 Oscar qualifying festivals and awards across six countries, with Mexico leading at four. Several reward films from Spanish-speaking or Ibero-American countries specifically.
Festival | Country | Qualifying awards |
BitBang International Animation Festival | Argentina | International Animated Short Film; Latin American Animated Short Film |
It's All True International Documentary Film Festival | Brazil | Best Documentary in the International Competition, Feature or Medium-Length Films; Best Documentary in the Brazilian Competition, Feature or Medium-Length Films; Best Documentary of the International Short Film Competition; Best Documentary of the Brazilian Short Film Competition |
Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival (Curta Cinema) | Brazil | National Grand Prize; International Great Prize |
Chilemonos International Animation Festival | Chile | Latin American Animated Short Film Competition; International Animated Short Film Competition |
Cinelebu: Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu | Chile | Best Short Film, International Fiction; Best Short Film, National Fiction; Best Short Film, International Animation |
Bogoshorts: Bogotá Short Film Festival | Colombia | Santa Lucia for Best Animation Short Film; Santa Lucia for Best Documentary Short Film; Santa Lucia for Best Fiction Short Film (all National Competition) |
Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI) | Colombia | Best Film: Documentary Competition (Documentary Feature); Best Short Film |
Guadalajara International Film Festival | Mexico | Best Ibero-American Short Film; Rigo Mora Award for Best International Animated Short Film; Best Ibero-American Documentary Feature Film |
Guanajuato International Film Festival | Mexico | Best Short Animation; Best Short Documentary International; Best Short Fiction International; Best Mexican Short Documentary |
Morelia International Film Festival | Mexico | Best Mexican Documentary Feature Film; Ojo for Best Mexican Animated Short Film; Ojo for Best Mexican Documentary Short Film; Ojo for Best Mexican Fiction Short Film |
Premios Platino | Ibero-America (listed as Mexico) | Best Documentary Film (Documentary Feature) |
José Ignacio International Film Festival (JIIFF) | Uruguay | December Award: Best Short Film |
Oscar qualifying festivals in Asia and the Middle East
Asia and the Middle East have 18 Oscar qualifying festivals and awards. South Korea and Japan each have three, and Israel has four.
Festival | Country | Qualifying awards |
Hong Kong International Film Festival | Hong Kong | Documentary Competition: Firebird Award (Documentary Feature); Short Film Competition: Firebird Award |
Bengaluru International Short Film Festival | India | Best Film in International Competition Section; Best Film in Indian Competition Section; Best Film in Animated Section |
International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) | India | Best Long Documentary (Documentary Feature); Best Short Documentary |
Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) | Indonesia | Best Short Film |
Tehran International Short Film Festival | Iran | Grand Prize |
Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival | Israel | Best International Film Award (Documentary Feature); Best Israeli Documentary Film Award (Documentary Feature); Best Short Film Award |
Haifa International Film Festival | Israel | Best Independent Film Award (Israeli Short Film Competition) |
Jerusalem Film Festival | Israel | The Diamond Award for Best Narrative Short Film |
Ophir Awards (Israel Film Academy) | Israel | Ophir Awards: Short Film Competition |
Hiroshima Animation Season | Japan | Grand Prix |
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia | Japan | Best Short: International; Best Short: Asia International; Best Short: Japan; Best Short: Animation; Best Short: Non-fiction |
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival | Japan | Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize, International Competition (Documentary Feature); Ogawa Shinsuke Prize, New Asian Currents (Documentary Feature) |
BeirutShorts International Film Festival | Lebanon | Best Short Live Action (Fiction); Best Short Documentary; Best Short Animation |
Singapore International Film Festival | Singapore | Best Southeast Asian Short Film |
Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) | South Korea | BIAF Grand Prize |
Busan International Short Film Festival | South Korea | Grand Prix in International Competition; Grand Prix in Korean Competition |
DMZ International Documentary Film Festival | South Korea | Grand Prize for International Competition (Documentary Feature); Grand Prize for Korean Competition (Documentary Feature) |
Golden Horse Awards (Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival) | Taiwan | Best Documentary Feature; Best Live Action Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film; Best Animated Short Film |
Oscar qualifying festivals in Africa
Africa has four Oscar qualifying festivals, in Egypt, South Africa and Burkina Faso.
Festival | Country | Qualifying awards |
FESPACO: Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou | Burkina Faso | Golden Stallion: Documentary Feature Category; Golden Foal: Documentary Short Category |
Alexandria Short Film Festival | Egypt | Hypatia Award (Live Action Fiction) |
Cairo International Film Festival | Egypt | Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film |
Durban International Film Festival | South Africa | Best International Documentary (Documentary Feature); Best South African Documentary (Documentary Feature); Best Short Film |
Oscar qualifying festivals in Australia and New Zealand
Oceania has six Oscar qualifying festivals: four in Australia and two in New Zealand.
Festival | Country | Qualifying awards |
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival | Australia | Best International Short Film; Best Australian Short Film; Yoram Gross Award for Best International Animation; Best Documentary Short Film |
Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) | Australia | City of Melbourne Grand Prix for Best Short Film; VicScreen Erwin Rado Award for Best Australian Short Film; Best Animation Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film |
St Kilda Film Festival | Australia | Best Short Film; Best Documentary |
Sydney Film Festival | Australia | Documentary Australia Award (Documentary Feature); Dendy Award: Best Australian Short Film, Live Action; Yoram Gross Animation Award |
Doc Edge Festival | New Zealand | Best International Feature (Documentary Feature); Best New Zealand Feature (Documentary Feature); Best International Short; Best New Zealand Short |
Show Me Shorts Film Festival | New Zealand | Best NZ Film; Best International Film |
How to plan an Oscar qualifying festival run
The best Oscar strategy is a sequence, not a wish list. These five rules come from years of placing films on this circuit.
