Academy Awards – Dutch Oscar Entry

SEE NL officially coordinates the selection of the Dutch entry for the Oscars in the category International Feature Film and submits it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.

International Feature Film Category

Dutch feature documentary Paikar by Dawood Hilmandi and produced by BALDR Film is The Netherlands’ Oscar submission for the 99th Academy Awards in the category International Feature Film.

Every year, the Dutch Selection Committee (NOSC) selects a film that will be submitted to the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the US as the Dutch entry for the Academy Awards in the category International Feature Film. SEE NL is the official coordinator of this process.

By the beginning of September 2026 the NOSC members select which film will be the Dutch submission for the 99th Academy Awards. SEE NL handles the Dutch entry to the AMPAS before the deadline of 30 September 2026.

The AMPAS regulations are available and can be found, including Rule Sixteen: International Feature Film on the official Oscars website. The Selection Procedure for the 2026 Dutch Oscar Entry is available to read here (in Dutch).

Dutch producers could register their film(s) for the selection of the Netherlands submission to the Oscars – category International Feature Film until 20 July 2026.

For more information, please contact us at seenl@eyefilm.nl.

still Paikar (Dawood Hilmandi, NL/AF 2025)

Oscar Qualifying festival Awards

Feature-length documentaries and short films (live action, animation and documentary) that have won an Oscar Qualifying festival Award must be submitted for the Oscars to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) by the producer/creator of the film. SEE NL does not do this.

On the Academy’s website, you can find out whether a film has won an award from an Oscar Qualifying festival. Submissions for the Oscars can only be made when a film has won an award listed on the Oscar Qualifying festival lists. Audience awards, special mentions and other awards not mentioned in the regulations are not included.

A film must also meet the Academy's requirements as stated in the Oscar regulations. These regulations and the lists of Oscar Qualifying festivals and awards by category are published on the Oscars website. Here, you can also find all the information on how to submit your film for the Oscars.

Please note that there are two deadlines for submitting short films (live action, animation and documentary). An August deadline for films that have qualified during the period October-June and an October deadline for films that have qualified between July-September.

For the submission of feature-length documentaries there are two deadlines as well. An August deadline for documentaries that have qualified in the period October-June and an October deadline for documentaries that have qualified between July-December.

For the specific dates, always check the Oscars website.

If your film has won an Oscar Qualifying festival Award and you are going to submit it to the Oscars, it is important to let SEE NL know as soon as possible. That way, we can include your film in Oscar campaign publicity and promotion from SEE NL in a timely manner.

Please contact us for more information at edithvanderheijde@eyefilm.nl.

During the 97th Academy Awards, Dutch short film I’m Not a Robot directed by Victoria Warmerdam and produced by Trent of OAK Motion Pictures won the Oscar® in the Live Action Short Film category.

Photo: ANP / EPA