2026 Oscars Eligibility: What Filmmakers Need Before the November 12 Submission Deadline

• The November 12, 2026, deadline applies to films whose qualifying theatrical run begins between July 1 and December 31, 2026. Films that qualified from January through June have a September 17 deadline.
• A qualifying release generally requires a seven-day theatrical run in one of six eligible U.S. metro areas, with at least three screenings per day and one evening screening.
• Before submitting, teams should confirm the theatrical details, complete the online Oscars Submission Form, verify full screen credits and producer signatures, and prepare any Best Picture or RAISE documentation.

What the November 12, 2026, Oscars deadline covers

The Academy’s final submission deadline for the 99th Oscars is 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, November 12, 2026. It applies to General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, and the Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry Form, commonly called the RAISE form, for films whose qualifying theatrical run begins between July 1 and December 31, 2026.

General Entry covers Best Picture and a broad group of other categories, including acting, casting, cinematography, costume design, directing, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, music, production design, sound, visual effects, and writing.

The deadline is not the same for every film. If a film’s qualifying run began between January 1 and June 30, 2026, the relevant General Entry deadline is 5 p.m. PT on September 17, 2026. The Academy’s submission site currently lists both deadlines as open for the applicable qualifying periods.

The 99th Oscars ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027. The Academy notes that published dates can change, so production teams should keep the official rules and submission portal in their working checklist.

Who can qualify for General Entry?

For most feature-film categories, the film must be more than 40 minutes long and publicly exhibited as a theatrical motion picture. The exhibition must use an accepted theatrical format, such as 35mm film, 70mm film, or a compliant Digital Cinema Package.

The qualifying screening must be a paid theatrical engagement at a commercial movie theater in one of six eligible U.S. metro areas:

• Los Angeles County
• New York City’s five boroughs
• The Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa
• Cook County, Illinois, for the Chicago area
• Dallas County or Tarrant County, Texas, for Dallas-Fort Worth
• Fulton County, Georgia, for Atlanta

The run must last at least seven consecutive days in the same theater. During that period, the film must screen at least three times each day, with at least one screening beginning between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The release also needs to be advertised and presented in a way that is normal for theatrical feature distribution.

This is where a common misunderstanding can cause trouble: a festival screening, a streaming premiere, or a short theatrical booking outside the qualifying areas does not automatically satisfy the General Entry rule. A Canadian or international production can be eligible, but it still needs to meet the Academy’s applicable U.S. theatrical requirements unless a special category rule provides another qualifying path.

Important release and distribution restrictions

The film’s first public exhibition or distribution generally must be theatrical. A film that first reaches the public through streaming, video on demand, broadcast television, DVD, internet transmission, or another nontheatrical format may become ineligible.

The Academy does allow limited exceptions. For example, up to 15 percent of a film’s running time may be shown through a nontheatrical medium before the qualifying run. Certain password-protected or transactional festival screenings may also be treated differently when the filmmaker can provide proof of festival inclusion. Those exceptions do not replace the rest of the eligibility requirements.

Once the qualifying theatrical run begins, later streaming or other nontheatrical distribution does not automatically disqualify the film. Teams should also be careful about changing the film after the qualifying engagement. The Academy bases eligibility on the theatrical qualifying version, and changing an achievement or version may create eligibility problems.

What must be submitted by November 12?

The Academy requires an online Oscars Submission Form through its Awards Submission site. A DVD or DCP is not a substitute for the form. The General Entry submission must include accurate information about the film and its qualifying exhibition.

At minimum, prepare the following:

• The film’s complete and authentic screen credits, from the opening titles through the end credits.
• The name of the commercial theater used for the qualifying run.
• The dates and times of the qualifying screenings.
• The required producer information and signatures.
• Any category-specific materials or forms requested by the Academy.

All individuals credited with “producer” or “produced by” are required to sign the General Entry form. This requirement is designed to ensure that the relevant producers understand the eligibility rules, deadlines, and potential award-recipient designations.

The submission site also provides instructions for uploading films and materials for the Academy Screening Room. For feature-film submissions, the Academy lists a streaming asset, display artwork, and English closed captions among the required assets for screening-room access. Those upload requirements are separate from the basic question of whether the film has completed a qualifying theatrical run, but they can affect whether the Academy can make the film available to members.

Extra requirements for Best Picture consideration

Best Picture has additional requirements beyond General Entry. The film must complete an expanded theatrical run involving at least ten markets in total: the original qualifying market plus nine additional markets. The additional markets generally must come from the Academy’s list of the top 50 U.S. markets, although up to two non-U.S. territories may count with Academy approval when the film cannot meet the U.S.-market requirement.

