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The Oscar statuette (provided by cineuropa)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has significantly overhauled the eligibility rules for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, designating the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) as one of six festivals whose top prize winners may now qualify directly for Oscar consideration — the only Asian festival to receive this distinction.

AMPAS announced the revisions in May, to take effect beginning with the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 15, 2027. The centerpiece of the reform is a new parallel eligibility pathway: in addition to the existing system of official country or regional submissions, non-English-language films that win designated top awards at one of six approved festivals may now independently qualify for the International Feature Film category.

The six qualifying festivals and their corresponding prizes are: the Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or), the Venice International Film Festival (Golden Lion), the Berlin International Film Festival (Golden Bear), the Toronto International Film Festival (Platform Award), the Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize), and the Busan International Film Festival (Busan Award – Best Film Award). Alongside the three major European festivals and the two leading North American festivals, Busan stands as the sole Asian representative on the list.

The reform responds to longstanding criticism of the country-submission model, under which each nation may enter only a single film for Oscar consideration. Critics have repeatedly pointed to cases in which politically motivated decisions or domestic industry interests led to the exclusion of internationally acclaimed works. A prominent recent example: last year's Cannes Palme d'Or winner, It Was Just an Accident by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, could not be submitted by Iran and was ultimately entered through France. AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer addressed the issue directly, stating that "as the Academy becomes more global, we needed to reconsider how we invite international films into the Oscar conversation."

BIFF Chairman Park Kwang-su shed light on the backstory behind the festival's inclusion during interviews with local media at Cannes. He recounted that after meeting with an Academy delegation on the ground in Cannes and inquiring about the selection process, he was told that AMPAS had formed a dedicated internal committee and held extensive deliberations before arriving at the list of six festivals. While the Academy did not disclose its specific selection criteria, Park noted that the conversation touched on CJ Vice Chairwoman Lee Mi-kyung, director Bong Joon-ho, and K-pop idols — suggesting that the rising global profile of Korean content may have played a role in the decision.

As the winner of the Busan Award will now be eligible for submission to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the Busan International Film Festival has secured a new pathway that could connect its top prize directly to the Oscar race. In particular, if a Korean film wins the Busan Award, it could compete for an Academy nomination separately from the official submission selected by the Korean government, thereby expanding the chances for Korean films to be nominated for an Oscar.

Sources

• AP News, "Oscars organization expands international film eligibility, addresses AI in new rules," 2026.05.02

• Cineuropa, "New festival pathway reshapes Oscars International Feature Film eligibility," 2026.05.05

• XSports News, "Busan Film Festival joins Cannes with Oscar fast-track qualification — Chairman Park Kwang-su: 'Thanks to Korea's global standing,'" 2026.05.21