As we get closer to the end of 2025 and various critics and voting bodies collate their year-end lists and ballots, the question of what is eligible for such selection often crops up. It’s become common practice for distributors to give a quiet, one-week awards-qualifying run divorced from the standard promotion a theatrical rollout will earn, instead saving that for a window early the following year.

To help keep better track of these releases, we have an annual feature detailing films designated in this category. As we begin our year-end coverage in the coming months, here at The Film Stage we consider any feature that receives a one-week qualifying run in a U.S. theater to be a release in that year, so expect a number of these to be featured soon.

Check out the list below, featuring films in alphabetical order, noting the start date of the one-week run, location, and 2026 release date where available. If you are a reader and spot a film getting a quiet awards-qualifying run or a distributor that would like your film to be considered for this list, reach out to [email protected] or @TheFilmStage.

  • All That’s Left of You (Dec. 5 at LA’s Laemmle Royal; opens Jan. 9)
  • Alpha (Oct. 17 at NYC’s AMC Bay Plaza and LA’s AMC Covina 17; opens March 13)
  • Arco (Nov. 14 at NYC’s Angelika and LA’s AMC Burbank 16)
  • Below the Clouds (Nov. 7 at Elk Grove Village in Illinois)
  • Benita (Nov. 28 at NYC’s DCTV)
  • Calle Malaga (Oct. 31 at LA’s Laemmle Town Center 5)
  • ChaO (Oct. 31 at LA’s Laemmle Newhall)
  • The Chronology of Water (Dec. 5 at NYC’s Village East and LA’s Laemmle Royal; opens Jan. 9)
  • Dead’s Man Wire (Dec. 12 at NYC’s Angelika and Alamo Brooklyn; opens Jan. 9)
  • Familia (Dec. TBD at LA’s Lumiere Music Hall)
  • Franz (Dec. 12 at NYC’s Quad and Dec. 19 at LA’s Laemmle Monica Film Center)
  • H is for Hawk (Dec. TBD; opens Jan. 23)
  • Kokuho (Nov. 14 at LA’s CityWalk Hollywood, Nov. 21 at NYC’s Angelika)
  • Late Shift (Nov. 28 at LA’s Monica Film Center)
  • The Love That Remains (Oct. 10 in Elk Grove Village in Illinois; opens Jan. 30)
  • Magellan (Oct. 10 at Dallas’ Galaxy Theatres Grandscape)
  • A Magnificent Life (Nov. 21 at NYC’s Village East and LA’s Laemmle Royal; opens Feb. 20)
  • Manas (Nov. 19 at LA’s Laemmle Glendale)
  • Misan Harriman: Shoot The People (Dec. 5 at LA’s Claremont 5)
  • Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Sept. 19 at LA’s NoHo 7)
  • My Father’s Shadow (Nov. 21 at NYC’s IFC Center; opens Feb. 6)
  • Natchez (Nov. 7 at Atlanta’s Tara Theatre; opens Jan. 30)
  • Palestine 36 (Nov. 28 at LA’s Laemmle Royal)
  • Olivia & Las Nubes (Nov. 7 at SF’s Cinelouge Tiburon)
  • Pillion (Oct. 31 at LA’s Laemmle Newhall, opens Feb. TBD)
  • A Poet (Dec. 11 in Chicago; opens Jan. 30)
  • The President’s Cake (Dec. 12 at NYC’s Village East and LA’s Laemmle Monica Film Center; opens Feb. 6)
  • A Private Life (Dec. 5 at NYC’s Village East and LA’s Laemmle Royal; opens Jan. 16)
  • Scarlet (Dec. 12; opens Feb. 6)
  • The Shepherd And The Bear (Nov. 21 at NYC’s Cinema Village)
  • Sirāt (Nov. 14 at NYC’s Film at Lincoln Center and LA’s AMC Burbank 16; opens Jan. TBD)
  • Slide (Nov. 28 at NYC’s Cinema Village)
  • Sound of Falling (Nov. 14 at NYC’s IFC Center)
  • Suburban Fury (Dec. 5 at NYC’s Alamo Lower Manhattan)
  • We Shall Not Be Moved (Nov. 28 at NYC’s Cinema Village)
  • WTO/99 (Dec. 5 at NYC’s DCTV)

While these aren’t qualifying runs, here are a handful of films getting limited runs beginning in late December and will expand through January:

Be sure to bookmark this page as we’ll update with new qualifying runs and late-December releases when announced.

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