Official Announcement

International Selection and Distribution of Seven Short Films

for the 2027 Oscars Campaign

By LEOS Film Production

LEOS Film Production – Toronto, Canada

As part of our expanded awards-season strategy, LEOS Film Production is selecting seven exceptional short films from filmmakers around the world to champion throughout the 2027 Academy Awards cycle.

These short films will be submitted to 21 Academy-qualifying festivals, fully backed and managed by our team.

What Selected Filmmakers Receive

1. Professional Film & Filmmaker Package

 • Curated director’s statement

 • Industry-standard synopsis

 • Complete technical & production details

 • English subtitling (professional, festival-ready)

2. Marketing & Publicity Materials

 • Official festival poster

 • Official trailer

 • A fully assembled press kit, including:

• BTS photography

• Cast & crew information

• Festival-standard layout and formatting

3. Full Festival Submission Management

 • All submission fees covered

 • All paperwork & registrations handled by LEOS

 • Direct coordination with major submission platforms

Fees Charged to Filmmakers Upon Selection

 • Iran: Free

 • Canada:  $700 CAD

 • International:  $900 CAD

Eligibility Requirements for Short Film Submissions

Short films produced after August 2025 are eligible for submission.

Projects may be submitted in one of the following formats:

• Final Version
• Rough Cut (in the Post-Production stage)

All submitted works will be reviewed and artistically evaluated by the Selection Committee of LEOS.
Following a thorough assessment, the final decision and selection status will be communicated to the filmmaker.

Note: Submissions are open to all filmmakers.

Submission Rules & Restrictions

 • The work must not have been previously submitted to any domestic or international festival.

 • Only films that qualify as complete Fresh Submissions, with no prior festival participation, will be accepted.

 • No frames, scenes, content, or news related to the film may have been published online.

 • Any previous publication on social media, video platforms, or any online media will result in automatic disqualification.

Accepted Formats

The following types of short films are eligible:

 • Narrative Short Film

 • Documentary Short Film

 • Animated Short Film

Public Theatrical Release – Canada

Following the close of the Oscars 2027 eligibility window (after September 30, 2026), all selected short films will enter a public theatrical run across Canada, screened in the official box-office lineup of participating cinemas.

Submission Timeline

Festival submissions for the seven selected short films begin with

the Busan International Film Festival in January 2026,

continuing through May 2026, concluding with

the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

List of 21 Festivals Selected by  LEOS Film Production for the 2027 Oscars Path

 (All of these festivals are listed as Academy Awards–qualifying festivals)

 01. Busan International Film Festival -  Deadline: January 5,  2026 -  Event: April 23-28, 2026 -  Busan, South Korea

 02. Seattle International Film Festival -  Deadline: January 8, 2026 -  Event:  May 7-17, 2026 -  Seattle, Washington, USA

 03. Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia -  Deadline: January 12, 2026 -  Event: May 25 -  June 10, 2026 -  Tokyo, Japan

 04. Rio de Janeiro International Short Festival -  Deadline:  January 25, 2026 -  Event: March 25 - April 1, 2026 -  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 05. Tribeca Film Festival -  Deadline:  February 4, 2026 - Event: June 3-14, 2026 -  New York, New York, USA

 06. Palm Springs International ShortFest -  Deadline: February 7, 2026 -  Event: June 23-29, 2026 -  Palm Springs, California, USA

 07. Melbourne International Film Festival -  Deadline: February 12, 2026 -  Event: August 6-23, 2026 -  Melbourne, Australia

 08. Dallas International Film Festival -  Deadline: February 17, 2026 -  Event: April 23-30, 2026 -  Dallas, Texas, USA

 09. Raindance Film Festival -  Deadline: March 2, 2026 -  Event:  June 17-26, 2026 -  London, UK

10. Festival de  Cannes -  Deadline: March 2, 2026 -  Event: May 12-23, 2026 -  Cannes, France

11. Bali International Film Festival -  Deadline: March 15, 2026 -  Event: June 1-7, 2026 - Bali, Indonesia

12. OFF – Odense  International Film Festival -  Deadline: March 18, 2026 -  Event: August 24-30, 2026 -  Odense, Denmark

13. LA Shorts International Film Festival -  Deadline: May 29, 2026 -  Event: July 16-27, 2026 - Los Angeles, California, USA

14. La Biennale di Venezia -  Deadline: May 31, 2026 -  Event: September 2 – 12, 2026 -  Venice, Italy

15. HollyShorts Film Festival -  Deadline: June 01, 2026 -  Event: August 13-23, 2026 -  Sherman Oaks, California, USA

16. Drama International Short Film Festival -  Deadline: TBD - Event: TBD -  Drama, Greece

17. Uppsala Short Film Festival -  Deadline: TBD -  Event: TBD -  Uppsala, Sweden 

18. Austin Film Festival -  Deadline: TBD -  Event: TBD -  Austin, Texas, USA

19. Nashville Film Festival -  Deadline: TBD -  Event: TBD -  Nashville, Tennessee, USA

20. Chicago International Film Festival -  Deadline: TBD -  Event: TBD -  Chicago, Illinois, USA

21. Toronto International Film Festival -  Deadline: TBD -  Event: TBD -  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Short Film Distribution 

• First Cycle: January 01,  2026 - September 30,  2026

• Registration Opens: November 27, 2025 - Open Now