Irish short film has always played an important role in the Academy Awards® from the nomination of Return to Glennascaul starring Orson Wells, which was nominated in the two-reel category at the 26th Academy Awards® in 1953 to Give Up Yer Old Sins in 2002 and more recently, with An Irish Goodbye in 2023.

The growth of the Irish film industry in recent decades with increased funding, improved training in the areas of technical and creative skills, access to quality equipment and specialised crew have enabled Irish short films to feature prominently at the Academy Awards® in recent decades. Alongside this, the distinct Irish narrative and the nature of Irish storytelling brings a fresh approach to scriptwriting allowing the Irish presence at the Academy Awards® to continue from year to year.

We are honoured that the Galway Film Fleadh is an Academy Awards® qualifying festival in the following categories:

The James Horgan Award for Best Animation Short

The Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction Short

The Best Short Documentary Award

With three Oscar® qualifying categories in Galway Film Fleadh’s Short Film Competition, Live Action, Short Documentary and Animation categories, the winners automatically qualify for Oscar® consideration without the standard theatrical run, provided that the film meets all the requirements set forth in the official rules for that season which can be found at www.oscars.org/rules