17 film festivals receive official ‘A’-list classification as part of major FIAPF revamp

EXCLUSIVE: Seventeen of the world’s top film festivals have been officially classified as ‘A’ festivals following the biggest reform of the accreditation process of FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations) since 2007. The aim is to offer a clearer map of festivals that support films and the industry.

Scroll down to read the updated list of accredited festivals

Specialised events such as animation fest Annecy, short film festival Clermont-Ferrand, and Asian-film-focused Busan, as well as the non-competitive Toronto, are now classified as ‘A’-list festivals for the first time, joining prestigious competitive festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and San Sebastian. 

Among the 17 ‘A’ festivals are Argentina’s Mar del Plata, China’s Shanghai, Egypt’s Cairo, India’s IFFI Goa, Japan’s Tokyo, Poland’s Warsaw, Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary and Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights.

The distinction is reserved for festivals that can demonstrate the highest international impact. This has been determined by FIAPF through data gathered about each festival on its film selection, charting the number of films submitted, and the share of non-native films entered. It has looked at each festival’s industry activities, including the number of professional attendees and its ability to attract journalists and secure press coverage for films. It has also looked at data on audiences, from the number of admissions to screenings, occupancy rates and the festival’s audience development strategies.  

All of this information is now available on the FIAPF website. 

Notably, the Sundance, Telluride, BFI London and Edinburgh film festivals are among key US and UK festivals that are not FIAPF-accredited. It is a voluntary process, requiring the festivals to provide FIAPF with their data. FIAPF says it has been having discussions with several US and UK festivals for some time, and is hopeful that some of the conversations will come to fruition in the near future.

Diversity 

It marks the return of the ‘A’ classification for festivals, which FIAPF dropped 20 years ago, although the term has continued to be used informally by the industry to refer to a select number of top film festivals.

Six film festivals have also joined the list of accredited events for the first time, reflective of the greater diversity that FIAPF wants to encourage with its new approach and of their impact locally, regionally or globally.

The six new additions to the FIAPF list are Armenia’s Golden Apricot Yerevan, Montenegro’s Herceg Novi, Canada’s Festival du Nouveau Cinema and Hot Docs, France’s Annecy and Spain’s Punto de Vista documentary festival. It takes the number of FIAPF-accredited festivals to 49 film events in 29 countries.

Another four film festivals expected to be from under-represented regions are likely to receive FIAPF accreditation later this year.

“At a time of rapid change, this revamp reinforces our commitment to a diverse, impactful and professionally robust festivals community and ensures that our accreditation continues to serve as a reliable bridge between festivals, producers and the industry at large, worldwide,” said Luis Alberto Scalella, president of FIAPF. 

Quality control 

The changes follow a consultation process that began two years ago, involving festivals and the film industry, to find ways to bolster the quality and reliability standards needed for accredited festivals, and to highlight the important role festivals play within the industry.

It was partly prompted by an increasing number of complaints about poor experiences at festivals, many of them from emerging filmmakers who are not familiar with the festival circuit.

With the number of film festivals worldwide proliferating, many of the complaints centred on the submission fees charged, the quality of screenings, audience numbers and industry activities. By not choosing the right festival, many said they had damaged the prospects for their film and their careers.

As part of the changes, key updates to FIAPF’s accreditation process include the creation of a single unified list of accredited festivals, replacing the previously four-category system; an agnostic approach to programming; greater focus on trust between festivals and the industry, and between festivals; and prioritising the collection of quantitative and qualitative data from accredited festivals, highlighting their individual and collective contribution to films and the industry.

FIAPF represents 38 national producers’ organisations from 31 countries worldwide, and also carries out the FIAPF Accreditation Program for International Film Festivals

“The revamped accreditation embraces a forward-looking, impact‑focused approach,” said Florence Girot, FIAPF festivals senior director. “It gives festivals greater visibility for the work they do individually and collectively, while offering the industry a clearer understanding of their value. This shift aims to strengthen the entire festival ecosystem and reaffirm their role as key allies to films and the sector.” 

2026 list of FIAPF-accredited festivals

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