The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) plans to expand the list of film festivals whose top prizes qualify films for the Oscar in the „Best International Feature Film“ category. This was announced by Academy CEO Bill Kramer in an interview with Deadline on the fringes of the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Since the reform of the Oscar rules in May 2026, films can qualify for the category not only through official submission by their country of production, but also by winning a major prize at one of six selected international film festivals. These include the Berlinale with the Golden Bear, Cannes with the Palme d’Or, Venice with the Golden Lion, as well as Sundance, Toronto and Busan.

The new rules mean that several films from a single country can be in the running for an Oscar. Germany is benefiting from this in the current season: alongside the official German entry, „Everytime“ by Sandra Wollner, İlker Çatak’s Berlinale winner „Gelbe Briefe“ and Visar Morina’s Sundance award-winner „Von Scham und Geld“ are also eligible.

With the planned expansion, the Academy aims to strengthen its international focus and enable more filmmakers worldwide to enter the competition. Kramer has not yet named any further festivals or provided a timetable for the implementation.