The Complete Guide to Oscar-Qualifying Festivals for Live Action Short Films (98th Academy Awards)
Last updated: 27th of November | Qualification period: October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025
If you're a filmmaker with a live action short film dreaming of Oscar glory, you need to win at one of the Academy's qualifying festivals. Here's your comprehensive guide to every festival that can put you on the path to the 98th Academy Awards.
North America
United States
AFI Fest (California) – One of Hollywood's premier festivals, the Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short opens doors in the industry capital.
American Black Film Festival (Florida) – The leading festival for Black cinema, offering Oscar qualification through its Best Short Film Award.
Ann Arbor Film Festival (Michigan) – America's longest-running independent film festival awards the Lawrence Kasdan Award for Best Narrative Film.
Aspen Shortsfest (Colorado) – A prestigious mountain gathering where Best Drama and Best Comedy awards both qualify.
Athens International Film + Video Festival (Ohio) – This Midwest gem's 1st Prize Narrative Short carries Oscar-qualifying weight.
Atlanta Film Festival (Georgia) – The Southeast's flagship festival qualifies through its Best Narrative Short award.
Austin Film Festival (Texas) – Famous for championing screenwriters, the Narrative Short Jury Award qualifies here.
BlackStar Film Festival (Pennsylvania) – Celebrating films by Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists, the Short Narrative Jury Award qualifies.
BronzeLens Film Festival (Georgia) – Focused on positive Black imagery in film, Best Short qualifies.
Chicago International Children's Film Festival (Illinois) – Best Live Action Short qualifies at America's largest children's film festival.
Chicago International Film Festival (Illinois) – The Gold Hugo for Live Action Short Film Competition is a major prize at this veteran festival.
Cinequest Film Festival (California) – Silicon Valley's innovative festival qualifies through Best Short Narrative Film.
Cleveland International Film Festival (Ohio) – Best Live Action Short Film qualifies at this Midwest institution.
Dallas International Film Festival (Texas) – The Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short Film carries qualification.
deadCenter Film Festival (Oklahoma) – Oklahoma City's festival qualifies through Best Live Action Short.
Florida Film Festival (Florida) – The Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short qualifies at this Orlando-area event.
Hamptons International Film Festival (New York) – Best Narrative Short qualifies at this glamorous East End festival.
Hawaii International Film Festival (Hawaii) – Both Best Short Film and Made in Hawaii Best Short Film qualify.
HollyShorts Film Festival (California) – The Best Live Action Short Film and Best Short Film Grand Prize both qualify at this industry-connected LA festival.
Indy Shorts International Film Festival (Indiana) – The Narrative Grand Prize qualifies at this Heartland Film presentation.
LA Shorts International Film Festival (California) – Multiple qualifying awards including Best of Fest and Best International.
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (California) – The Golden Reel Award for Narrative Short serves the AAPI community.
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (California) – Best US Latino Live Action Short Award qualifies.
Nashville Film Festival (Tennessee) – Best Narrative Short qualifies at Music City's premier film event.
New Hampshire Film Festival (New Hampshire) – Shorts Jury Award for Live Action qualifies.
New Orleans Film Festival (Louisiana) – The Narrative Short Jury Award qualifies at this culturally rich festival.
New York International Children's Film Festival (New York) – Jury Award for Best Live Action Short qualifies.
Out On Film (Georgia) – Atlanta's LGBTQ festival qualifies through Best Drama Short.
Palm Springs International ShortFest (California) – One of the world's largest short film festivals with Best of Festival Award, Best Live Action Short 15 minutes and under, and Best Live Action Short over 15 minutes.
The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (California) – Best Short Narrative Film Award qualifies at this important LA cultural event.
Provincetown International Film Festival (Massachusetts) – Best Narrative Short Film and Best Queer Short Film both qualify.
Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival (New York) – The Reel Sisters Best Narrative Short Award serves women filmmakers of color.
Run&Shoot Filmworks – Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (Massachusetts) – Best of the Best Award qualifies.
San Francisco International Film Festival (California) – The Golden Gate Award for Best Narrative Short qualifies at the longest-running film festival in the Americas.
San Jose International Short Film Festival (California) – Best of the Fest qualifies at this Silicon Valley event.
Santa Barbara International Film Festival (California) – Best Live Action Short Film qualifies at this prestigious coastal festival.
Santa Fe International Film Festival (New Mexico) – Best Narrative Short qualifies.
Seattle International Film Festival (Washington) – The Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short qualifies at the Pacific Northwest's premier festival.
Slamdance Film Festival (Utah) – The Grand Jury Award for Narrative Short qualifies at Sundance's rebellious neighbor.
South by Southwest (Texas) – The Narrative Shorts Competition Jury Award qualifies at this massive Austin event.
St. Louis International Film Festival (Missouri) – Best Live Action and Best of Fest both qualify.
