Blog: Filmfestivals

Don't miss out on submitting your short film to Zinebi International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao!



Born in 1959 as the Iberian American and Filipino International Documentary Film festival of Bilbao, it was created as a younger brother of sorts to the San Sebastian Film Festval. Sixty years later, Zinebi International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao has gained its own place as one the main international festivals of its kind, and is now a test field for new trends in contemporary filmmaking, as well as a truly useful platform for the most daring filmmakers, all within a frame of professional criticism, debate and specialisation.


Among the festival guests, international judges or awarded authors, great names can be found, such as Roman Polanski, Marco Bellocchio, Jean Rouch, Basilio M. Patino, Julio Medem or Carlos Saura.



OSCAR®, BAFTA AND GOYA AWARDS QUALIFYING FESTIVAL: The Zinebi Grand Prix winner will automatically qualify for consideration for the annual Academy Awards® organised by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science and for the BAFTA awards. The winner of the Spanish Films Grand Prix will be automatically considered for the Goya awards given by Spain's Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.

Since 1974, it is recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as a top international competitive festival, and it is one of only five festivals in the world recognised as a Class A festival in the documentary and short film category.


Zinebi's call for entries will close next July, 15th, and submissions can only be made through Festhome!

Oscar and Méliès Awards qualifier SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, exclusively in Festhome



SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is the world's main fantastic film festival, a must-attend event for film lovers and for all those who want to know the new trends and technologies applied to film and the audiovisual world. That is why great actors, directors and producers of the level of Paul Verhoeven, William Friedkin, Susan Sarandon or Quentin Tarantino do not hesitate to visit this festival.


SITGES is one of the best showcases in the world to discover the most advanced and innovative fantastic productions. An exceptional encounter with horror stories, a careful selection of the latest animation pieces and a suggestive vision of new film noir.



Qualifier for the Academy Awards®, Méliès and Goya: Short film winners of the Official Fantàstic and Animát sections will be automatically considered for the Academy Awards® and the Mélliès d'Or awards.

Sitges is a competitive festival in accordance with the regulations established by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations).



Submisions close on JULY 15th and can ONLY be made through FESTHOME!!

Submit your film before June, 30th to the 21st Soria International Short Film Fest



Organised by Soria's City Hall and Youth Council and by La Boca Espacio de Cultura, the Soria International Short Film Fest will give in its 21st edition in excess of 18000 € in cash prizes.


One of Soria International Short Film Festival's main goals is the promotion of short films as a cinematic expression, thus contributing to their recognition, acknowledgment and value as an essential means of sharing cinematic culture.


One more year, the city of Soria will be fully committed with the short film festival and will be home of many cultural activities such as exhibitions, lectures, film creation courses, workshops and screenings in schools and education centres.



Goya Awards®
Qualifying Festival: Since 2016 the festival is AIC (Agency for the Industry of Short Films) approved, a recognition that allows the winners to be automatically pre-selected for the Goya® Awards.

Don't miss your chance and submit your fiction, animation or documentary short film before the end of the current month of June!

June, 21st is the final deadline to submit your film to the 30th New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF)



Next week is the final deadline to submit your film to the New Orleans Film Festival, produced annually since 1989 by the New Orleans Film Society to take the newest independent films to the city of New Orleans with the film festival and also a permanent schedule of screenings all year round.


Looking for original, audacious and thought-provoking films, NOFF is particularly interested in films from filmmakers whose perspectives are less often represented in film production (last year, more than 50% of the films were helmed by women and gender non-conforming filmmakers, and over 45% were helmed by filmmakers of color).



Qualifying festival for the Oscar® Awards in all three Academy®-accredited categories for short films: The recipients of the festival's Documentary Short Jury Award, Narrative Short Jury Award, and Animated Short Jury Award will be automatically eligible for consideration in their respective categories of the Academy Awards®.

Lastly, the Festival offers each year Jury Awards to films in 7 different categories. The grand total value of the awards given in 2018 was in excess of $90.000 in camera equipment, production services and editing and post-production software.


Do not hesitate and submit your film before next June, 21st!

Send your film to Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) before April, 1st

Since 1998, the Guanajuato International Film Festival has become one of the most important platforms for young Latin American filmmakers and one of the best programs in Mexico, with a variety of competitions that include fiction, experimental, documentary and animation short films, fiction and documentary feature films, and virtual reality as its latest addition.



GIFF's 22nd edition will take place in July, 2019, 19th through 28th, in the cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, Mexico. It will offer a wide range of screenings, workshops, panels, live shows, an international market now in development for the pitching of Mexican projects and numerous networking opportunities by bringing together new talents and renowned experts in the film industry.

Oscar® and BAFTA Awards qualifying festival: Recipients of the festival's prizes in the categories of Short Fiction, Short Documentary and Short Animation will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards® organised by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.


