About the Film Festival
The Oscar-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival is one of the largest and most well-respected film festivals in the country, serving audiences numbering upwards of 25,000, hosting as many as 350 filmmakers, and providing cash awards and prizes valued at over $100,000. The festival has been a mainstay on MovieMaker Magazine’s list of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” since 2012, as well as a regular on the magazine’s list of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.”
The recipient of the festival's Documentary Short Jury Award, Narrative Short Jury Award, and Animated Short Jury Award will be eligible for consideration in their respective categories of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the films otherwise comply with the Academy rules. These and other categories may be eligible for Jury Awards and Audience Awards.
Subject ：
Video Format ：HDV MPEG4 DCP
- All films selected for 2026 NOFF will be required to provide CLOSED and/or OPEN CAPTIONS (CC) with their exhibition copy of the film, whether it’s screening virtually or in-person. Our technical staff will review the captions to ensure compatibility and accuracy.
- Entries must have been completed on or after June 1, 2024.
- Films produced or financed by a major motion picture studio are eligible for festival screenings but are not eligible for competitive awards. Films that have acquired distribution are eligible for festival screenings but are not eligible for competitive awards.
Categories and fees
Narrative Feature
Video length ：40 - 300
Narrative works of fiction that are 40 minutes or longer. For the past several years, the jury prize has been a $10,000 camera rental package from Panavision.
Documentary Feature
Video length ：40 - 300
Non-fiction films 40 minutes or longer.
Narrative Short
Video length ：0 - 40
*Oscar®-qualifying category* Fiction films that are under 40 minutes. Past awards have included $2500 Kodak Film Stock certificate.
Documentary Short
Video length ：0 - 40
*Oscar®-qualifying category* Non-fiction films that are under 40 minutes. The winner of the jury award in this category is automatically considered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a potential nominee for the Best Documentary Short Subject Oscar®.
Animated Short
Video length ：0 - 40
*Oscar®-Qualifying Category* Projects under 40 minutes, animated by any means. The winner of the jury award in this category is automatically considered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a potential nominee for the Best Short Film (Animated) Oscar®.
Experimental Short
Video length ：0 - 30
Projects that are 30 minutes or less and explore new and creative uses of film and video, whether in technique, form, or both.
Live Event
