Go further

Festivals worth Sintel.

The festivals, funds, schemes, labs and competitions in the UK and worldwide that take a film of 14 min 48s, with the fee, the deadline and the date we checked each one. The film is public here, so the ones that want a premiere are marked.

Back to the film · The whole list

40 opportunities · 40 confirmed by a check of its own page · last pass 27 Sept 2026

Every row shows the date we last checked it and the page we checked it on. A row nobody has checked says so. Dates change: read the opportunity's own page before you pay or plan around it.

All 36 Festivals 28 Funds 4 Schemes 3 Labs 0 Competitions 1 Free to enter 10

SchemeFree to entercloses today · 19 October 2026
BFI Film Academy London introductory courses
Free courses where 16 to 19 year olds make a short film from start to finish with industry mentors; travel bursaries available.
London · Free, with travel bursaries within London zones 1 to 6 · Aged 16 to 19; half the places are kept for people who live, work or study in Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Croydon, Enfield or Newham.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 8 days · 27 October 2026
Glasgow Short Film Festival
Scotland's largest competitive short film festival, held in Glasgow each March, BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying, with a Scottish and an international competition.
Glasgow · £18 now (late rate) direct, or US$25 via FilmFreeway; waived for single entries from the least developed countries · up to 40 min · Shorts up to 40 minutes completed after 30 September 2025, from anywhere; Scottish award needs two of director, writer, producer living in Scotland
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 36 days · 24 November 2026
Manchester Film Festival
Independent film festival across Manchester city centre each March, BAFTA-qualifying for British shorts and BIFA-qualifying for shorts and features.
Manchester · Shorts US$70 until 27 October then US$75 (North West shorts US$65 then US$70); features US$97.50 then US$99.50 · premiere required · Independent shorts (up to 45 minutes) and features from anywhere, completed after 1 January 2025; not shown publicly in Manchester or online before the festival
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 39 days · 27 November 2026
Open City Documentary Festival
London festival of documentary and non-fiction in April; BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying for British shorts, and it pays screening fees to selected films.
London · Entry fee via FilmFreeway; selected works under 40 minutes get a £70 screening fee · Non-fiction film, artists' moving image, essay films, audio and cross-media work of any length from anywhere; full rules on its FilmFreeway page.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
CompetitionWorldwideFree to entercloses in 57 days · 15 December 2026
Sony Future Filmmaker Awards
Free international awards for fiction, non-fiction, animation, immersive, student and vertical films; shortlisted filmmakers go to Sony Pictures Studios.
International; shortlist flown to Sony Pictures Studios, California · Free to enter · up to 20 min · Open to the public worldwide; films 5 to 20 minutes (animation 2 to 20) released between 1 January 2025 and 15 December 2026; one film per category.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 90 days · 17 January 2027
Flatpack Festival
BAFTA-qualifying Birmingham festival of film and moving image, 4 to 9 May 2027, with four cash prizes from £300 to £1,000.
Birmingham · $30 before 1 November, then $38; under 5 minutes $13 to $20; FilmFreeway Gold discounts · up to 20 min · All types and genres of short film under 20 minutes, completed after January 2025; films under 5 minutes go in the Short Short category.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 134 days · 2 March 2027
Carmarthen Bay Film Festival
BAFTA short film, BIFA and BAFTA Cymru qualifying festival at the Ffwrnes in Llanelli, championing filmmakers in Wales and from around the world.
Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales · Entry fee via FilmFreeway (amount not given on the festival's site) · Independent films from Wales and around the world, entered through FilmFreeway.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 140 days · 8 March 2027
Raindance Film Festival
London festival of independent film each June that specialises in first-time directors; winners of its top short film awards qualify for the Oscars.
London · Shorts £38 by 7 December, £49 by 18 January, £66 by 8 March; features £59, £75, £93; FilmFreeway Gold members 10% off · Independent shorts (under 45 minutes), features and immersive work from anywhere, completed after 1 January 2025; features must be UK premieres, shorts need not be
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 158 days · 26 March 2027
Oska Bright Film Festival
BAFTA-qualifying festival for films made by or featuring learning disabled and autistic people, with a learning disabled programming team.
Brighton · Entered on FilmFreeway; the festival says FilmFreeway and transaction fees may apply · up to 25 min · Films made by, or featuring, learning disabled and/or autistic people; shorts under 25 minutes, any genre; descriptive subtitles (SRT) or a transcript needed.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festivalcloses in 232 days · 8 June 2027
Bolton Film Festival
BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying short film festival at the Light Cinema, Bolton, screening around 300 shorts with industry talks and masterclasses.
Bolton, Greater Manchester · Entry fee via FilmFreeway; waivers only for the UN's Least Developed Countries · up to 30 min · Any genre up to 30 minutes, completed between 8 June 2025 and 8 June 2027; enter once to be considered for every award. No premiere rule; work already online is fine.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalEntries for 2027 open 1 December 2026; in 2026 the regular deadline was 31 May and the late deadline 7 June
Aesthetica Film Festival
BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying festival of short film in York each November, with screenings, VR, games and industry masterclasses.
