Tier 2
Locarno Film Festival
Locarno, Ticino · August
World premiere required
Not Oscar qualifying · Competitive
Submission fee: $0
Acceptance rate: ~0.3%
AFI Fest
Los Angeles, United States · October
About This Festival
The Los Angeles festival that launches
Oscar season. AFI Fest is strategically
important for films with awards ambitions
— it runs in late October/early November
and serves as a showcase for films entering
the awards conversation.
What They Want
AFI programmes prestige cinema — films
with awards potential, international co-
productions, and retrospectives. The LA
audience includes Academy members. A strong
AFI screening can meaningfully impact
awards trajectory.
Submission Details
- Premiere requirement
- US premiere required
- Submission fee
- $0
- Platform
- Direct submission
- Accepts
- Features / Docs
- Oscar qualifying
- No
- Acceptance rate
- ~0%
Notable Alumni
Parasite US premiere, multiple Oscar
winners have screened here
Submission Tips
AFI is less about discovery and more
about positioning. If your film has awards
potential and can secure a US premiere
slot, AFI puts it in front of Academy
members in October. The free admission
policy means strong audience attendance.
Typical Timeline
Submissions open
June
Early deadline
TBD
Regular deadline
August
Festival
October
Similar Festivals
Tier 2
Rotterdam International Film Festival
Rotterdam, South Holland · January
World premiere required
Not Oscar qualifying · Competitive
Submission fee: $0
Acceptance rate: ~3.8%
Tier 2
Tribeca Film Festival
New York, New York · June
World premiere required
Oscar qualifying · Competitive
Submission fee: $65-$75
Acceptance rate: ~1.3%