BIFF Opens a Gateway to the Oscars

for Asian Cinema

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced rule changes for the 99th Academy Awards, expanding the eligibility pathways for the International Feature Film category. In addition to official submissions selected by Academy-approved country or regional selection committees — one film per country or region — films that win designated top awards at six international film festivals will now be granted a separate eligibility pathway.

The six qualifying festivals and awards are the Busan International Film Festival’s Busan Award – Best Film Award, the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear, the Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion, the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, and the Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform Award. BIFF is the only Asian film festival included in this new pathway. Accordingly, the winner of BIFF’s Competition Best Film Award may be submitted for consideration in the International Feature Film category, separate from the official country or regional submission process, provided that it meets the Academy’s applicable eligibility, theatrical release, and submission requirements.

The Academy also clarified its position on the use of AI. In the acting categories, only performances demonstrably performed by human actors with their consent will be eligible for consideration, while in the writing categories, only human-authored screenplays will qualify. The acting categories will also allow multiple nominations for the same performer in the same category, if more than one of their performances ranks among the top vote-getters in that category.

The crediting structure for the International Feature Film category has also been revised. Going forward, the film itself, rather than the country or region, will be credited as the nominee. If awarded, the Oscar will be accepted by the director on behalf of the film’s creative team. The statuette plaque will list the director’s name after the film title, and, where applicable, the country or region.

This change can be understood as a shift toward recognizing the artistic achievement and creative merit of the film itself, rather than viewing the category solely as a competition among national or regional submissions. In countries where freedom of expression is restricted or political circumstances are complex, acclaimed films recognized at major international festivals have sometimes faced difficulty being selected as official national submissions. The revised rules open an additional route for such films to seek consideration for the Academy Award for International Feature Film through recognition at designated international festivals.

The decision follows BIFF’s inclusion this March on the FIAPF A-list, granted by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations to 17 festivals worldwide. Since launching its Competition section last year, BIFF has continued to strengthen its role as a platform for introducing Asian cinema to the international stage.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will take place for ten days from October 6 (Tue) to October 15 (Thu) around the Busan Cinema Center. Submissions for this year’s Official Selection will close on June 2 for short films and July 8 for feature films. Further details on eligibility and submission procedures are available on the official BIFF website at www.biff.kr.

*31st Busan International Film Festival: Oct 6 (Tue) – Oct 15 (Thu)

*21st Asian Contents & Film Market: Oct 10 (Sat) – Oct 13 (Tue)