International Film Award Competition | Academy Awards™ 2027

• Be a feature film (over 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Accurate, legible English language subtitles are required;  
• Narrative, animation and documentary feature films are eligible; 
• Creative control of the film is largely in the hands of citizens, residents of Canada or individuals with refugee or asylum status in Canada; 
• Must have been released theatrically in Canada for paid admission between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, and be first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater for the profit of the producer and exhibitor. The seven consecutive days of the theatrical release are required to occur in one venue; 
• The film cannot have submitted for consideration in previous years for the same or another award category; 
• For films to more easily meet theatrical exhibition requirements, the Academy will allow films to qualify outside of its country of origin, provided the film is theatrically exhibited outside of the United States and its territories for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater for paid admission; 
• The film must be advertised and exploited during its qualifying theatrical release in a manner considered normal and customary to theatrical feature distribution practices. The film need not have been released in the United States

Films that, in any version, receive a nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution before their qualifying theatrical release will not be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution includes but is not limited to:  

• Broadcast and cable television 
• Pay Per View / Video on Demand 
• DVD and/or streaming distribution
• Inflight airline distribution 
• Internet transmission 

As of this year, there are two ways to submit a film for the International Film Award. In addition to a film being submitted as an official selection by a country or region via the Academy-approved Selection Committees, a non-English language film can now be submitted for consideration by winning a qualifying award at an international film festival as specified in the International Feature Film Award Qualifying Festival List. Qualifying festivals for the 99th Oscars® are the:  

• Berlin International Film Festival (Golden Bear for Best Film) 
• Busan International Film Festival (Busan Award – Best Film Award) 
• Cannes Film Festival (Palme d’Or) 
• Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize) 
• Toronto International Film Festival (Platform Award) 
• Venice International Film Festival (Golden Lion). 

If a Canadian film wins one of these Awards it will be considered by the Pan-Canadian Selection Committee for selection. 

The International Feature Film Executive Committee shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules. Complete Rules and Regulations are available online. 

You will need to provide the following items in your submission. These items will be used to promote your film if it is selected by the Pan-Canadian jury to represent Canada in the International Film Award competition at the Academy Awards™:

• Mandatory: Downloadable screener Link to the film with burnt-in English subtitles  
• Mandatory: Promotional still, high resolution, 300 DPI, Horizontal, without any writing or logo 
• Mandatory: Electronic Press Kit 
• Introduction letter to the jury and an overview of the campaign plan; 
• Film Poster, if available 
• Downloadable link to the film trailer (preferably with English subtitles), if available 
• Downloadable link to a 3 min excerpt of the film (preferably with English subtitles), if available

Further submission materials will be required for the selected film. These materials must be submitted to the Academy by 5PM PT on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. This includes:

• Completed online submission forms 
• Digital upload of the film for streaming purposes 
• [For Internal Use Only] A secure and password-protected link to the film. This is required to test non-English dialogue. 
• Full cast and credits list 
• Director’s biography and photograph 
• A designated key frame for streaming display artwork 
• Proof of the film’s qualifying theatrical release, including but not limited to advertising   

Producers interested in having their film participate in the selection process must first complete the online application form above and must provide a downloadable screener link for the film with burnt-in English subtitles.  Films will be uploaded onto a secure screening platform for the jury to view.

As the appointed non-voting chair of the committee, Telefilm Canada organizes the annual pan-Canadian Selection Committee for Canada’s submission to the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards.

Academy rules were modified in 2023, specifying that juries must include a minimum of 50% craftspeople that are currently active in the film industry. Jury members also must not have any conflicts of interest (personal or financial) with the submitted films and cannot serve on the selection committee for more than six consecutive years followed by a two-year hiatus. Every year, Telefilm Canada reviews the jury composition to be compliant with this rule and must submit a list of the selection committee members to the Academy.  

Jury members are required to view all films submitted to the committee. Film evaluation and the final vote take place during a virtual meeting. Jurors are encouraged to consider artistic merit, authenticity, key Canadian creative elements, cultural impact, as well as the films’ ability to resonate internationally across media, the industry, and audiences.