Academy Announces Eligibility Lists for 98th Oscars: 201 Documentaries and 86 International Films Vying for Awards
Thirty-five features are in contention for the Animated Feature Film award. Members of the Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote, and other Academy members can opt in to participate if they meet a minimum viewing requirement.
RMN Stars News Report
November 22, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced the full lists of feature films eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, and International Feature Film categories for the 98th Academy Awards.
The Academy confirmed that 201 features are eligible for the Documentary Feature Film category, while 35 features are eligible for the Animated Feature Film category. In the International Feature Film competition, 86 countries or regions have submitted eligible films. The complete rules for the 98th Academy Awards can be found at Oscars.org/rules.
The sources note that some of the films on these eligibility lists, across all three categories, have not yet had their required qualifying release and must fulfill that requirement, along with complying with all other category rules, to advance in the voting process.
Documentary and International Feature Eligibility
Both the Documentary and International Feature Film categories operate on a shortlisting process. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced for both categories on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
In the Documentary Feature Film category, eligibility extends to films that have won a qualifying film festival award or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection. Films in this category may also qualify for awards in other categories, including Best Picture. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine both the shortlist and the final nominees.
For the International Feature Film category, the submissions must meet the definition of a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Academy members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting, provided they opt in and meet a minimum viewing requirement.
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Animated Feature Details
Thirty-five features are in contention for the Animated Feature Film award. Members of the Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote, and other Academy members can opt in to participate if they meet a minimum viewing requirement.
Similar to documentaries, animated features submitted in this category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture. Additionally, animated features that were submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection are also eligible here.
Key Dates for the 98th Oscars
The announcement of eligibility kicks off the next phase of the awards season timeline:
- Preliminary voting for select categories will begin on Monday, December 8, 2025, and end on Friday, December 12, 2025.
- Shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
- Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
- The 98th Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. It will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is described as the world’s premier film organization, connecting a global membership of more than 11,000 artists and leaders through a shared passion for moviemaking, recognizing achievement through awards such as the Oscars.