As a BAFTA recognized film festival, all films accepted to the Guanajuato International Film Festival qualify to be considered for the British Academy Short Film Awards.

Don't forget to submit your short or feature film, submissions will close next April, 1st, Monday!

IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival's 16th edition will give out in excess of 10000 € in cash awards

IN THE PALACE started out as a competitive forum for student films, but it has now become the biggest and most prestigious short film festival in Bulgaria, and one of the best known throughout Eastern Europe, eventually been given the EFFE Festival label granted by the European Festivals Association.


IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival focuses on fiction, documentary, animation and experimental short films, plus new media and digital arts, up to 27 minutes in running length. It is an exceptional platform for both young filmmakers and seasoned professionals.


The festival will take place in late June in Queen Marie Alexandra Victoria's former residence in the beautiful seaside town of Balchik, by the Black Sea. In the course of the festival there will be additional activities such as live music shows, panels, labs for children, nightly open air screenings near the beach, etc.

Academy Awards® qualifying festival in three categories: On top of the 10000 € the festival gives out in cash awards, IN THE PALACE is a qualifying festival for the Oscar Awards® from the Hollywood Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the Best International Animation, Best International Fiction and Best National short film categories, and also for the Student Awards®.

Don't miss your chance and submit your film to the 16th International Short Film Festival IN THE PALACE before March, 15th!

Huesca International Film Festival, 24700 € in prizes and qualifier for Goya® and Oscar®

The 47th edición of Huesca International Film Festival, meeting point for film professionals and film lovers, will take place in the city of Huesca (Spain) between the 7th and the 15th of June, 2019. It is one of the oldest film festivals in Spain and a true hallmark for short films internationally.


The festival, which gives out in excess of 24000 Euro in cash prizes, has 3 sections: Iberian American (Spain, Latin America and Portugal), International and Documentary. It also offers other categories and activities, such as the Screenings of New Iberian American filmmakers, the Luis Buñuel Award, the City of Huesca Award or the Pepe Escriche Award.



Qualifying festival for the Goya® and the Oscar® Awards: The Hollywood Academy supports Huesca International Film Festival by recognizing it as shortlisting for the Oscar® Awards within Best Short Fiction Film category, also the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes it for the Goya® Awards.

If you have a 30-minute long fiction, animation or experimental short film, or a 40-minute long documentary short film produced in 2018 or 2019, do not wait any longer and submit it to the Huesca International Film Festival before February, 14th!

The final deadline for the 22nd Brussels Short Film Festival is next January, 27th

Since 1998, the Brussels Short Film Festival has as its main goals to promote emerging filmmakers, actors and technicians by presenting them to a large audience (25500 attendees in 2018) and connecting them to industry professionals while allowing them to divulge and sell their short films in the festival's international market.


This festival offers a screening experience that mixes quality, discovery, diversity and entertainment, and presents short films to young audiences as an alternative format of artistic creation.



Academy Awards® qualifying festival: Since 2018, the winners of the Great Prize of the International competition will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/ Live Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards®

Plus, the Brussels Short Film Festival gives out 8000 Euro in cash awards. Don't miss your chance and submit your film before January, 27th!

Final deadline for submissions for the 32nd International Medina del Campo Film Week, with no entry fees, is coming soon

The call for entries for the International Medina del Campo Film Week will come to an end next January, 18th. One of the longest running Spanish film festivals, with a history that expands over three decades, Medina del Campo Film Week has awarded several Goya® Award winners, and two Oscar® nominated short films. The festival, which has no festival entry fees, will take place from 8th through 16th, March, 2019, and submissions up to 30 minutes in running length are accepted from all countries.


The festival main focus is auteur films, especially in short film format, and music clips. It also pays attention to production development. meetings of film production, distribution and festival professionals, master classes and lectures, workshops for children and teenagers or screenings in primary and high schools.



: The winner of the Golden Roel is pre-selected for the 33rd Goya Awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Spain.

Besides not having festival entry fees, the festival will give out in excess of 18000 Euro in cash awards! You are still on time to submit your short film before January, 18th!

Next January 3rd is the deadline to submit your short film to Busan International Short Film Festival!



The Call for entries for the 36th edition of Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF), one of the few international short film festivals in Asia, ends in two weeks.



This prestigious festival from South Korea started out in 1980 with its sole focus on Korean films. Shortly afterwards it started accepting Asian short films, and it became a truly international film festival in 2010, when it started acting as a portal for Korean and Asian films to the rest of the world, and vice versa.

Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival: Winners of the Best international film and Best Korean film Awards will be pre-selected for the Annual Academy Awards® organised by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science in the Animation / Live action short film categories.

The festival will also give out some 24000 € in cash awards. Don't miss your opportunity and submit your short film to Busan International Short Film Festival before January 3rd!

