The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has introduced a new eligibility route for the International Feature Film Oscar category that allows non-English-language winners of top awards at selected festivals to submit directly, industry figures said at a panel during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Festival winners given alternate submission pathway
The rule change applies to winners of the top prizes at TIFF (Platform), Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance and Busan, and permits producers of those films to submit them as an alternative to the traditional one-film-per-country selection process, the panel reported.
Michèle Ohayon, co-chair of the Academy’s executive committee for international feature films, said the decision was taken to create an additional window for films that might otherwise be excluded by national selection committees. She told the session moderator Lynette Howell Taylor that the festivals provide a way to see the “best and brightest” beyond the limits of single-film submissions.
“Smaller films that may not have a big budget and PR machines behind them now can also be seen through festivals,” Michèle Ohayon said.
Producer Guneet Monga Kapoor described the change as life‑changing for filmmakers, particularly in territories with large film industries but limited routes to the Academy stage. Monga Kapoor, who won an Academy Award in 2023 for a documentary short, said the rule offers a clearer pathway for films that might otherwise struggle to reach the international awards spotlight.
What the change means in practice
Under the amended rules, a non-English-language film that secures a top award at one of the named festivals can be entered by its producers for the International Feature Film category, circumventing the need to be chosen as a country’s official submission. Panel speakers said this reduces the chance that a controversial or unconventional film will be blocked by national selection processes that are limited to a single entry.
- Festivals included: TIFF (Platform), Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Busan.
- Who can submit: Producers of non-English-language winners of those festivals’ top prizes.
- Purpose: To broaden access for smaller-budget or politically contentious films that might not be selected by national committees.
| Festival | Role in new rule |
|---|---|
| TIFF (Platform) | Winner eligible for direct submission |
| Cannes | Winner eligible for direct submission |
| Venice | Winner eligible for direct submission |
| Berlin | Winner eligible for direct submission |
| Sundance | Winner eligible for direct submission |
| Busan | Winner eligible for direct submission |
Implications for filmmakers and national bodies
Speakers at TIFF said the change recognises the vital curatorial role festivals play in identifying high-quality cinema, and addresses a structural issue in which national committees can submit only one film. Ohayon pointed out that a single-entry rule may prevent provocative or minority‑language films from representing their countries.
For South African filmmakers and festivals, the reform could expand international visibility. While the one-film-per-country rule remains in place for national submissions, victories at one of the qualifying festivals would give producers an alternative route to the Academy. That prospect is likely to prompt producers, festival organisers and funding bodies to weigh where and how films are campaigned on the festival circuit.
Panel participants also highlighted practical benefits: smaller films without large publicity machines can now rely on festival recognition to reach Academy consideration. The change therefore places renewed emphasis on programming decisions at major festivals and on support structures that help films reach those stages.
Speakers said the Academy aimed to broaden representation without dismantling the role of national selection processes. The new route supplements existing mechanisms by creating a parallel channel for exceptional festival winners, they explained.
The full operational details, including any technical submission requirements and timelines under the new rule, were not set out in detail at the TIFF session. Festival directors, producers and national selection committees will now need to consider the practical implications as the industry adapts to the amended policy.
Industry figures at TIFF characterised the change as a significant shift in how the Academy engages with global cinema, one that may produce tangible opportunities for filmmakers in markets large and small.
