REGULATIONS – WORLDWIDE & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

REGULAR short film submission

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

▪ All genres are accepted.
▪ Maximum length: 40 minutes (including credits).
▪ Films must have been completed on or after January 1st, 2023.
▪ Only completed productions are accepted (no work-in-progress previews).
▪ A film may only be submitted once.
▪ No premiere requirement.
▪ Accepted digital screening formats: Apple ProRes 422 or H.264 (1080p).
▪ The screening copy must be in English or have English subtitles.
▪ Paid entry fee.
▪ Submitting before the Deadline June 1st, 2025.
▪ The submitter is responsible for all copyrights. By submitting the film, you commit the film to be screened if it is selected and the selection of the film has been accepted by the filmmaker.

HOW TO SUBMIT

▪ Submissions can be made via Festhome, Shortfilmdepot, FilmFreeway or on shortsfestival.org.
▪ Upload at least one still photo from the film.
▪ Ensure the preview file is working correctly.
▪ Preview file must be in English or subtitled in English.
▪ The final selection will be announced he latest by August 1st, 2025, at www.shortsfestival.org.
▪ Only submitters of selected films will be notified personally.
▪ The submitters of the selected films will be notified prior to the public announcement.

JURIES AND PRIZES

WORLDWIDE COMPETITION
The festival will invite a jury president. The shnit TRIBUTE nominates three films to present to the jury president to elect the winner of the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION. The following prizes will be given to the director of the awarded films:

▪ Jury presidents Award – THE FLAMING FAUN: 5.000 $ for the best film
▪ Audience Award – THE FLAMING FAUN

The winner of the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION as well as the three shnit audience nominated films of the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION will all become eligible to enter the Oscars® 2026 [Cinematic release | in accordance with the rules of the 98th Oscars®].

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
The festival will nominate an international jury consisting of three members. shnit TRIBUTE nominates in each jury-category three films to present to the jury. The following prizes will be given to the director of the awarded films:

▪ Jury Award – THE FLAMING FAUN: $2.500 for the best film under 10 minutes
▪ Jury Award – THE FLAMING FAUN: $2.500 for the best film under 20 minutes
▪ Jury Award – THE FLAMING FAUN: $2.500 for the best film under 40 minutes
▪ Audience Award – THE FLAMING FAUN

The three shnit audience nominated films of the INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION will all become eligible to enter the Oscars® 2026 [Cinematic release | in accordance with the rules of the 98th Oscars®].

In addition to the prizes mentioned above and with the approval of the festival, it is also possible for other organisations and associations to award films in the WORLDWIDE & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. Any prizes (cash or in-kind prizes) awarded by shnit are not transferable or exchangeable. The festival reserves the right to change, add or suppress awards according to circumstances.

IF THE FILM IS SELECTED

▪ Information given in the entry form (synopsis, credits etc.) will be used as such in marketing and publicity.
▪ Please have your screening copy ready for sending in from June 1st 2025.
▪ Screening copy must be delivered at least four (4) weeks before the festival.
▪ Screening copy must have English subtitles (extra file | separate from film file) and be identical to the preview copy.

▪ Films will be subtitled in the needed language for the screenings.
▪ The festival is authorized to make excerpts not exceeding 10% or max. 3 minutes of the total running time of the selected films to be used in promoting the festival in various media and the Internet and for promotional (incl. shnit-postcards), archival and other non-commercial purposes.
▪ The festival offers the representative of the film (1 person) free festival access to all screenings in all PLAYGROUNDS*. More information about guest services will be provided personally to successful applicants.
▪ Festival will not pay screening fees for films selected for the WORLDWIDE & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.
▪ Please ensure that nominated filmmakers are ready to travel to the shnit FINALE in Amsterdam (September 30th 2025) to be part of the award ceremony.

SCREENINGS

▪ shnit PLAYGROUNDS* Screenings: August 21st – August 31st, 2025.
▪ shnit EXPANDED screenings until September 30th, 2025: Films of the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION will be offered for closed screening in foreign country offices (embassies / consular offices) in various cities. A small selection of films of the INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION will be presented in cinemas and cultural centers in the program «life is shorts» outside shnit PLAYGROUNDS*. The winners of the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION and three audience-nominated films from the WORLDWIDE & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION will be screened for seven days in a cinema in USA (NY).
▪ shnit FINALE Award Ceremony: September 30th, 2025, in Amsterdam, [The Netherlands].

SHNIT ONLINE FILM LIBRARY & BEST OF PROGRAM

Selected films will be included in shnit’s online film library, accessible only to accredited professionals from August 21st – August 31st, 2025. During the shnit PLAYGROUNDS* period, selected short films may be made available for a fee on a password-protected, geo-blocked shnit platform (shnit SHOWREEL). 

Any restrictions on online screenings must be communicated at least two weeks before the festival via showreel@shortsfestival.org.
After the festival, a few films from the official selection may be screened as a BEST OF program and in special programs in cinemas and cultural centers. shnit presents its programs with subtitles in several languages. To translate subtitles and to learn about languages shnit collaborates with language schools and can make officially selected films of the program 2025 available for students. Best efforts will be made to ensure that filmmakers whose films are being screened as BEST OF will be informed about the place(s) and date(s) of the screening(s).

NON-SPECIFIED CASES

Any such cases not mentioned in these regulations will be left to the festival’s consideration (in accordance with FIAPF International Regulations). By submitting a film, the entrant acknowledges that they have read, understood, and accepted the regulations without reservation.

* shnit worldwide shortsfestival takes place simultaneously in the several cities, the shnit PLAYGROUNDS, on five continents. The planned PLAYGROUNDS 2025 are: Buenos Aires [Argentina], Cairo [Egypt], Cape Town [South Africa], Goa [India], Hong Kong [China], Moscow [Russia], Sidney [Australia], San José [Costa Rica], Toronto [Canada], the shnit OPENING in Bern [Switzerland] and the shnit FINALE in Amsterdam [The Netherlands]. Affected by the aftermath of the pandemic, there may be changes in this planning. The shnit FINALE in Amsterdam is held annually, as long as the contributions of the partners and sponsors make this possible. The final festival setup will be announced on August 1st, 2025, at www.shortsfestival.org.