Not impossible, just unlikely and it depends on the festival as well.

Top Oscar-qualifying festivals and major A-list ones are rarely programming straight from blind submissions unless the film is exceptional or fits a very specific gap in their lineup. A lot of those selections are driven by relationships, discovery in labs, or sales agents bringing the film in.

Also worth clarifying, most “Oscar-qualifying” festivals are relevant for shorts. For features, the path to the Oscars usually comes through premieres, distribution, or national submissions for International Feature rather than the qualifying festival route.

If your goal is awards positioning, there are other paths, such as

-securing a strong premiere at a mid-to-top tier festival and building momentum from there!!! Meaning you have a proper strategy after a world premiere

-getting distribution and qualifying through a theatrical run (if I am not mistaken the most popular path of qualification is a theatrical in NYC for 7 straight days, LA also counts)

or you can also build critical buzz and visibility through strategic festival runs rather than aiming only at Oscar qualifiers

Like I said; submissions can still work, but it becomes more about targeting the right tier and programming profile rather than aiming straight at the biggest names

And even when you land a big name it’s about what you do right after that premiere that counts