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ABOUT
PALM SPRINGS FILM AWARDS
An International Film Competition Offering the BEST SHORT FILM Winner — AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE OSCAR® QUALIFICATION
Palm Springs Film Awards is a competition created to discover, recognize, and support talented independent filmmakers from around the world. Our mission is simple: to give exceptional films the recognition, visibility, and opportunities they deserve.
We welcome filmmakers, directors, producers, screenwriters, actors, and emerging creators from every corner of the world. Our international jury evaluates submitted projects with a focus on the quality of filmmaking, storytelling, originality, performances, screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, sound, and overall artistic impact.
OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE OSCAR® QUALIFICATION
Submissions open on October 1, 2026, and close on December 30, 2026. The film selected as the best by our jury will receive an opportunity to pursue Oscar® qualification. The Best Short Film winner will receive a festival-funded opportunity for a seven-day theatrical screening in New York City.
Palm Springs Film Awards will cover the costs associated with securing a seven-consecutive-day theatrical screening at a commercial cinema in New York City for the Annual Best Short Film winner, provided that the film meets all applicable requirements and deadlines.
The purpose of this theatrical release is to provide the winning filmmaker with an opportunity to pursue eligibility for consideration for the Academy Awards® through a qualifying theatrical run.
Under the Academy's current rules, certain short films may become eligible for consideration for the Academy Awards® through a qualifying theatrical release at a commercial cinema in New York City for at least seven consecutive days, provided that all other applicable Academy requirements are met.
Important: Palm Springs Film Awards does not guarantee an Academy Award® nomination or win. Film eligibility and acceptance into the Academy Awards® consideration process are determined exclusively by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences according to the official rules applicable to the relevant awards year. The filmmaker is responsible for providing all required materials, documents, permissions, technical materials, and other information necessary for the theatrical screening and submission process to the Academy.
Our goal is to help remove one of the significant financial barriers independent filmmakers face — the cost of securing a qualifying theatrical screening. For an independent filmmaker, such an opportunity can represent a meaningful step toward submitting their film for consideration for the Academy Awards®.
WHY SUBMIT TO PALM SPRINGS FILM AWARDS?
INTERNATIONAL JURY: Our jury is an international selection of filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, and other film professionals with diverse experience in short films, television, screenwriting, and film production. Daniel Alexander Newton is a British director and screenwriter whose work explores psychological horror, intimate drama, and genre filmmaking. Minu Basi is a producer and screenwriter who produced the acclaimed feature film I Am No Queen, which screened at several international festivals. Pablo Marín J. is a Colombian writer and screenwriter, author of science-fiction stories and several short film screenplays. His screenplay Operator received the Best Sci-Fi Screenplay award. Suzanne Spenceley-Burch is a British screenwriter with a background in PR, marketing, and journalism. Her screenplay Coming Out of the Blue received the Best LGBTI Screenplay award at the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival. Peter Tamaribuchi, an MFA graduate of UCLA, is a dramatist, screenwriter, educator, and producer. His screenplay LINK ranked among the top 6% of more than 11,000 short screenplays on the Coverfly Red List and received awards at festivals including Austin Film Festival and HollyShorts.
The international jury is further complemented by David Dulev, a director and editor from North Macedonia whose short film Don't Forget to Smile received multiple awards, including Best Indie Short Film; Jennifer Booth, an American screenwriter, producer, and actress who wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning short film Notes for Tomorrow; Emily Joshua, an award-winning British screenwriter and filmmaker whose television pilot Foxton Hall has received more than 40 awards and who was selected for the BFI New Writers' Network; Halia Traoré, a Burkinabè director, cinematographer, and graduate of film studies at ISIS-SE, whose debut short film Mia received the Best Performance award at FIFF Cotonou in 2026; and Irene Gottlieb, a screenwriter and producer whose screenplay Jandals has received recognition in international screenwriting competitions.
Together, the jury brings a combination of experience in directing, screenwriting, producing, acting, filmmaking, and the international festival environment.
JUDGING CRITERIA: Each project is evaluated individually based on its artistic and technical qualities. Our jury considers story and screenplay — originality, structure, dialogue, character development, dramatic construction, and thematic depth; directing — creative vision, directorial choices, storytelling approach, work with actors, pacing, and overall execution; performances — authenticity, emotional range, interpretation of characters, chemistry between performers, and overall impact; cinematography and visual language — composition, lighting, camera work, visual storytelling, production design, and cinematic style; editing and pacing — rhythm, continuity, structure, timing, and the relationship between image and story; sound and music — sound design, dialogue, atmosphere, music, and the overall contribution of the sound elements; and finally originality and artistic impact — a distinctive authorial voice, originality of concept, emotional resonance, and the ability of the film to leave a lasting impression.
Palm Springs Film Awards is open to filmmakers from around the world, with the goal of discovering creators from different cultures, countries, backgrounds, and filmmaking traditions and bringing exceptional work to the attention of the international film community.
A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SHORT FILMMAKERS TO PURSUE OSCAR® ELIGIBILITY: The Best Short Film winner receives the festival's most significant prize: a festival-funded opportunity for a seven-day theatrical screening in New York City, intended to provide the filmmaker with an opportunity to pursue eligibility for consideration for the Academy Awards® under the Academy's current rules.
FILMMAKERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE WELCOME: Palm Springs Film Awards accepts submissions from filmmakers around the world. We believe that film knows no borders. Whether you are an established filmmaker, an emerging director, writing your first screenplay, an independent producer, or a film student, we welcome your projects. We want to discover films that demonstrate vision, originality, craftsmanship, passion, and an authentic creative voice.
BECOME PART OF PALM SPRINGS FILM AWARDS
Your film deserves more than just a number in a submission system. It deserves to be seen, professionally evaluated, recognized, and celebrated. Submit your project to Palm Springs Film Awards and become part of an international competition dedicated to discovering the next generation of filmmakers.
