The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Isabella Cuartero
Through its international awards campaign grants program, Pinoy Oscars Pursuit, the Academy is now accepting submissions and providing financial support to Filipino films seeking Oscar and other major international awards recognition.
On June 18, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) has opened submissions for Pinoy Oscars Pursuit, a grants program that supports Filipino films campaigning for the Academy Awards (Oscars) and other major international honors. The Academy also announced a call for entries for the Philippines’ official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
The program provides government support to the country’s Best International Feature contender, as well as to Filipino films seeking nominations in other Oscar categories, including documentary and short film, and to works competing for major industry awards such as the Golden Globes and Independent Spirit Awards.
Film Academy Director-General Paolo Villaluna said the initiative treats international awards recognition as a national investment aligned with the Academy’s mandate to strengthen professionalism, improve industry infrastructure, and protect film workers.
“A win for the Philippines is a win for the industry as a whole,” Villaluna said. “When a Filipino film reaches the world stage, it attracts investment, raises the value of our workers’ labor, and shines a spotlight on the Philippines as a place to tell stories and make films.”
“The idea here is to magnify that the Filipino voice and talent is not just globally competitive but we are one of the best,” he added.
Filmmakers seeking consideration as the country’s official Oscar submission must submit entries by July 31, 2026. The Academy will announce a local shortlist in August and the official Philippine entry in early September, ahead of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ (AMPAS) submission deadline later that month.
Entries will be evaluated by a pre-selection committee based on artistic merit, cultural relevance, and the ability to mount and sustain an international campaign. A seven-member National Selection Committee, composed of Filipino film practitioners approved by AMPAS, will choose the country’s official nominee.
The program builds on the Academy’s support for the current awards season, including the campaign for “Magellan,” the Philippines’ official Best International Feature entry, as well as Filipino contenders in the documentary, short film, and original song categories.
The Philippines’ official Oscar submission will automatically receive P8 million to support its Academy Awards campaign.
An additional P3 million will be awarded if the film premiered at an A-list festival such as Cannes, Berlin, or Venice, with another P3 million available for a festival win. Films that capture three major awards at any of these festivals will receive a further P3 million.
Securing a North American distributor unlocks another P3 million. Additional incentives are tied to the distributor’s Oscar track record: P2 million if it has previously been shortlisted, P3 million if it has been nominated, and P5 million if it has won an Academy Award.
The Philippines’ official Oscar entry can receive up to P25 million in incentives under the program.