Two Korea film festivals became Oscar Qualifying Festivals. On December 22nd, 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced that the Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) and the Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) have been officially designated as Oscar Qualifying Festivals. 

BIAF has introduced a lot of Academy winners and nominees, including titles such as Paper man (2004), The Girl Without Hands (2016) and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017). In 2017, BIAF held a special program focusing on Academy Award-winning Shorts, which was attended by five Academy members including Korean director KIM Sang-jin, Walt Disney’s animator Burny Mattinson and Footprints (2015) director Bill Plympton. With the recognition, the Grand Prize winner of the festival will automatically be nominated to compete in the short film animation category at the Academy Awards.  

Launched in 1980, BISFF will also be able to nominate recipients of its Grand Prix for Best Picture in the International Competition and Korean Competition, in both the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories, for the Academy Awards. “It is a great honor to be designated an Oscar Qualifying Festival, joining a list of prestigious festivals such as Cannes film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.” BISSFF said on its website. “We are particularly pleased that this will ensure that at least one Korean short film every year will get a chance to be considered, and we hope that it will help a new generation of Korea filmmakers to reach wider audiences, reputation and success.”

Thus, BISFF currently welcomes entries for its competition categories. Applications had to be submitted until January 4th for the International Competition. In addition, it must be submitted by January 22nd for the Korean Competition. The Grand Prize winners will be eligible to be in the Oscar race in the short film.