York · 2026 fees: £28 regular, £39 late (VR and immersive £39 and £49); 2027 fees not yet published; no waivers · up to 30 min · Shorts up to 30 minutes in any genre, from anywhere; no premiere needed; films from the last two years preferred
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FundFree to enterClosed; the 2026 deadline was 12 June 2026
Beacons short film funding (Ffilm Cymru Wales)
Ffilm Cymru's short film fund, with BFI NETWORK money: up to £25,000 for a live action, animation, documentary or hybrid short for cinema audiences.
Wales · No application fee · up to 15 min · Director born or based in Wales; team needs a creative track record but must not have directed a feature with a commercial distribution deal; films up to 15 minutes.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FundFree to enterClosed 18 March 2026 (England); the next round is scheduled for spring 2027
BFI NETWORK short film funding
National Lottery grants of £5,000 to £25,000 for early career filmmakers making fiction shorts of up to 15 minutes, with partner schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
England (partner schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) · No application fee mentioned; awards of £5,000 to £25,000 · up to 15 min · Early career producer and director teams (18+) with an original fiction short up to 15 minutes; the director must live in England
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalClosed for 2026; the next festival is in March 2027
Cinemagic On the Pulse
Cinemagic's month-long short film festival for young audiences, with a competitive strand for Irish filmmakers under 30.
Belfast, Northern Ireland · Not stated on the festival's site · Competitive strand for Irish filmmakers under 30; it also showcases short films made by local young filmmakers.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 call ran 1 December 2025 to 6 September 2026
Cornwall Film Festival short film competition
Cornwall's international film festival screens around 60 shorts from Cornwall, the UK and beyond in its November festival in Falmouth.
Falmouth, Cornwall · Entry fee via FilmFreeway (amount not given on the festival's site) · Shorts across strands including UK, regional, international, student and experimental; there is also Quick Cut for 90-second films. Entries via FilmFreeway.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 call ran 6 January to 24 April 2026; 2027 dates not yet posted
Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh's festival of new independent cinema, held in August, taking shorts of 30 minutes or under from Scotland, the UK and around the world.
Edinburgh, Scotland · 2026 short fees: $55 to $95 by deadline; no fee waivers · up to 30 min · premiere required · Shorts of 30 minutes or under; must be at least a UK premiere, not shown or available in the UK before the festival, and not older than 12 months.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalReopens for the 2027 edition in January 2027; the 2026 final deadline was 19 June
Edinburgh Short Film Festival
BIFA-qualifying festival bringing Scottish, UK and international shorts to Edinburgh every November, with awards, Q&As and networking.
Edinburgh, Scotland · Paid entry, with discounts for entering several films · up to 25 min · Any genre, budget or technique; 25 minutes maximum including credits. For 2026, films had to be made after 1 January 2024.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalEntries for 2027 open in autumn 2026; the 2026 call opened 17 October 2025 and closed 18 May 2026
Encounters Film Festival
Bristol's international short film festival each September, founded in 1995 and a qualifying festival for BAFTA, BIFA and the European Film Awards.
Bristol · 2026: £25 early to £40 late (students £20 to £35); 90-second DepicT! films free; 2027 fees to come · up to 40 min · Shorts of any kind (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental) up to 40 minutes, from anywhere; no premiere needed
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 entries closed 7 September 2026; its deadlines run June to September
Foyle Film Festival: Light in Motion short film competition
Northern Ireland's only Oscar- and BAFTA-accredited short film competition, open to filmmakers and animators across the world.
Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland · Entry fee via FilmFreeway (amount not given on the festival's site) · Categories for Irish, international, animated, British and British animated shorts. Full rules are on its FilmFreeway page.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalEntries through FilmFreeway; closing date not given on the festival's site
FrightFest
London festival for horror, fantasy, sci-fi and thrillers, run by fans for fans, with a dedicated short film strand.
London · Entry fee via FilmFreeway (amount not given on the festival's site) · Genre shorts; the festival prefers short films under 20 minutes. Entries only through FilmFreeway.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalOpen for submissions most of the year through FilmFreeway
Grimmfest
Manchester's festival of horror and fantastic film each October; BIFA-qualifying for shorts, with European shorts competing for a Méliès d'argent.
Manchester · Entry fee via FilmFreeway; alumni get submission fee waivers · Short films with a focus on the fearsome, the fantastic or the blackly comic; full rules and specs are on its FilmFreeway page.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalOpens 11 January 2027; deadlines still to be announced
Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Cardiff's BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying LGBTQ+ film festival, home to the £40,000 Iris Prize to make your next LGBTQ+ short in the UK.
Cardiff, Wales · Entry fee via FilmFreeway; Iris alumni can get a 100% fee waiver · up to 39 min · LGBTQ+ shorts of 39 minutes or less; Best British needs a UK-citizen or long-term UK-resident director; also student, community, education and 2-minute micro short awards.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 call closed 30 July; its deadlines run from 11 December to 30 July
Leeds International Film Festival
Oscar-qualifying for live action and animated shorts and BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying for British shorts, with nine short film competitions and cash prizes.
