Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has awarded the Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) the status of the Academy Award® (OSCAR®) qualifying film festival 21 DEC. 2017.

Recipients of the BIAF Grand Prize will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film category of the Academy Award® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

The Korean festival will join (from 2018) animation festivals like Animafest Zagreb, Annecy France, Anima Brussels, Anim'est (Bucharest), Animator (Poznan), Cinanima (Espinho), Encounters Bristol, Hiroshima International Animation Festival, DOK Leipzig, Ottawa Int'nl Animation Festival, Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film.  Check out for the full qualifying festival list for 90th Academy Awards.

This is the first festival in Korea to be included in the short films AMPAS qualifying list, and one of the few Asian festivals to do so.

BIAF has shown throughout recent years a commitment to European and  independent animation,  enlisting artists  like Sébastien Laudenbach and Sarah Saidan, and presenting a varied and highly interesting programme of animation shorts and features.

Watch the 2017 making of video:

BIAF is celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, from 19-23 October 2018.