MEIA and MPA Announce Selection Process for Malta's Official Submission to the 99th Academy International Feature Film Category
The Malta Academy Selection Committee (‘MASC’), established jointly by the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) and the Malta Producers’ Association (MPA), is pleased to announce its process for selecting Malta’s official entry for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
In due course, MASC will issue a formal call for entries, inviting Maltese filmmakers and producers to submit eligible feature films for consideration. Set out below are the Committee’s rules, the eligibility criteria for films, the evaluation process, and the submission instructions that will apply once the call opens.
Rules and guidelines for the formation and operation of the MASC
MASC is appointed jointly by MEIA and MPA, with due care to ensure a mix of competence, experience, integrity and independence. The Committee is constituted and operates in accordance with the guidelines approved by the Academy’s International Feature Film Executive Committee:
- At least 50% of the Committee comprises artists and/or craftspeople from the field of motion pictures, and the Committee is formed with the majority participation of filmmakers.
- The Committee has a minimum of five members, including the Chairperson.
- All members are citizens of Malta.
- No member may have a professional relationship with a film under consideration for official selection. Members must declare in writing to the Chairperson any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest, and must abstain from evaluating and voting on the film concerned.
- Members, including the Chairperson, may serve for a maximum of six years, consecutive and/or cumulative, after which a two-year hiatus applies.
- The Committee’s membership is submitted to the Academy for approval annually, and the Committee convenes to evaluate submissions only upon written approval from the Academy’s International Feature Film Office.
The complete rules for the 99th Academy Awards are available at https://www.oscars.org/rules.
Eligibility criteria
An international feature film is defined by the Academy as a motion picture running over 40 minutes, produced outside the United States of America and its territories, with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Animated and documentary feature films are permitted.
To be eligible for consideration, a film must satisfy all of the following:
- The original dialogue track and the completed picture must be predominantly (more than 50%) in a language or languages other than English. Accurate, legible English-language subtitles are required.
- The film must have been first released theatrically in its country or region of origin for paid admission, with the theatrical release beginning no earlier than 1 October 2025 and no later than 30 September 2026.
- The film must have been first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre, for the profit of the producer and exhibitor, with the seven consecutive days occurring in one venue.
- The theatrical release must have been advertised and exploited in a manner considered normal and customary to theatrical feature distribution practices.
- The film must not, in any version, have received a non-theatrical public exhibition or distribution before its qualifying theatrical release. This includes broadcast and cable television, pay-per-view and video on demand, DVD and/or streaming distribution, inflight airline distribution, and internet transmission.
- Creative control of the film must have been largely in the hands of citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status in Malta. Confirmation may be required by way of official government-issued documentation.
The complete rules and guidelines for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards are available here:
How films are identified and submitted
MASC uses both solicitation and submission methods to identify eligible films:
- MEIA and MPA will email their respective membership bases inviting submissions of candidate films.
- A public open call will be issued by press release through independent media, including online platforms, and disseminated via social media and the associations’ websites.
- Information will also be circulated to the ministries responsible for the Arts and for the Film Industry in Malta, and to the Malta Film Commission.
- Producers of known eligible films may additionally be contacted directly by a member of the Committee and encouraged to submit.
- There is no submission fee.
How to submit a film for consideration
Producers wishing to submit a film should email maltaacademyselectioncommittee@gmail.com with the following:
- The film title, running time, year of production, and name of the director.
- The name and contact details of the submitting producer or production company.
- Evidence of the qualifying theatrical release, including the venue, the dates of the seven consecutive days of exhibition, and copies of advertising or press materials.
- Confirmation that the completed film and its original dialogue track are predominantly (more than 50%) non-English, and details of the languages used.
- Confirmation that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of Maltese citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status, with supporting documentation.
- A secure, password-protected link to the complete film, with accurate and legible English-language subtitles, accessible to Committee members for the duration of the evaluation period.
Evaluation and selection process
All committee members will view the submitted films and rate them based on the following criteria, with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest:
- The story is compelling
- The story has something to say
- I was affected by it on an emotional level
- The story has the ability to start a conversation
- The film feels fresh, in cinematic terms
- The story is told in an innovative way
- The film feels complete
- The direction is even-handed
- The casting and performances are strong
- The film is finished to the highest technical standards
- The film connects to the broader human condition
- The film presents a Maltese ‘voice’, representing Malta’s culture
- The edit is tight
- The use of Maltese is realistic (Maltese must be used in over 50% of the film)
- Overall rating
The Chairperson will review the ratings to identify the three highest-scoring films, which will advance to the next selection round. The committee will then discuss these top three films to finalize the choice. If consensus is not reached, a vote will be conducted. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson will cast the deciding vote.
A film is selected as Malta’s official entry where it attains an overall score of 80% or higher across the Committee. Where the overall score falls below this threshold, the Committee convenes for further discussion and a potential re-vote, and reserves the right not to submit an entry in that year. Where more than one film attains the threshold, the highest-scoring film is selected. Only one film may be submitted to the Academy as Malta’s official selection.
Key dates
- Closing date for submissions to MASC: 1 September 2026. The submission window will be announced shortly.
- Academy deadline for Malta’s film submission: 5:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
- Eligibility window for the qualifying theatrical release: 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
Contact
For further information on the submission process and guidelines, or to submit a film for consideration, please contact the Malta Academy Selection Committee at maltaacademyselectioncommittee@gmail.com