- Read the award, not the festival name. Many festivals on this list qualify only one category or only a national competition. A Swiss film at Winterthur can win Best Swiss Film; an international film cannot.
- Match your category first. Animation filmmakers have dedicated qualifiers like Annecy, Ottawa, Hiroshima and Zagreb. Documentary filmmakers have IDFA, Hot Docs, DOK Leipzig and Sheffield. Live action shorts have the widest field.
- Protect your premiere. Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno, Venice, Sundance and Clermont-Ferrand weigh premiere status heavily. Decide where your film debuts before you submit anywhere else.
- Mix tiers. Combine two or three top-tier festivals with mid-size qualifiers where your film has a realistic shot at the jury prize.
- Work back from the window. The window closes September 30, 2026. Festivals in late summer and early autumn are your last chances for the 99th Oscars.
Miralot checks your film against 5,500+ curated festival competitions, including every Oscar qualifier above, and shows which ones your film is actually eligible for based on format, runtime, country, premiere status and genre. It works for all film formats, and you get 20 matches every month for free. Find your Oscar qualifying festivals on Miralot.
FAQ: Oscar qualifying festivals 2026
What is an Oscar qualifying festival?
An Oscar qualifying festival is a film festival or award whose specific prizes the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences accepts as qualification for the Animated Short, Live Action Short, Documentary Short or Documentary Feature categories. Winning one of those named prizes makes a film eligible to submit for Oscar consideration.
How many Oscar qualifying festivals are there for the 99th Academy Awards?
The Academy's list for the 99th Academy Awards, updated April 10, 2026, contains more than 180 festivals and awards in over 50 countries.
What is the qualifying window for the 99th Oscars?
The qualifying award must be won between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.
Does an official selection at an Oscar qualifying festival count?
No. Only winning the specific qualifying award counts. A selection, nomination or a different prize at the same festival does not qualify a film.
Do I need to win at more than one festival?
No. One qualifying win is enough, as long as the film also meets the Academy's other rules for its category.
Which festivals qualify documentary features?
Documentary feature qualifiers include Berlinale, Cannes (Golden Eye), CPH:DOX, DOK Leipzig, Hot Docs, IDFA, Sheffield DocFest, Visions du Réel, Yamagata, Thessaloniki, Ji.hlava and Sarajevo, among others. They are marked "Documentary Feature" in the tables above.
Which Oscar qualifying festivals are in Switzerland?
Four: Locarno Film Festival, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Fantoche and Visions du Réel.
Which Oscar qualifying festivals are in Germany?
Six: Berlinale, DOK Leipzig, German Short Film Award, interfilm Berlin, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and ITFS Stuttgart.
Does the list change every year?
Yes. The Academy updates the list for each awards cycle and notes that qualifying festivals and awards may change without notice. Always check the current version before you plan.
How do I find out which Oscar qualifying festivals fit my film?
Miralot matches your film against 5,500+ curated festival competitions, including all Oscar qualifiers, and filters by format, runtime, country, premiere status and genre. Start matching for free.
FAQ: Oscar qualifying festivals 2026
What is an Oscar qualifying festival?
An Oscar qualifying festival is a film festival or award whose specific prizes the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences accepts as qualification for the Animated Short, Live Action Short, Documentary Short or Documentary Feature categories. Winning one of those named prizes makes a film eligible to submit for Oscar consideration.
How many Oscar qualifying festivals are there for the 99th Academy Awards?
The Academy's list for the 99th Academy Awards, updated April 10, 2026, contains more than 180 festivals and awards in over 50 countries.
What is the qualifying window for the 99th Oscars?
The qualifying award must be won between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.
Does an official selection at an Oscar qualifying festival count?
No. Only winning the specific qualifying award counts. A selection, nomination or a different prize at the same festival does not qualify a film.
Do I need to win at more than one festival?
No. One qualifying win is enough, as long as the film also meets the Academy's other rules for its category.
Which festivals qualify documentary features?
Documentary feature qualifiers include Berlinale, Cannes (Golden Eye), CPH:DOX, DOK Leipzig, Hot Docs, IDFA, Sheffield DocFest, Visions du Réel, Yamagata, Thessaloniki, Ji.hlava and Sarajevo, among others. They are marked "Documentary Feature" in the tables above.
Which Oscar qualifying festivals are in Switzerland?
Four: Locarno Film Festival, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Fantoche and Visions du Réel.
Which Oscar qualifying festivals are in Germany?
Six: Berlinale, DOK Leipzig, German Short Film Award, interfilm Berlin, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and ITFS Stuttgart.
Does the list change every year?
Yes. The Academy updates the list for each awards cycle and notes that qualifying festivals and awards may change without notice. Always check the current version before you plan.
Are all Oscar qualifying festivals on Miralot?
Yes. Every Oscar qualifying festival on this list is part of Miralot's database of 5,500+ curated festival competitions, with its qualifying categories, deadlines and eligibility rules.
Can I submit to Oscar qualifying festivals through Miralot?
Yes. You can submit to all festivals in the Miralot database through Miralot, including festivals that are not on any other submission platform. One profile for your film covers every submission, and Miralot only shows you the festivals your film is eligible for.
The exceptions are national film academy awards on the list, such as BAFTA, the Goya Awards, the César, the Canadian Screen Awards, IFTA, the Ophir Awards, the David di Donatello Awards and Premios Platino. These are not open-call festivals; each has its own entry or nomination process for films from its country or region.
How do I find out which Oscar qualifying festivals fit my film?
Miralot matches your film against 5,500+ curated festival competitions, including all Oscar qualifiers, and filters by format, runtime, country, premiere status and genre. Start matching for free.
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 99th Academy Awards Qualifying Festival List, updated April 10, 2026.