The Sarajevo Film Festival has received yet another recognition from the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The Academy has acknowledged the Sarajevo Film Festival as an outstanding international festival and has granted it the status of a “qualifying film festival.” This means that winning films in selected categories will now have the opportunity to qualify for nomination for the Academy Award, Oscar®.
After being included in 2019 on the list of prestigious international festivals whose winners in the short film category are automatically eligible for Oscar® nomination consideration, this privilege has now been extended to the winners of the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Documentary.
The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced the category of “qualifying film festivals” to highlight films awarded at relevant global festivals. According to the Academy’s decision, the winners of the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film, the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Film, and the recipient of the European Film Academy Award Candidacy for Best Short Film will automatically qualify for Oscar® nomination consideration.
This recognition acknowledges the excellence of award-winning films at the Sarajevo Film Festival and, provided they meet other Academy rules, qualifies them for Oscar® nomination consideration.
Submissions for the programs of the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival are open until May 25, 2025. The submission rules and application form are available on the Sarajevo Film Festival’s website, www.sff.ba.
The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from August 15 to 22, 2025.
