The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that the 2026 Student Academy Awards will be held in Canada as part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The annual event, which honors films made by full- and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who have completed an intermediate or final graduation film as part of their coursework, has long been held in Los Angeles, but since the pandemic has taken off from London in 2024, and New York in 2025.
This year, on September 14, it will be held at the TIFF Center, the TIFF Lightbox Complex. Thanks to the partnership with the festival, Student Academy Award winners will be able to attend festival screenings, market, educational panels and networking opportunities.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement: “As the Academy becomes increasingly global, we are thrilled to present this year’s Student Academy Awards at TIFF. These filmmakers are the future of our industry, and we are thrilled to showcase their work at this important international festival. We sincerely thank TIFF for their support and our long-standing Student Academy Awards partner, Rolex, who shares our deep commitment to promoting emerging filmmakers.”
Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer at TIFF, added: “We are honored to welcome the Academy and Student Academy Awards to our 51st edition of the festival. Supporting the next generation of global storytellers is central to our mission, including through initiatives like TIFF Next Wave, and we are proud to celebrate this year’s student filmmakers as they engage with industry leaders and audiences from around the world here in Toronto.”
The winners of the 53rd Student Academy Awards Competition will be announced in August. All Student Academy Award-winning films will be eligible to compete for the 99th Academy Awards in the Short Film categories – Best Animated Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film, or Best Action Short Film.
The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work. Previous Student Academy Award winners have received 70 Academy Award nominations and have won or shared 15 Academy Award statuettes.
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