American Cinema Editors (ACE)

Overview

American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society founded in 1950 that recognizes excellence in film and television editing. Membership is by invitation only and is one of the highest peer-recognized honors available to a working editor. Members use the "ACE" designation after their names in screen credits, a mark visible on virtually every major Hollywood production. ACE is not a labor union. It focuses on craft recognition, education, and mentorship, while the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) handles labor representation, wage scales, and working conditions for editors on union productions.

ACE membership spans feature film editing, television episodic editing, documentary editing, and commercial editing. The organization has approximately 700 active members. The "ACE" credit suffix is among the most universally recognized craft distinctions in the industry, signaling that an editor's peers have voted to admit them based on their body of work.

Membership Requirements and Costs

ACE membership is by invitation only. Candidates for Active Membership must be sponsored by 2 Active or Life ACE members who have been in good standing for at least 3 years. At least one sponsor should have worked directly with the applicant. Each sponsor writes a letter of at least 100 words and submits a signed Sponsor Verification Form. The induction process takes approximately 4 months.

Candidates must have a minimum of 72 months (6 years) of substantiated editing credits on projects with U.S. distribution, either as theatrical releases or via national broadcast. Credits must appear in main or main end titles. The organization also considers candidates who have earned special merit, distinction, or outstanding contributions to the craft through education, leadership, and mentorship.

Financial requirements:

• Application fee: $50 (non-refundable)
• Initiation fee: $1,500 (one-time, payable in 1, 3, or 6 monthly installments)
• Annual dues: $450

Affiliate Membership is available for editors with some industry experience who do not yet meet the 72-month requirement. Affiliate members pay the same $50 application fee, $1,500 initiation fee, and $450 annual dues. This category provides access to ACE events and community before qualification for full membership.

International Partner Membership is available for established editors living and working outside the U.S. who belong to a recognized editing organization in their own country. The application fee is $25 USD. Initiation fees and annual dues are adjusted based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) for the applicant's country of residence. International Partners may upgrade to full Active membership after 2 years in good standing, at the Board's discretion.

Eddie Award nominees and winners are eligible to apply for Active Membership through a streamlined process.

Eddie Awards

ACE presents the Eddie Awards annually, recognizing outstanding achievement in editing across theatrical features, episodic television, documentaries, reality programming, and student work. The 76th Annual ACE Eddie Awards will be held on February 27, 2026, at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles.

Key dates for the 76th Eddie Awards:

• Submissions open: October 1, 2025
• Early bird submission deadline ($250 per entry): December 1, 2025
• Regular submission fee ($350 per entry): after December 1, 2025
• Submission deadline: December 18, 2025, 5pm PT
• Nominations announced: January 27, 2026
• Blue Ribbon Screenings: February 2 to 13, 2026
• Awards ceremony: February 27, 2026

Eligibility periods for the 76th Eddie Awards:

• Feature Films: January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
• Television: November 2, 2024 to December 31, 2025

The 76th edition introduces a new category: Best Edited Short Film (narrative, documentary, or animation, 40 minutes or under). Short films qualify through festival selection, theatrical/streaming release, or online release on an established channel with 100,000+ subscribers during the 2025 calendar year.

Only credited upfront editors are eligible for nomination. Assistant editors and back-end editors are not eligible. Submissions are processed through an online system, and screeners are viewed via the ACE Eddie Awards Screening Room platform rather than physical media.

The Eddie Awards span categories including drama, comedy, thriller, musical, and documentary for features, plus episodic categories for television. The awards are voted on by ACE members and represent peer recognition from the editing community. Eddie nominations and wins are widely regarded as a predictor for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, with significant overlap between Eddie nominees and Oscar nominees in most years.

Educational Programs and Community

ACE operates EditFest Global, a series of events and online content providing access to working professional editors for the broader editing community. Members receive complimentary EditFest Global subscriptions, access to past magazine issues, invitations to exclusive ACE meetings and holiday parties, and voting rights for Eddie Awards ballots and Board of Directors elections.

The organization's masterclasses and workshops provide educational value for editors at all career stages. These events offer networking opportunities with established editors and are accessible to non-members through EditFest Global registration.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For directors and producers evaluating editors for hire, the "ACE" designation signals peer-recognized distinction. An editor with "ACE" after their name has been voted into membership by working editors who reviewed their body of work. This is distinct from union membership, which certifies that an editor is qualified to work on union productions but does not evaluate creative excellence. Understanding this distinction helps producers assess credentials: union membership is a requirement for employment on union shows, while ACE membership is a career honor.

For editors pursuing ACE membership, the path requires building a 6-year body of credited work, maintaining professional relationships with current ACE members, and demonstrating contributions to the craft beyond individual editing credits. The organization evaluates candidates on their full professional record, including mentorship, education, and leadership within the editing community. Editors who receive Eddie Award nominations gain access to a streamlined application path.

For international editors, the International Partner membership category provides a route to ACE affiliation without relocating to the U.S. The PPP-adjusted fee structure makes membership accessible based on local economic conditions, and the upgrade path to full Active membership is available after 2 years.

See Also

For the union that covers editing employment on union productions, including wage scales and working conditions, see Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) in this directory. For the Academy Award for Film Editing, see the Academy Awards entry. Use the Post Production Timeline Calculator to plan your editing schedule and delivery deadlines.