So, you’ve made a film – congratulations! After hours spent fawning over lighting, organizing a crew, and perfecting your editing you finally have the masterpiece you have always dreamed of. So, how do you get the rest of the world to see it? Festivals.
From week long events in big cities, to small intimate screenings in a town no one knows exists, there are so many festivals to submit your film to, but if you want to make a name for yourself these top 10 festivals are the ones that will get you heard.
London Short Film Festival
Where: London, England
When: January
Entry fee: $35
Run Time: Up to 45 minutes
BAFTA Qualifying
The London Short Film Festival takes places for just over a week in the middle of January with over 100,000 people attending different events and screening throughout this period. Many screenings are held in iconic cinematic venues, for example BFI Southbank and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. As the festival is so large they are easily able to show a completely diverse range of short films in intimate viewing experiences.
Encounters International Film Festival
Where: Bristol, England
When: September
Entry fee: £20
Run Time: Up to 30 minutes
Academy Award Qualifying | BAFTA Qualifying
The Encounters International Film Festival is a worldly recognized film festival located in Bristol, described as a gateway to the most prestigious awards. Their mission is to ‘to provide an international platform for new and emerging talent’ and they aim to enable filmmakers to build connections with both their industries and their audiences. The festival is divided in half with a Best of British section and an International Grand Prix, both highly competitive and sought for.
A special note goes to the UK Deaf Shorts category which aims to promote inclusivity and conversation surrounding disabilities.
Raindance Film Festival
Where: London, England
When: October
Entry fee: £35
Run Time: Up to 45 minutes
Academy Award Qualifying | BAFTA Qualifying
Raindance is the largest independent film festival in the UK and is world renowned for their program. Based in the heart of London’s West End, the buzz surrounding this film festival is electric and one to be experienced. Not only does the festival feature the competition but there are numerous masterclasses, industry talks and panels, and networking events as they promote collaboration between creators.
BFI Future Film Festival
Where: London, England
When: February
Entry fee: £0
Run Time: Up to 10 minutes
This London-based film festival is facilitated by the British Film Institute in an effort to specifically support young filmmakers in the industry, with prizes up to £15,000 which can be put towards your next film. The only requirement for submission is that the director, producer and majority of the production crew should be under 25 at the time the film was made.
BFI London Film Festival
Where: London, England
When: October
Entry fee: £20 for international entries; £15 for UK entries
Run Time: Up to 40 minutes
BAFTA Qualifying
Held on London’s Southbank with astonishing views over the River Thames, this is one of the most famous film festivals held in the country’s capital. There is a large range of heavily anticipated films that premiere in the festival for example ‘Ammonite’, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, will close this year’s 64th Annual Festival. However, mixed with smaller upcoming talent this festival still feels accessible and fresh to the wider audiences.
Cannes Film Festival
Where: Cannes, France
When: May
Entry fee: £0
Run Time: Up to 15 minutes
Academy Award Qualifying | BAFTA Qualifying
Possibly the most world-renowned film festival, Cannes is known as one of the ‘Big Five’. Every May this resort town on the coast of the French Riviera is transformed, lined with celebrities dazzling in the finest designers ready to promote their new films or support fellow A-listers in set-to-be hits. Whilst Cannes is known for the glitz and glamour, they don’t charge a submission fee, which makes competition rife as entry numbers surpass thousands. However, if you are accepted into Cannes you will find yourself on a rollercoaster to all of the most prestigious awards.
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
Where: Clermont-Ferrand, France
When: January
Entry fee: £0
Run Time: Up to 40 minutes for international films; up to 59 minutes for French national films
Academy Award Qualifying | BAFTA Qualifying
This festival is recognized as the largest international film festival particularly dedicated to short film, with more than 7,000 submissions annually. It has been running since 1979, originally organized by the Clermont-Ferrand University as a Short Film Week, before eventually transitioning in 1986 to an internationally renowned festival.
Berlin Film Festival
Where: Berlin, Germany
When: February
Entry fee: €75
Run Time: Up to 30 minutes
Academy Award Qualifying | BAFTA Qualifying
One of the famous ‘Big Five’, the Berlin Film Festival known as the ‘Berlinale’ is a long-time well-established festival, running since 1951. When founded, shorts were shown in the same categories as feature length films but once the festival expanded shorts were presented in a separate program with a separate international jury. In 2007 this became a completely independent section known as the ‘Berlinale Shorts’.
Venice Film Festival
Where: Venice, Italy
When: September
Entry fee: €60
Run Time: Up to 20 minutes
Academy Award Qualifying | BAFTA Qualifying
Founded in 1932, the Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world, and is a part of the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s oldest exhibitions of art. Not only is the festival one of the most world renowned for its age, history and huge amount of culture but also it is set beautifully on the Lido di Venezia, an 11km long island in the Venetian lagoon of northern Italy.
Edinburgh International Film Festival
Where: Edinburgh, Scotland
When: June
Entry fee: £35
Run Time: Up to 30 minutes
BAFTA qualifying
Originally inaugurated as the International Festival of Documentary Films in 1947, the EIFF has progressed throughout time to welcome a diverse variety of films. The festivals champions British talent and over the years has screened world premieres from the likes of Danny Boyle, Stephen Frears and Bill Forsyth. Short films are also split into UK and international categories for: fiction, documentary and experimental.
BONUS ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL – Argo’s Untold Stories Short Film Festival
Where: Online
Entry Fee: $1-$5
Opening Date: July 3, 2020
Event Date: October 1-18, 2020
Argo is a recently launched short film streaming platform. They have just launched the Untold Stories Film Festival ; their goal is to promote BIPOC narratives and celebrate cultures from all around the world that we may not see represented in mainstream media. As a bonus, winners’ films will be released on the curated Argo app!
