How Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals Select Their Competition Winning Films

Oscar qualifying festivals can fast track a short film’s momentum. They do not guarantee a nomination, but they do one crucial thing. They make your winning film eligible for Academy consideration in specific short categories.

HollyShorts is one of the most respected festivals in that group. I spoke with founders Daniel Sol and Theo Dumont about how they select films, what scores and conversations look like behind the scenes, and the mistakes that hurt good submissions. I also include a case study from director and producer Kirsty Bell on how she secured 30 festival selections and 24 awards or nominations without a PR firm.

Below is how the process really works, in their words and with clear steps you can use.

What Oscar qualifying really means

HollyShorts is Oscar qualifying in three categories. Best Live Action Short, Best Animation, and the Grand Prize. Winning those can make your film eligible for Academy consideration.

As Daniel puts it, “We showcase around 400 films over 10 days. Our two big prize winners of best live action film and the grand prize winner, and best animation, qualify.” The core point is simple. Win, and you unlock a door. You still have to walk through it with industry heat, outreach, and strategy.

How HollyShorts selects films

HollyShorts is in its 20th year. It started small, then grew into a major industry event based at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

Theo recalls the early days. “We would bring together our friends who are filmmakers, writers, directors, and we would just watch the films and pick the best ones.” The process is bigger now, but the spirit is the same. “We still try to keep that community feel,” he says. Reviewers watch films on their own, then regroup to debate.

Daniel explains the mechanics. “It is one through ten, just like the Academy. Ten is exceptional, that should be automatically in. We go round by round. If a film is under the cutoff, it does not get a second viewing.” The benchmark moved over time. “It used to be seven and above. The benchmark now is in the eight range.”

Second round means another full watch. Scores can move up or down. “You adjust the score. We now move that on, or we say this has a very strong chance to get programmed,” Daniel says.

Volume is high. “Roughly five to six thousand submissions,” he notes. The window runs from early September through late May or early June, with selection notifications in July and the festival in August.

What judges actually look for

Story first. Always.

Theo puts it bluntly. “Even if you had a massive budget, if the story does not move you from beginning, middle, and end, it does not hold up.” Daniel adds how this plays out when production is slick but empty. “Everything is there, lighting, sound, all the technical aspects. Then the acting is not there, the story is not strong. It will not hold up. We cannot program it.”

Acting and casting are close behind. “Casting will get you rejected quickly,” Daniel says. Wrong age, wrong tone, wrong presence, or friends cast for convenience are common issues. Big names do not guarantee a slot. “We have rejected many films with A list actors,” he says. Recognizable talent helps, but the film still needs to work.

Genre range matters too. HollyShorts programs drama, comedy, horror, animation, midnight blocks, and more. “We want to cover a lot of bases,” Daniel says. Comedy needs to be funny, not expensive. “When comedies hit, they just hit,” he adds.

Common mistakes that sink good films

Theo’s list is clear.

• “It is a short film. Get to the action. Move us quickly.”

• “Avoid the cliches.”

• “Do your research. Study what is winning.”

• “Do test screenings. Hone your cut.”

Daniel adds a specific pacing note. Cut opening credits. “Top festivals are not programming shorts that start with lengthy opening sequences. Get right into the story.” End credits can be complete, but opening credits should not slow your first minute.

Runtime, and how much it really matters

Yes, shorter is easier to program. No, longer is not a death sentence.

“We have films that have won the festival at 37 minutes,” Daniel says. The reality is programming math. A two hour block can only hold so many long shorts. That makes your room for error smaller. If your film is 25 to 35 minutes, it needs to be undeniable.

How to make your submission stand out

The film is the film. But your submission package matters.

Daniel reads the cover letter. “I like to know more about the film. I like to see what they are saying about their process, their reasoning.” He looks at EPKs, stills, and trailers, but watches the film cold. “We are not giving you a bump because you have a letter,” he says, but strong context can keep your project top of mind, and help curators place it in the right block or spotlight.

Theo’s prompt to you. “What is the story behind the story. Put that in the cover letter.”

Balancing audience appeal and artistic ambition

There are two filters. First, score. Second, the final canvas.

