It’s the dream of almost every filmmaker to one day get nominated for and win an Academy Award. It’s the gold standard that everyone strives for—from burgeoning film students to Leonardo DiCaprio. Yet this goal can also feel utterly unattainable. It’s The Oscars after all. Awards go to Meryl Streep and Martin Scorsese, not to me. Believe it or not, you absolutely have a path to the Oscars. It’s more possible than you think, and countless talented independent filmmakers find their way through the nomination process without big money, without big celebrities, and without big studio backing, but instead with just a really fantastic project. Don’t throw that dream away. There’s a road to the Oscars that you can take.

Finding your way into the Oscars Ceremony is possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy or just happens organically. The Academy Awards are a competition, and like any competition, they come with rules and regulations, procedures, and strategies to win. If you want to one day see Oscar gold, you need to make a fantastic film, but you also have to understand the ins and outs of the awards, the politics that surround it, and where you can best fit in. Let’s explore.

Daniel Sol is the co-founder and co-director of the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival and has helped multiple filmmakers through the Oscar qualification process, including the short film SKIN which won the Academy Award after premiering and qualifying at his festival. Daniel was formerly a theatrical sales executive before he founded HollyShorts as a response to seeing that young filmmakers had little access to industry professionals and few options for screening their films. Now in its 17th year, HollyShorts has quickly become the most influential short film festival in Los Angeles, with Daniel guiding it as Festival Director and lead programmer for the festival. Daniel is also the co founder of the premium Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV content channel BITPIX. Daniel’s long experience at the helm of an Academy-qualifying film festival has given him a unique perspective on what it actually takes for filmmakers to find their way to an Oscar nomination.

Exclusively for Stage 32, Daniel is going to break down exactly what it takes to qualify your film for an Academy Award and the steps you can take to score a nomination or even become an Oscar winner. He’ll lay out how the Academy nomination process works and will dive into current trends, explaining what sort of themes and genres are more likely to ultimately get nominated. He will then break down the qualification process and the different ways you can get your own project qualified, including through qualifying festivals and other avenues. Daniel will finally talk about steps you can take and what to expect after your film is qualified, including strategies to better your chances of hopefully getting nominated.

Becoming an Oscar-nominated filmmaker is not as out of reach as you may think, and Daniel will break down what you can do to better make this dream a reality.

• How Does the Academy Select Nominees for its Categories?
  • And which categories are actually possible for independent filmmakers to be nominated for?

• Oscar Trends – What REALLY Gets Nominated
  • Are there genres or subject matters that are more likely to be considered or nominated than others
  • Stories and themes to embrace
  • Stories and themes to steer clear of
• The Difference Between “Qualified”, “Shortlisted” and “Nominated”
• How Does a Film Qualify for the Oscars?
  • Academy qualifying festivals

• Which festivals are qualifying?
• What does this really mean?
• Other ways to qualify your film outside of festivals

• What Does All of this Cost?
• What Do You Do After Your Film Is Qualified?
  • The steps to expect
  • Timing
  • Strategies and tips to better your chances
• Q&A with Daniel

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn what it takes to qualify your film for an Academy Award and the steps you can take to score a nomination or even become an Oscar winner.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn what it takes to qualify your film for an Academy Award and the steps you can take to score a nomination or even become an Oscar winner.

Producers looking to learn what it takes to qualify your film for an Academy Award and the steps you can take to score a nomination or even become an Oscar winner.

Actors looking to learn what it takes to qualify your film for an Academy Award and the steps you can take to score a nomination or even become an Oscar winner.