Send your short film to LISFE before December, 21st!



Leiden International Short Film Experience (LISFE) is an annual festival which focuses on short films of different genres, sources, purposes, forms and intentions which takes place in historical places in the town of Leiden (Netherlands). This well known festival gathers several forms of art and offers a platform for filmmakers, artists, musicians and students.



LISFE has screened in excess of 600 short films from more than 50 different countries, thus promoting the talent of young filmmakers and paying special attention to student filmmakers. In its 11th edition, LISFE is open to receive fiction, fantasy, documentary, horror, thriller, animation, science-fiction, films for kids, virtual reality, experimental short films, etc from all over the world.



2000 € in cash awards!: Jury Award (1000 € in cash), Audience Award (500 € in cash) and Student Award (500 € in cash).

Don't miss your chance to submit your film, submissions will close next December, 21st!

Just a few days left to submit your Iberian American short or feature film to Málaga Film Festival


The 22nd Málaga Film Festival. Films in Spanish will take place between the 15th and the 24th, March, 2019, with the promotion of filmmaking in Spanish as one of its main goals. Among its main features, it is the home of an encounter between all professional levels of Spanish language film production (produced in Spain and Iberian America, which therefore includes Portugal and Brazil) to foster its development and its international commercialisation.


The deadline to submit documentary and short films is December, 15th, whilst Iberian American feature films, for both the Official and the Zonazine categories, can be submitted until January, 15th. Latin American short films can be submitted to the festival only if they are documentary films, whereas fiction and animation short films are only accepted if produced in Spain.


Goya® Awards qualifying festival: Winners of the Silver Biznagas to the best fiction and documentary short films are automatically pre-selected for the Goya Awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Spain.

If your film was produced in Latin America, don’t miss your chance to present it to the 22nd Málaga Film Festival!

Send your film to the 59th Cartagena International Film Festival- FICCI in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) before December, 5th

Created in 1960, the Cartagena International Film Festival- FICCI is the oldest cinematographic event in Latin America. It has screened in excess of 5000 films in its film theaters in the course of 6 decades, thus becoming the main celebratory gathering of Latin American and world cinema in the Southern hemisphere, with a special focus on the development and international divulgation of Colombian films.


In its 59th edition, which will take place from 6th through 11th of March, 2019, FICCI will give 125,000 USD in cash awards in its 10 showcases and 4 work in progress laboratories (WIP). All selected films will have access to screenings and meetings with sales agents, distributors, exhibitors, media and producers, and they will also enjoy all the advantages of being accommodated by FICCI.



Oscar® qualifying festival for short films and documentary feature films: Members of the festival's selection committee and prestigious groups of Colombian documentary filmmakers will vote for the short film and the documentary feature film that will be pre-selected for the Annual Academy Awards® organised by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.




The call for entries to submit your film to the Cartagena International Film Festival- FICCI will be open exclusively in Festhome until next December, 5th!

Only 5 days left to submit your short film to Cortogenia!



Cortogenia is an international short film festival that screens shorts in the Capitol film theatre in Madrid (Spain) since 1999. Its call for entries is open all year round with 4 annual competitive screenings. In each session 4 Spanish and two international short films are screened, and each film receives 150€ as screening fee..



Now in its 19th edition, Cortogenia takes place between January and December, 2018. In December a final gala will be held where all awarded films are screened and awards are given out, awards such as: Best National Short (given by ECAM), Best Sound Award (given by Isolé División Sonora, which provides direct sound and post-production services for 2000€ to the winner in this category for their next project), the Festhome Distribution Award (given by Festhome, it's an Annual Pass for the submission of the winning film to all national and international festivals through Festhome) or the award to the Best Short Film made in Madrid (given by the Madrid based association AMA, it's an annual subscrription).



: The Best National Short winner is pre-selected for the 33rd Goya® awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Spain.

Do not miss this chance and submit your animation, documentary or fiction film before September, 30th!

Last days to submit your short film to Lebu International Film Festival!

Lebu International Film Festival aims to offer Chilean and international filmmakers an opportunity to present, sell and distribute fiction, documentary and animation short films, thus promoting hight quality production and facilitating and generating a unique space to make deals and business, and create chances for support and exchange for current and future works, while also trying to foster education and formal training. The festival does not have entry fees.



The festival's 19th edition will take place in the city of Lebu, capital city of the Chilean province of Arauco, and in the cities of Cañete and Concepción in the Chilean region of Bío Bío, from the 15th through the 21st of February, 2019, with secondary screening dates in Spain, Cuba, Argentina and Guatemala.



The one film festival in Chile that qualifies for the Oscar® Awards in the short film category: Winner short films in the International Fiction, Regional Fiction and International Animation categories will be automatically eligible for consideration for the Oscar® awards in the Animation and Live Action competitions by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Submissions will close next November, 10th, Saturday. Don't forget to submit your short film!