Sundance Film Festival (Utah) – The most prestigious qualifying festival – Short Film Grand Jury Prize, Short Film Jury Award: US Fiction, and Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction all qualify.
Tasveer Film Festival (Seattle) – The Tasveer Grand Jury Award serves South Asian cinema.
Tribeca Film Festival (New York) – Best Narrative Short Film qualifies at this major NYC festival founded by Robert De Niro.
Urbanworld Film Festival (New York) – Best Narrative Short (U.S.) qualifies at this multicultural event.
Woodstock Film Festival (New York) – Best Narrative Short qualifies in the Hudson Valley.
Canada
Calgary International Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize for Best Overall Short Film qualifies.
Canadian Screen Awards – Best Live Action Short Drama, the national industry award, qualifies.
Edmonton International Film Festival – Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action Short Film qualifies.
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (Montreal) – Best Short Film (Loup Argenté) qualifies at this avant-garde festival.
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival – Best Live Action Short Award serves Indigenous filmmakers.
Regard – Saguenay International Film Festival – Both Grand Prize and Canadian Grand Prize qualify at this Quebec festival.
Toronto International Film Festival – Best International Short Film and Best Canadian Short Film qualify at one of the world's most important festivals.
Europe
United Kingdom & Ireland
British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) – British Short Film, one of the most prestigious awards in British cinema, qualifies.
Cork International Film Festival (Ireland) – Grand Prix International Short and Grand Prix Irish Short both qualify.
Foyle Film Festival (Northern Ireland) – Best International Short Film and Best Irish Short Film qualify.
Galway Film Fleadh (Ireland) – The Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction Short qualifies.
Irish Film & Television Awards – IFTA Award for Live Action Short Film, the Irish industry honor, qualifies.
Leeds International Film Festival – The Louis le Prince International Short Film Competition Grand Prize qualifies.
Raindance Film Festival – Best Live Action Short qualifies at London's indie champion.
France
Académie des César – Best Short Fiction Film, France's highest film honor, qualifies.
Cannes International Film Festival – The Palme d'Or for Best Short Film is one of cinema's most coveted prizes.
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival – Grand Prix International and Grand Prix National both qualify at the world's largest short film festival.
Germany
Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) – The Golden Bear for Best Short Film qualifies at this A-list festival.
German Short Film Award – Live Action 1-10 min and Live Action 10-30 min both qualify as national honors.
Interfilm International Short Film Festival Berlin – Best Live Action, International Competition qualifies.
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen – Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen and Grand Prize of the German Competition both qualify at one of the world's oldest short film festivals.
Spain
Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (Goya Awards) – Best Fiction Short Film, Spain's national honor, qualifies.
Alcine – Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares – First Prize National Competition and First Prize European Competition both qualify.
FICX – Gijón International Film Festival – Principality of Asturias Award for Best Short Film qualifies.
Huesca International Film Festival – 1st Prize International Danzante Award and 1st Prize Ibero-American Danzante Award both qualify.
International Festival of Documentaries and Short Films of Bilbao – Zinebi – ZINEBI Grand Prize for International Short Film Competition qualifies.
Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia – SOFC Best Short Film Award qualifies at this genre festival.
The Netherlands
Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen – Best European Short Fiction Film and Best Dutch Short Film both qualify.
Belgium
Brussels Short Film Festival – International Grand Prize and National Grand Prize both qualify.
Leuven International Short Film Festival – Jury Award Best European Short Film and Jury Award Best Flemish Short Film both qualify.
Nordic Countries
Göteborg Film Festival (Sweden) – Dragon Award Best Swedish Short qualifies at Scandinavia's largest film festival.
Nordisk Panorama Film Festival – Best Nordic Short Film qualifies across all five Nordic countries.
OFF – Odense International Film Festival (Denmark) – H.C. Andersen Award and Best Danish Short Film both qualify.
The Norwegian Short Film Festival – The Golden Chair for Best International Short Film and Best Norwegian Short Film both qualify.
Tampere Film Festival (Finland) – Grand Prix and Best Fiction (International Competition) both qualify at one of Europe's most respected short film festivals.
Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden) – Uppsala Grand Prix and Best Swedish Short Film both qualify.
Central & Eastern Europe
Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival (Hungary) – Best Hungarian Live-Action Short Film qualifies.
In The Palace International Short Film Festival (Bulgaria) – Best Short Fiction and Best National Film both qualify.
Krakow Film Festival (Poland) – Golden Dragon for Best Short Film and Silver Dragon for Best Short Fiction Film both qualify at this historic Polish festival.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia) – PÖFF Shorts International Live Action Competition and National Competition both qualify.
Vilnius Short Film Festival (Lithuania) – Grand Prix qualifies.
Warsaw International Film Festival (Poland) – Grand Prix for Best Short Film and Best Live Action Short Film both qualify.
Southern Europe
Drama International Short Film Festival (Greece) – Golden Dionysus (National) and Grand Prix (International) both qualify at Greece's premier short film event.
