The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed 317 feature films in contention for the 98th Academy Awards, according to the Academy Press Office. The figure anchors the procedural field for a ceremony scheduled for March 2026.

The tally is the Academy's annual submission disclosure. It closes the eligibility window and produces the working universe of films the organization's branches, committees, and voting members will sort through before nominations lock in.

What does "in contention" actually mean?

The count captures every feature-length submission the Academy has confirmed eligible under the rules governing qualifying theatrical runs, runtime thresholds, and category-specific technical or creative criteria. It is the starting gate, not the finishing line.

Films that clear the general eligibility hurdle then face category-specific rules. A film that qualifies for Best Picture must also navigate branch votes for its craft categories — cinematography, score, sound, and the rest — and shortlist cuts for the more competitive fields. A film that misses the threshold on a technicality drops out before voting begins.

How does the field narrow from here?

The Academy's standard calendar moves through several gates. After the submission tally, branches issue category shortlists in December and January for the more crowded races — International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Animated Feature, Music (Original Score and Original Song), Visual Effects, Makeup and Hairstyling, and others.

From the shortlists, members vote to produce the final nominee slate. Best Picture moves through a two-step process: branch-specific ballots, then a final preferential ballot open to the full membership. The final ballot can yield between five and ten nominees depending on how films distribute on the count.

What does the field size change for campaigns?

For studios and awards strategists, a 317-film pool is a calibration tool, not a number to celebrate. Larger submission years typically fragment voter attention, which can lift the cost of FYC ("For Your Consideration") operations, push campaigns toward more targeted screeners, and raise the bar for grassroots lobbying.

The count also functions as a benchmark for internal targeting. A campaign weighing where to spend on ads, on screenings, and on member outreach will measure the field against the prior cycle to gauge how aggressive a push the race demands.

What's the next milestone?

The next procedural checkpoint for the 98th cycle is the release of the first branch shortlists, expected in mid-December. The International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, and Animated Feature Film shortlists traditionally land in that window. The Music and Visual Effects shortlists follow in January.

Nominations voting opens after the shortlists close, and the full nominations announcement is scheduled for late January 2026. Final voting follows in February, with winners revealed at the March 2026 ceremony.

For now, 317 films sit in the pool. The Academy's job from here is to shrink it.