22 October 2024

Balinale (Bali International Film Festival) proudly announces that it has been officially approved as an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival.

As an Oscar® Qualifying Festival, winners of the Balinale Short Film Competition may now be eligible for consideration for the Oscar® competition for Best Short Film. Link to the official Academy’s qualifying and eligibility rules

This prestigious status, awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, adds to Balinale’s 18 years as a regional leader in cultural and film industry expansion and marks its rise to the same status as globally recognized international film festivals.

“We are thrilled to receive this honor from the Academy.” Deborah Gabinetti, Balinale’s Festival Director, said in a statement. “This recognition is a celebration of our past accomplishments and a commitment to our future. It will significantly boost the festival’s prominence and expand our ability to showcase a diverse range of films that celebrate stories from Indonesia and worldwide. It will also provide filmmakers with a platform to gain international recognition, find new opportunities to advance their careers, and obtain a broader audience.”

Balinale has a vibrant history of presenting a wide array of films, including documentaries, narratives, shorts, and experimental pieces. Each year, the festival receives submissions from filmmakers worldwide and screens between 60 and 80 films after committee selection.

Key factors in the festival achieving this level include the caliber of Balinale’s films, the diversity of the programming, an effectively managed team and contributing advisors, the professionalism with which the films are presented, including the quality of the screening venues, our enthusiastic audiences, and the partners and supporters who play a key role in the development of the festival.

Over the years, the festival has collaborated with various partners, contributing to this outstanding milestone. These collaborations include: Asian Film Awards Academy, Motion Picture Association, American Film Showcase, Sundance Institute’s Film Forward, Hong Kong International Film Festival, Berlinale Spotlight Generation, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Asian Film Commissions Network, and The Juilliard School – Center for Innovation in the Arts.

“To expand our outreach, Balinale will continue to establish affiliations and collaborations with like-minded institutions and organizations to create world-class arts education forums and a festival which highlights and nurtures the next generation of talent further positioning Bali as a vital center of both local and international culture,” Gabinetti adds.

Notable guests at the Balinale have included Palme d’Or winner and Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé, Caméra d’Or and Venice Days winning director Michael Rowe, Australian Film Institute winner and Oscar-nominated producer Jan Chapman, Berlin International Film Festival and Locarno International Film Festival winning director Garin Nugroho, BAFTA-winning producer Davina Belling, DGA winning producer Stan Wlodkowski, Venice Film Festival and Cannes FIPRESCI winning director Lee Chang-Dong, Golden Horse and Berlin International Film Festival winning director Stanley Kwan.

Bali International Film Festival will be held from 1-7 June 2025.

The festival’s first call for submissions will be announced in November.

For more information contact us: press@balinale.com or +62 361 270 908 www.balinale.com