Premi David di Donatello (Italy) – Best Short Film, Italy's national film honor, qualifies.
Venice International Film Festival (Italy) – The Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film qualifies at this legendary A-list festival.
Austria & Switzerland
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur (Switzerland) – Grand Prize for International Competition and Prize for Best Swiss Film both qualify.
Locarno International Film Festival (Switzerland) – Pardino d'Oro for Best Swiss Short Film and Best International Short Film both qualify at this A-list festival.
Vienna Shorts – International Film Festival (Austria) – Vienna Short Film Award and Austrian Short Film Award both qualify.
Portugal
Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival – Grand Prix International Competition and Best Short Film Prize Portuguese Competition both qualify.
Asia & Middle East
East Asia
Bali International Film Festival (Indonesia) – Best Short Film qualifies.
Busan International Short Film Festival (South Korea) – Grand Prix in International Competition and Korean Competition both qualify.
Hong Kong International Film Festival – Short Film Competition Firebird Award qualifies.
Short Shorts Film Festival (Japan) – Best Short International, Asia International, and Japan categories all qualify.
Singapore International Film Festival – Best Southeast Asian Short Film qualifies.
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (Taiwan) – Best Live Action Short Film qualifies at Chinese-language cinema's most prestigious awards.
Middle East
Beirut Shorts International Film Festival (Lebanon) – Best Short Live Action (Fiction) qualifies.
Cairo International Film Festival (Egypt) – Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film qualifies.
Haifa International Film Festival (Israel) – Best Independent Film Award (Israeli Short Film Competition) qualifies.
Israel Film Academy – Ophir Awards – Short Film competition winner qualifies.
Izmir International Short Film Festival (Turkey) – Best National Short Fiction Film qualifies.
Jerusalem Film Festival (Israel) – The Diamond Award for Best Narrative Short Film qualifies.
Tehran International Short Film Festival (Iran) – Grand Prize qualifies.
South Asia
Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (India) – Best Film in International Competition and Best Film in Indian Competition both qualify.
Oceania
Australia
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival – Best International Short Film and Best Australian Short Film both qualify at Australia's leading short film event.
Melbourne International Film Festival – City of Melbourne Grand Prix for Best Short Film and VicScreen Erwin Rado Award for Best Australian Short Film both qualify.
St. Kilda Film Festival – Best Short Film qualifies.
Sydney Film Festival – Dendy Award for Best Australian Short Film – Live Action qualifies.
New Zealand
Show Me Shorts Film Festival – Best NZ Film and Best International Film both qualify.
Latin America
Mexico
Guadalajara International Film Festival – Best Ibero-American Short Film qualifies at Mexico's largest film festival.
Guanajuato International Film Festival – Best Short Fiction International qualifies.
Morelia International Film Festival – Ojo for Best Mexican Fiction Short Film qualifies.
South America
Bogoshorts – Bogotá Short Film Festival (Colombia) – Santa Lucia for Best Fiction Short Film (National Competition) qualifies.
Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival - FICCI (Colombia) – Best Short Film qualifies.
Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu, Cinelebu (Chile) – Best Short Film International Fiction and National Fiction both qualify.
JIIFF – José Ignacio International Film Festival (Uruguay) – December Award for Best Short Film qualifies at this boutique festival.
Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival – Festival Curta Cinema (Brazil) – National Grand Prize and International Grand Prize both qualify.
Africa
Durban International Film Festival (South Africa) – Best Short Film qualifies at Africa's leading film event.
Other Regions
Alexandria Short Film Festival (Egypt) – Hepatia Award qualifies.
Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia & Herzegovina) – Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Film and Best European Short Film both qualify at this important regional festival.
Tirana International Film Festival (Albania) – Best Short Film qualifies.
Strategic Tips for Filmmakers
- Start with major festivals – Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto carry the most industry weight beyond Oscar qualification.
- Consider premiere requirements – Many top festivals require world, international, or regional premieres. Plan your festival strategy accordingly.
- Know your film's identity – Cultural festivals (LALIFF, imagineNATIVE, BlackStar) may be more strategic for certain stories than general festivals.
- Geographic diversity matters – If you miss in the US, European festivals like Clermont-Ferrand or Tampere offer excellent alternatives.
- Timing is everything – The qualification window runs October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Plan backwards from your target festivals.
- One win is enough – You only need to win at ONE qualifying festival to be eligible for Oscar consideration.
This guide covers festivals qualifying films for the 98th Academy Awards (2026 ceremony). Festivals and their qualifying awards may change. Always verify current requirements at oscars.org or by contacting qualifyingfestivals@oscars.org.
About the Author: This guide was compiled by Miralot, a film festival distribution platform helping filmmakers navigate the complex world of festival submissions. Our database of 5,500+ festivals includes comprehensive Oscar qualification tracking to help you plan your path to the Academy Awards.