Tier 1
Sundance Film Festival
Park City, Utah · January
World premiere required
Oscar qualifying · Competitive
Submission fee: $60-$95
Acceptance rate: ~1.2%
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto, Canada · September
About This Festival
The most commercially important festival
in the world. TIFF is where distributors
buy films and where Oscar campaigns launch.
The People's Choice Award is the most
reliable Oscar predictor in cinema — every
winner since 2009 has received a Best
Picture nomination.
What They Want
TIFF programmes a wide range of films
across prestige, commercial, and
international categories. They are less
focused on formal innovation than Cannes
or Venice and more focused on films with
broad appeal and distribution potential.
A TIFF premiere signals commercial
viability to distributors worldwide.
Submission Details
- Premiere requirement
- World premiere required
- Submission fee
- $0
- Platform
- Direct submission via online portal
- Accepts
- Features / Shorts / Docs
- Oscar qualifying
- No
- Acceptance rate
- ~0.8%
Notable Alumni
12 Years a Slave, Nomadland, American
Beauty, Silver Linings Playbook, Room,
Green Book
Submission Tips
TIFF is the best festival for films
seeking North American distribution.
Submit to the appropriate section —
Gala, Special Presentations, or
Discovery for different budget and
prestige levels. The People's Choice
Award carries enormous weight.
Typical Timeline
Submissions open
March
Early deadline
TBD
Regular deadline
April
Festival
September
Similar Festivals
Tier 1
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin, Germany · February
World premiere required
Not Oscar qualifying · Competitive
Submission fee: $0
Acceptance rate: ~0.15%
Tier 1
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, French Riviera · May
World premiere required
Not Oscar qualifying · Competitive
Submission fee: $0
Acceptance rate: ~0.1%