BAFTA is the organisation appointed by AMPAS (the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) to select the UK’s submission for consideration for the International Feature Film Award at the Oscars.
How films are selected
Any British film (feature, documentary or animation) that has predominantly (more than 50%) non-English language dialogue, and released theatrically in the country of origin no earlier than October 1, 2025 and no later than September 30, 2026, and be first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater for the profit of the producer and exhibitor.
For films to meet theatrical exhibition requirements more easily, AMPAS will allow films to qualify outside the country of origin, provided the film is theatrically exhibited outside of the United States and its territories for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater for paid admission.
Note that the eligibility requirement regarding creative control is inclusive of filmmakers with refugee or asylum status:
“The submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of citizens, residents or individuals with refugee or asylum status in the submitting country.”
Confirmation of citizenship, residency or refugee/asylum status are required to be confirmed via official government issued forms or identification.
Films submitted for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards are NOT eligible for consideration in other awards categories in the subsequent year, nor could the films have been submitted in other awards categories in a previous year.
Filmmakers, members, distributors, industry and the public are invited to contact the Selection Committee (via email [email protected]) by 31 July 2026 with information about titles which may be eligible.
All eligible films will be watched by all members of the UK Selection Committee (who are members or representatives of BAFTA’s Film Committee), who then attend a selection committee meeting to discuss all of the eligible titles, select a shortlist and, by secret ballot, vote for film which will be submitted. The Head of Film will then notify AMPAS and contact the successful filmmakers or their representatives and put them in contact with AMPAS to complete the entry by the deadline of 30 September 2026.
The rules for the Academy Awards is available on the AMPAS website here.
British films submitted to AMPAS for this category include My Father’s Shadow (Akinola Davies Jr), Santosh (Sandhya Suri), The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer), Winners (Hassan Nazer), Dying to Divorce (Chloe Fairweather), The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (Chiwetel Ejiofor), I Am Not A Witch (Rungano Nyoni), My Pure Land (Sarmad Masud), Under the Shadow (Babak Anvari) and Metro Manila (Sean Ellis).
For more information about the Oscars and the International Feature Film Award, visit www.oscars.org.
If you are aware of a film that you think might be eligible, please contact the Selection Committee [email protected] before 31 July 2026.