Festivals
Short film festivals worth knowing about: what they programme, when they usually run and which awards they qualify for.
Qualifying status and dates change from year to year. Each entry links to the festival's own site: check it before you pay an entry fee.
| Festival | Where | Usually | Qualifies for | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampere Film Festival | Tampere, Finland | March | Oscars | International short film of all kinds |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | Annecy, France | June | Oscars | Animation only: shorts, features, TV, commissions and graduation films |
| Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival | Clermont-Ferrand, France | January–February | Oscars | All genres; the largest short film festival in the world |
| Interfilm Berlin International Short Film Festival | Berlin, Germany | November | — | International shorts across genres, with special competitions |
| International Short Film Festival Oberhausen | Oberhausen, Germany | Spring | — | Experimental, political and artists’ short film |
| Cork International Film Festival | Cork, Ireland | November | Oscars | A historic festival with a strong short film tradition |
| Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia | Tokyo, Japan | June | Oscars | International and Asian short film |
| Uppsala International Short Film Festival | Uppsala, Sweden | October | Oscars | International short film, with a strong children’s programme |
| Aesthetica Short Film Festival | York, UK | November | BAFTA | A wide range of genres, plus artists’ film and music video |
| Edinburgh International Film Festival | Edinburgh, UK | August | — | A historic general film festival with short film programmes |
| Encounters Film Festival | Bristol, UK | September | Oscars, BAFTA, BIFA | Short film and animation, with a strong emerging talent programme |
| Glasgow Short Film Festival | Glasgow, UK | March | BAFTA, BIFA | Bold, experimental and Scottish shorts |
| Leeds International Film Festival | Leeds, UK | November | Oscars, BAFTA | A major general film festival with large short film competitions |
| London Short Film Festival | London, UK | January | BAFTA, BIFA | UK and international shorts, with an independent, adventurous programme |
| Raindance Film Festival | London, UK | Autumn | — | Independent film, including a large short film programme |
| Sheffield DocFest | Sheffield, UK | June | — | Documentary and non-fiction, including shorts, interactive and immersive work |
| Palm Springs International ShortFest | Palm Springs, USA | June | Oscars | One of North America’s largest short film festivals |
| Sundance Film Festival | Park City, USA | January | Oscars | Independent film, with a highly selective short film programme |