“We pick the best of the best,” Theo says. Then they step back and program a balanced festival. They weigh travel likelihood, local versus international, genre spread, and the flow of each block. They also leave room for new voices. “There is no automatic coming back for alumni,” Theo says. Quality first, then balance.

Diversity, without box ticking

It has been part of the DNA from day one. “We want to show what the world’s population looks like on screen,” Theo says. At the same time, they do not force quotas. “We can only program what is submitted,” Daniel adds. As the festival grew, the pool of countries and voices grew. They also create off screen opportunities, like small salons that connect directors with top marketing teams and studio level mentors.

When films clash head to head

It happens more than you think. Sometimes with the same public domain short story, told by different teams in different ways.

“May the best short win,” Theo says. If two films are too similar, they will not program both. The team debates, and the stronger film gets the slot.

Do late deadline submissions get a fair chance

Yes.

Daniel is direct. “We are not already 75 percent programmed at the final deadline. I wish we were, we are not.” Late entries still get watched and scored. If your film is great, it competes.

Case study, 30 selections and 24 awards without a PR firm

Director and producer Kirsty Bell did it with A Bird Flew In, a black and white drama about human emotion during the pandemic. No PR company. Just discipline.

She started with fit. “We spent time going through the values and aspirations of each festival,” she says. They read FilmFreeway pages, checked past lineups, and asked peers who had screened there. “This film is different, so we had to make sure the festivals we applied to would understand it.”

They used FilmFreeway, and worked in parallel on two other films, a fashion doc and a horror feature. That created leverage. “Sometimes a festival picked one title, then we offered another that fit a different category. We gained speed for other films by having three in play.”

What they submitted each time. “A honed synopsis, a clear director’s vision, strong imagery, and the film when requested,” Kirsty says. They engaged after selection. “Do you want us to attend. Do you want us to bring actors.” It was not a scattergun approach. “It was targeted, and it was effective.”

On craft, she agrees with the HollyShorts team. “It starts at the script. If someone can distill a short into a clear synopsis, they have a real chance to execute.”

Practical tips for filmmakers

Programmer first principles

• Lead with story. If the story is soft, nothing else saves it.

• Cast for fit, not friendship. Wrong casting sinks good scripts.

• Cut opening credits. Start with scene one.

Submission package

• Add a short cover letter. Explain why you made the film, why now, and what block it fits.

• Include a clean EPK. Logline, 150 word synopsis, 75 word director note, 3 to 5 stills, specs, key credits.

• Keep links simple. Private screener, password, captions on. No broken links.

Edit for festivals

• Trim any sag before minute three. Your hook must land fast.

• Tighten dialogue, remove filler reactions, lose redundant coverage.

• Stress test with three outside viewers. Ask for a one line summary of the film they just watched. If it is fuzzy, your cut is not clear.

Runtime strategy

• Under 15 minutes is easier to program. If you are over 20, your film must be undeniable.

• If you have a 25 to 35 minute cut, consider a festival cut and a director cut. Same story, cleaner pacing.

Targeting and timing

• Build a tiered list. 10 top targets, 15 strong fits, 10 regional or genre allies.

• Track deadlines and fees. Early saves money, but late is still fair at HollyShorts.

• Align premiere status with your top picks. Do not burn a premiere on a weak fit.

After selection

• Confirm assets the day you accept. DCP, ProRes, captions, stills, logline.

• Offer attendance and talent availability. Panels help your exposure.

• Capture proof, photos, Q and A, press mentions, for your Academy push or sales conversations.

Final takeaways

The selection process is structured, and human. Scores matter. Debates matter. Fit matters. Your job is to remove doubt.

• Make a film that works on story, acting, and clarity in minute one.

• Package it cleanly, with a short letter that frames the intent.

• Target festivals that actually program your kind of work.

• Respect the block. Programmers build nights that flow, not just lists of titles.

• Keep making films. As Theo says, “Do not get discouraged. Practice.” And as Daniel reminds us, your best shot is a complete film that holds up on a second viewing, under stricter eyes.

If you focus on those things, you give yourself a real chance, not just at selection, but at winning the prize that unlocks the Oscar path.