2026 Student Academy Awards to Be Held at Toronto International Film Festival

This year’s Student Academy Awards presentation ceremony will be held at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. The awards will take place inside the TIFF Lightbox on Sept. 14.

Student Academy Award winners will have access to the festival, market, education panels and networking opportunities in collaboration with TIFF. Exclusive access to Academy members will also be available to winners to support their careers. 

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“As the Academy becomes increasingly global, we are delighted to bring this year’s Student Academy Awards to TIFF. These filmmakers are the future of our industry and we are thrilled to platform their work at this important international festival,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor in a statement. “We sincerely thank TIFF for their support and our long-standing Student Academy Awards partner, Rolex, which shares our deep commitment to fostering emerging filmmakers.” 

“We’re honored to welcome the Academy and the Student Academy Awards to our 51st edition of the Festival,” said Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer, in a statement. “Championing the next generation of global storytellers is central to our mission, including through initiatives like TIFF Next Wave and we’re proud to celebrate this year’s student filmmakers as they engage with industry leaders and audiences from around the world here in Toronto.”

Student Academy Award winners will be announced in August, and winning films will be eligible to compete for next year’s Oscars in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film category.

The annual competition is open to full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who have completed an intermediate-level or final graduation film; Complete rules and a link to the online submission platform are available here.  

Established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent, the Student Academy Awards aim to create opportunities within the industry for students to showcase their work.