Guide to applying
Choosing festivals, and in what order
Start with the premiere rules. Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Rotterdam's short competition want a world or international premiere: screen anywhere else first and those doors close. Clermont-Ferrand, Tampere, Palm Springs ShortFest and Aesthetica don't need a premiere.
- Top tier first. Aiming for a premiere festival? Send there first and wait for the answer.
- Then the qualifiers. For a British short, two BAFTA-listed festivals (one for animation) is the target. Check the eligibility window so both screenings land in the same Awards year.
- Then fit. Pick festivals that show films like yours: documentary, genre, LGBTQ+.
- Keep a list of 10 to 20. Not 100. A focused list with the right premieres beats a scattergun.
Budget and deadlines
Fees on this page run from free (Busan, Watersprite, Annecy and Cannes list none) to about US$95 for a late Sundance entry. Late deadlines can cost two or three times the early ones.
- Set a total festival budget before you start, and track every fee in the downloadable tracker.
- Diary the early deadline, not the final one.
- Ask about waivers: some festivals waive fees for alumni, students or under-represented filmmakers. Iris Prize waives fees for its alumni; Raindance Create members get one free entry a year.
- Budget for what comes after a yes: a DCP, subtitles, travel and posters.
What to send
- Screener: a private, password-protected link with downloads off. Use the final cut. BAFTA asks that the version you enter is identical to the one the festivals showed, with no laurels in the file.
- Logline: one sentence that says who wants what and what stands in the way.
- Synopsis: a short version (about 50 words) and a long one (about 250). Don't give away the ending in the short one.
- Stills: three to six high-resolution frames without text, plus a director's headshot.
- Press kit: credits, director's statement and biography, technical details and contacts. The checklist PDF below covers it all.
- Subtitles and access: English subtitles for any other language, and an SDH or captions file. BAFTA now asks for a descriptive subtitled version of every short entered.
- Exhibition copy: only when selected. Festivals usually ask for a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) and sometimes a ProRes file as backup. Raindance, for example, asks selected films for a DCP and a backup Blu-ray. Get a DCP made and checked by someone who can test it in a cinema.
Cover letters
Most festivals don't want one. If asked, four lines: what the film is, who made it, why it fits this festival (name a strand or a past film), and its premiere status. No begging, no reviews from friends, and never mention rejections.
- Most festivals take entries through FilmFreeway; many European shorts festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, use Shortfilmdepot. Both are platforms, not proof a festival is good.
- Go to the festival's own website and follow its link to the platform. No website of its own? Be careful.
- Read the rules before you pay: fees are almost never refundable.
- Set your screener to private, and keep a copy of every receipt and confirmation email.
When you are selected, or rejected
Selected: read the acceptance email, sign and return what they ask for, and deliver your screening copy on time. Ask about accreditation, accommodation and access. Don't announce until the festival says so. Laurels go on the poster, not the film file.
Rejected: it's normal. Big festivals turn down almost everything. Don't ask for feedback unless it's offered, and don't reply angrily. Update your tracker and move on.
Travel and bursaries
Ask each festival that selects you what it covers: some pay travel or accommodation, many give free accreditation. Ask your national or regional screen agency and your course about travel support. Tell the festival early about access needs.
Spot a fake festival
Some "festivals" exist only to take entry fees and sell laurels. Before you pay, check:
- Does it have its own website, with past programmes, real venues and dates?
- Can you find photos, press coverage or audience reviews from past editions?
- Do films actually screen to an audience, in a cinema you can find on a map?
- Is there a long list of categories and "awards", with winners announced every month?
- Are there extra fees after you "win", for laurels, trophies or certificates?
- Does it claim BAFTA, BIFA or Oscar status? Check the official lists linked on this page.
- Are the programmers and jury named, with real careers you can look up?
- Would you be proud to put this laurel on your poster in front of a real programmer?
If several answers worry you, keep your money for a festival that counts.