The expanded run must include at least seven days of theatrical screenings, either consecutive or non-consecutive, with at least one showtime per day. It must occur within 45 days before or after the General Entry qualifying run. If the expanded run extends beyond the 2026 eligibility period, it must still be completed within the applicable 45-day window or by January 21, 2027, whichever comes first.

Best Picture submissions also require the film to meet two of the four Representation and Inclusion Standards. A confirmed representative of the film’s production company must complete the RAISE form.

If the qualifying or expanded theatrical run has not been completed by November 12, the submission must include documentation confirming that the release requirements will be met. The Academy specifically calls for a booking confirmation for the General Entry qualifying run and either a booking confirmation for the Best Picture expanded run or a release plan listing specific dates, markets, and theaters.

Best Picture submissions can only be made by a confirmed representative of the distributor or production company. Producers must be listed according to the applicable legal billing or agreed contractual position, and producer eligibility may also involve the Producers Guild of America’s certification or awards-only determination process.

A practical preparation checklist

Use the following sequence before opening the final submission form:

1. Identify the qualifying period. Confirm whether the film qualified between January 1 and June 30 or will qualify between July 1 and December 31. This determines whether the deadline is September 17 or November 12.
2. Verify the theater and schedule. Confirm that the theater is in an eligible U.S. metro area, operates commercially, and can document the required seven consecutive days, three daily screenings, and evening showtime.
3. Freeze the qualifying version. Make sure the submitted credits, runtime, cut, and technical version correspond to the theatrical version used for qualification.
4. Reconcile all credits. Compare the opening and end credits with the submission form. Resolve producer-credit questions before asking everyone to sign.
5. Prepare captions and screening assets. If using the Academy Screening Room, have the required streaming file, display artwork, and English closed captions ready.
6. Complete additional forms. Best Picture entrants should prepare the expanded theatrical run information and RAISE form. Films qualifying after November 12 need theater documentation confirming the planned release requirements.
7. Submit early enough to confirm access. First-time submitters may need to register, verify an email address, request category access, and wait for approval. Leaving registration until deadline day creates an avoidable risk.

What happens after submission?

Keep the completed forms, signed credit confirmations, theater booking records, screening schedules, and upload confirmations in one awards-season folder. The Academy makes the final determination on eligibility and credits, and its rules state that no appeals are permitted for eligibility determinations.

The final day to withdraw a film from Academy Awards consideration is December 1, 2026. Withdrawing or failing to complete the qualifying standards can create additional awards-related consequences, so a film that is submitted based on planned future screenings should not be treated as fully secure until those release requirements are completed.

The safest next step is to determine the film’s qualifying-run window, compare the theater schedule with the Academy’s seven-day requirements, and begin the submission process through the official Awards Submission site before the applicable deadline.

Helpful Links

• Academy Rules and Eligibility – Review the 99th Oscars rules, General Entry requirements, Best Picture rules, submission checklists, FAQs, and technical specifications.
• 99th Oscars Complete Rules – Read the complete official rules covering theatrical eligibility, submission deadlines, credits, Best Picture, RAISE, and withdrawal.
• Academy Awards Submissions – Register or sign in, request category access, complete the online submission, and review the current deadline table.
• Academy Submission Process and Screening Room Uploads – Check the Academy Screening Room upload process and required feature-film assets, including streaming files and English captions.
• Academy Submission Contacts – Find official contact details for General Entry, RAISE, technical support, Best Picture-related questions, and other categories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does the November 12, 2026, deadline apply to every film entering the Oscars?

A. No. For General Entry, the November 12 deadline applies to films whose qualifying theatrical run begins between July 1 and December 31, 2026. Films whose qualifying run began between January 1 and June 30 have a September 17, 2026, deadline. Other categories, including International Feature Film, documentary, short-film, song, and score categories, have separate deadlines.

Q. Can a Canadian film qualify through a Canadian theatrical release?

A. A Canadian film can be eligible, but the standard General Entry theatrical qualifying run is tied to a paid engagement in one of the Academy’s six qualifying U.S. metro areas. International and specialty categories may have different qualifying methods, so the applicable category rules must be checked separately.

Q. Is a streaming release before the theatrical run allowed?

A. Generally, no. The Academy says that a film first publicly exhibited or distributed through streaming, video on demand, broadcast, DVD, internet transmission, or another nontheatrical format may be ineligible. Limited exceptions exist, including certain festival access arrangements and a restricted amount of advance material.

Q. What is the difference between General Entry and Best Picture submission?

A. General Entry covers the standard feature-film submission and many individual award categories. Best Picture adds requirements involving an expanded theatrical run, additional markets, the RAISE form, representation and inclusion standards, and additional producer documentation.

Q. Can a film submit after November 12 if its theatrical release is later?

A. A film qualifying after November 12 must provide documentation from the qualifying theater by the submission deadline confirming that it will satisfy the release requirements. The documentation does not eliminate the need to meet the applicable theatrical standards.