As the Academy rolls out sweeping changes to how international films can compete for Oscar gold, countries across the globe are preparing their submissions.
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee (PASC) is now inviting filmmakers to submit work for the International Feature Film Award category at the 99th Academy Awards. Entries are due by 5pm PST on Monday, Aug 10, 2026.
The PASC is a non-governmental body of directors, producers, writers, actors, distributors and exhibitors, headquartered in Karachi and Lahore. Emmy-nominated filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi chairs the committee, a role he has held since 2023. He succeeded Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a two-time Oscar winner whose documentaries Saving Face and A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness remain Pakistan's only Academy wins.
How to Be Eligible
An international film is defined as a feature-length motion picture over 40 minutes, produced outside the United States, with more than 50 percent non-English dialogue. Animated and documentary features are also permitted.
All submissions must first be released theatrically for paid admission, with a run beginning no earlier than October 1, 2025, and no later than September 30, 2026. That seven-day consecutive exhibition is required to occur in a single venue. Accurate, legible English-language subtitles are mandatory.
One crucial restriction applies to streaming and broadcast. Films that receive any nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution before their qualifying theatrical run will not be eligible. That includes cable television, pay-per-view, DVD, streaming platforms, in-flight distribution and internet transmission.
To help films meet theatrical requirements, the Academy will allow entries to qualify outside their country of origin, provided the release takes place outside U.S. territories for at least seven consecutive days.
What's New for the 99th Oscars
This cycle carries particular weight because of the Academy's overhaul of the category's eligibility rules. There are now two paths to consideration: a film can be submitted as a country's official selection through an Academy-approved committee, or it can qualify by winning a top prize at a designated international festival.
Qualifying festivals include Berlin (Golden Bear), Busan (Best Film Award), Cannes (Palme d'Or), Sundance (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize), Toronto (Platform Prize) and Venice (Golden Lion). The changes came after high-profile snubs and politically motivated omissions in previous submission cycles.
The category will also now credit the film itself as the recipient rather than the submitting country, with the director accepting the award on behalf of the creative team. Under the revised framework, multiple films from the same country can compete if they are critically acclaimed. That is a seismic shift from the old model.
Pakistan's relationship with this category has been long and uneven. The country has submitted films since 1959. Its first entry was The Day Shall Dawn for the 32nd ceremony, followed by Ghunghat, after which no submission came for fifty years.
The PASC revived submissions in 2013 with Zinda Bhaag. Since then, entries have arrived almost annually, spanning live-action dramas, horror and even hand-drawn animation. As of the 98th Academy Awards, Pakistan has sent thirteen films for consideration. None has earned a nomination, though Joyland became the first Pakistani submission to reach the 15-film shortlist at the 95th ceremony.
Directed by Saim Sadiq, Joyland remains the closest any Pakistani feature has come to the final five. It was the first Pakistani film ever selected for Cannes, and it received a standing ovation after its 2022 screening. Sadiq left the Croisette with two prizes: the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard and the Queer Palm.
Last year's submission cycle ended in frustration. Pakistan's selected entry, Hun Dan, failed to reach the Academy due to administrative and documentation issues, breaking the country's annual streak since 2013. Committee chair Naqvi said all paperwork had been submitted before the deadline, but a confusing Academy email about incomplete documents prevented the film from advancing, even after the Academy acknowledged its own mistake.
That stumble makes the current open call feel charged with something extra. Filmmakers now have roughly a month to submit eligible work. The committee is composed of individuals chosen through private nominations and referrals, drawn from filmmakers, artists and craftspeople with deep expertise in motion pictures.
One film will be selected as Pakistan's official submission. The Academy's final deadline for all International Feature Film submissions is September 30, 2026. The 99th ceremony itself is scheduled for March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O'Brien will return as host for a third consecutive year.
Whether Pakistan can finally push past the shortlist and into the final nominations remains an open question. But the door, at least on the Academy's side, has never been wider.
How to submit
You can find the complete rules on the official Academy Awards website.
For entry forms, submission details, or any questions, feel free to email the team at oscarsubmissions.pk@gmail.com or submit your application directly through the portal at pascfilm.org.
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