The 2026 Student Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Canada as part of the Toronto International Film Festival, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
The annual event, which recognizes films made by full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who have completed an intermediate-level or final graduation film as part of their coursework, was long held in Los Angeles, but since the pandemic it has emanated from London, in 2024, and New York, in 2025.
This year, on Sept. 14, it will take place in the hub of TIFF, the TIFF Lightbox complex. And thanks to a partnership with the festival, Student Academy Award winners will have access to attend the fest’s screenings, market, education 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 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. 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.”
Added Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer: “We’re honored to welcome the Academy and the Student Academy Awards to our 51st edition of the Festival. 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.”
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 Oscars in the short films categories — best animated short, best documentary short or best live action short.
The Student Academy Awards was established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 70 Oscar nominations and have won or shared 15 Oscar statuettes.
