What award is given for overall excellence in filmmaking?

The Academy Award, commonly known as the Oscar, is the most prestigious recognition in the film industry for overall excellence in filmmaking. It honors outstanding achievements across multiple categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, and various acting awards, thereby encompassing a wide range of film contributions. The Oscars are determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which comprises industry professionals who evaluate and vote on various films and performances.

While the Golden Globe and BAFTA also recognize significant contributors to film, they serve different functions and contexts. The Golden Globe Awards, for example, recognize excellence in both film and television, which may dilute their focus specifically on cinema. The Cannes Film Festival Award is distinct because it is associated with a festival that showcases films rather than a general awards body assessing all films released in a given year, making the Oscar stand out as the authoritative benchmark for overall excellence in filmmaking.