Oscars® 2026

CALL FOR ENTRIES 

98th Academy Awards International Film Award 

International Film Award 

(Feature-length films, narrative, documentary and animation)

Each year, Telefilm Canada coordinates the Pan-Canadian Selection Committee and the process to determine which Canadian film will be submitted for the International Film Award competition at the Academy Awards™. This committee will screen eligible films over the coming weeks and meet at the end of August to vote on which film will represent Canada in this prestigious competition. Please take note the film submission to the Academy must be completed by October 1, 2025. 

*Telefilm Canada will offer promotional support to eligible films that submitted in other categories but is not involved in the submission process. Please review the updated guidelines for award campaigns by the Academy. If you are submitting your film in any other category, please contact myriam.blais@telefilm.ca 

KEY DATE

• Deadline to submit to the Pan-Canadian Selection Committee: July 11, 2025 
• Announcement of Canadian submission to the Oscars: End of August 2025 
• Deadline for the Academy to receive all submission materials: October 1, 2025 

ELIGIBILITY 

• Be a feature films (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 was largely in the hands of citizens, residents of CANADA or individuals with refugee or asylum status in CANADA. 
• Must have been released in Canada between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025, 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 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 
  • PPV/VOD 
  • DVD distribution 
  • Inflight airline distribution 
  • Internet transmission 

Complete Rules and Regulations are available online.   

REGISTRATION PROCESS

Producers interested in having their film participate in the selection process must

• first complete the online application form
• provide a downloadable screener link for the film. 

Films will be uploaded onto a secure screening platform for the jury to view. 

Please note, a film may only be submitted once for consideration. Films that were submitted for last year call for entries, are not eligible. 

MATERIAL TO SUBMIT

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™. 

• Downloadable screener Link to the film with English subtitles – Mandatory 
• Promotional still, high resolution, 300 DPI, Horizontal, without any writing or logo –Mandatory 
• EPK –Mandatory 
• Tailer, if available 
• Film Poster, if available 
• Downloadable link to the film trailer (Preferably with English subtitles), If available 
• Downloadable link to a 3min excerpt of the film, if available 

SELECTION PROCESS

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.  

Jury members must screen all submissions before participating in a virtual conference to evaluate and vote on which film will best represent Canada at the Oscars.  Jurors are encouraged to consider the quality of the films, as well as their international competitiveness. 

(FAQ Dialogue Event)

MORE INFORMATION

If you have any questions, about the selection process and eligibility, please contact Myriam Blais. 

If you have any questions about submitting your film, you may contact Zaïda Bourguiba.

Partnerships and Export Intiatives  
Telefilm Canada, Montréal   
DL-festivals@telefilm.ca     
1-800-567-0890