Submissions deadline for the Gijon International Film Festival is TODAY, SEPTEMBER, 19th!



Giving out 66.500 € n cash awards and already in its 56th edition, Gijon International Film Festival (FICX) is one of the best known film festivals in Spain and throughout the world.



The festival's goal is to show a wide and varied selection of auteur's filmmaking currently produced worldwide. A quality, personal, and youthful in form kind of filmmaking that is born from independence and creative risks.



Submit your film already to one of the festival's competitive categories: Official Selection (for short and feature films), Rellumes international category (for particularly daring documentary and non-fiction feature films), Enfants Terribles category (which focuses on films for children and teens), Llendes category (feature films, medium length films and shorts that cross the borders between fiction and non fiction films) and Animaficx category (the most attractive international animated feature, medium length and short films).

: The winner of the Principado de Asturias Prize for best short film is pre-selected in the Short Films category for the next edition of the Annual Academy Awards® organised by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science, and also for the Goya® awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Spain.

Gijón is Acknowledged as “Specialized Festival” by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association).



Be a part of the festival, and submit your film to the 56th Gijon International Film Festival TODAY, SEPTEMBER, 19th!

Submissions close on September, 15th. Do not miss your chance to submit your short film.




Founded in 2010, China International New Media Short Film Festival (CSFF) has as its primary goals to foster new narrative formats both in China and abroad, to generate innovative projects in film and television, and to promote cultural exchange and cooperation at international level.



CSFF’s 9th edition will take place from November 24th through December 2nd, 2018, in Shenzhen and it will hold 6 main events: the inauguration and closing ceremonies, the screening of carnival short films in the new Guangming district, the screening of international short films, the College day, and the CSIFF forum.



The KingBonn Awards Short Film Director Supporting Project is a short film competition that aims to discover new talents and support young directors. The project’s pre-selected directors will have a chance to raise funds for their next projects with support from the Organising Committee.


$ 100.000 in cash awards!: 1 miilion Yuan will be shared by the winners of the Best Drama Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Animation Short Film, Best VR Short and Best Short Film of Visual Effects categories.

Submissions will close in a few days, do not miss the opportunity to submit your short film!

Last days before the deadline for the Zaragoza International Film Festival

Zaragoza International Film Festival has been highlighting Spanish cinematic culture since 1985 by bringing together authors and audiences in the capital of Aragon. In its 23rd edition, which will take place between November 15th and December, 1st, there will be screenings in several film theatres across town as well as many other activities.



28 official awards will be given, out of which 14 will recognise film industry related people or institutions. The remaining awards will be given to the winners in the festival's official categories: Fiction Short Films, International Feature Films, Audiovisual Training Centers, Microshorts, Black Aragon Short Films and Animation Shorts.

: The short film that win the Augusto Award to best National Short Film is pre-selected for the 33rd Goya Awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Spain.

Submissions will close next August, 31st. Don't miss the deadline and submit your short or feature film!

Submit your film to the Almería International Film Festival before August 10th!

Almeria International Film Festival will celebrate its 17th edition this year with an ever growing prestige. The festival's location has an almost legendary bond with film history.


Focused on the better known narrative formats (fiction, documentary, animation), the festival is run by the Almeria Provincial government, and it takes place at the same time as the International photography contest Almeria, Land of Films.


Almeria International Film Festival gives out cash prizes in excess of 19 thousand Euro and awards the essential jobs in film, like performances, screenplays, cinematography, art direction... It also awards local, international and Iberoamerican films along with Spanish films.



Qualifying festival for the Goya awards: The Best National Short Film is pre-selected for the Goya Awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Spain.

Almeria International Film Festival is an essential festival in Spain, Europe and Latinamerica, and it will close its call for entries next August, 10th. Submit your film on time!

Submit your film to Asiana International Short Film Festival before July, 31st!

Asiana International Short Film Festival, which takes place in the South Korean province of Seoul, is an already veteran short film festival which will celebrate its 16th edition this year in collaboration with Asiana Airlines, Inc, thus providing a unique opportunity to participate in the In The Air sessions, which are short film screenings during the airlines' international and selected national flights.

This way, Asiana becomes a festival with singular approaches, since it combines an extreme attention to the quality of selected films through the Mecenat movement and the wider promotion of selected shorts through the In-Flight screenings initiative.

The regular screenings which constitute the core of every film festival are this time accompanied by special activities, such as the AISFF Class with Robert Sowa, Head at Animation Film Studio in Krakow, on November, 3rd.

: Asiana International Short Film Festival gives out some $ 51000 in cash awards.

Don't miss your chance to be a part of the festival, and submit your short film before July, 31st!