The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) is pleased to announce that they have been approved for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Qualifying Festival List. As a result, films that win in the category of “Best Documentary Short” at SLOIFF may be qualified to enter the 98th Academy Awards® (2026) making them eligible to win an Oscar®.
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival has a history of championing documentary films. In the most recent festival (2024), 18 short documentaries were screened, as well as 18 feature length documentary films.
“This is an extraordinary honor, and we are thrilled to share it with the next generation of filmmakers,” said SLOIFF Executive Director Skye McLennan. “I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to those, past and present, who have made SLOIFF what it is, a showcase for thought-provoking and socially important documentaries and the very best that indie filmmaking has to offer.”
The 2025 edition of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from April 24-29. With a projected slate of over 125 narrative features, short films, documentary features and shorts, and music videos, the festival offers a broad spectrum of fare for serious cinephiles, devoted film buffs and casual movie fans. Its signature Surf Nite returns in 2025 along with last year’s hit addition, Community of Skate. Updates on next year’s festival can be found at https://slofilmfest.org.