Leeds, West Yorkshire · Entry fee via FilmFreeway (amount not given on the festival's site) · Shorts from anywhere; competitions include British, Yorkshire, documentary, animation, fantastic, queer, screendance and music video. Full terms are on its FilmFreeway page.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
SchemeFree to enter2026/27 round closed 9 September 2026; the scheme is in its sixth year
Little Pictures (GMAC)
For new filmmakers in Scotland to make a first funded short, with up to £6,000, training, an industry mentor and free equipment.
Scotland (run by GMAC in Glasgow) · No application fee · Aged 18 or over and based anywhere in Scotland; fiction, documentary, animation or experimental; separate strands for filmmakers and producers.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalClosed 18 August 2026 for January 2027; the next call is not announced yet (the last opened in December 2025)
London Short Film Festival
London's short film festival each January, showing hundreds of UK and international shorts; BAFTA and BIFA-affiliated, so accepted UK films can enter those awards.
London · 2027 call: £25 early, £37 regular, £45 late (films under 5 minutes £15, £25, £30) · up to 45 min · Shorts of any genre up to 45 minutes from UK and international filmmakers; the 2027 call took films completed after 1 January 2025; no premiere needed
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FundFree to enter2026 round ran 18 May to 1 July 2026; it funds films each year
Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund
Grants of up to £25,000 for early-career UK teams to make a non-fiction short of 5 to 40 minutes, live action or animation.
UK-wide · No application fee · up to 40 min · At least a director and producer, both UK residents, early in their careers; the director cannot have had a commercial release for a non-fiction feature in the last five years.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 entries closed 31 July 2026; the festival runs every November
Manchester Animation Festival
The only dedicated animation festival in the UK that is Academy Award qualifying, held in Manchester in November with short, student, commissioned and immersive categories.
Manchester (plus online) · Entry fee via FilmFreeway (amount not given on the festival's site) · up to 30 min · Animated films under 30 minutes, any technique; for 2026 they had to be completed after 18 July 2025. Student category for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FundFree to enterApplications closed for 2026; watch Take Three for the next round
North Star Shorts (Take Three, Scotland)
Backed by Screen Scotland and BFI NETWORK, it funds six live action or animated fiction shorts by early-career talent with £25,000 each plus £3,000 for development.
Scotland · No application fee · up to 15 min · Resident in Scotland, not in full-time education, with some short-form experience; fiction up to 15 minutes; not for anyone already funded for a BFI NETWORK short.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 entries closed 28 June 2026; deadlines ran February to June
Norwich Film Festival
BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying short film festival with awards for British, international, animation, documentary, student and East Anglian films.
Norwich, Norfolk · 2026 fees: £25 to £60 by deadline; students £20 to £35; micro shorts £10 to £25 · up to 25 min · Films 25 minutes or less including credits; for 2026, completed after 1 January 2024. No premiere rule. Discounted categories for students and East Anglian filmmakers.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalFree to enter2026 entries closed 1 June 2026; the festival runs every September
Portobello Film Festival
Annual independent film festival around Portobello Road, free to enter and free to attend; the 2026 edition ran 3 to 20 September.
Portobello Road, west London · Free to enter · Send a password-protected link to your film with the entry form by email; you must hold the rights to show it.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2026 call ran from mid-December 2025 to 17 April 2026
Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival: International Film Awards
Annual awards and screenings for films exploring mental health, championing filmmakers with lived experience and first-time filmmakers.
Glasgow and across Scotland · Submission fee, with a waiver code for anyone who finds the fee a barrier · Films of any length, genre or style that relate to mental health or wellbeing, or are made by filmmakers with lived experience; full guidelines on FilmFreeway.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
SchemeFree to enterRecruits once a year; the next window is announced on this page
ScreenSkills Trainee Finder
ScreenSkills' programme for people starting out: set-ready training, then paid trainee placements on UK productions.
UK · Free to apply · 18 or over, finished full-time education, and less than 12 months' paid experience in your chosen department
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalEntries for June 2027 not yet open; the 2026 call opened in September 2025 and closed 20 February 2026
Sheffield DocFest
Sheffield's international documentary festival each June; British shorts it shows qualify for BAFTA and BIFA, and its short film competition winner qualifies for the Oscars.
Sheffield · 2026 fees: shorts £30 early, £35 standard, £45 late, features £40 to £55, all plus VAT; 2027 fees not yet published · premiere required · Documentaries of any length from anywhere (shorts up to 40 minutes); must be at least a UK premiere and not online in the UK
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalOpen now for the May 2027 festival; closing date is on FilmFreeway
UK Asian Film Festival
The 29th UK Asian Film Festival runs in May 2027 in several UK cities, and is now open for submissions.
London, Leicester, Coventry, Newcastle and Scotland · Entry via FilmFreeway (fee not given on the festival's site) · Rules and categories are on the festival's FilmFreeway page; the festival's own site gives no criteria.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
FestivalFree to enterSite says submissions are open for the 5 to 7 March 2027 festival; no closing date given
Watersprite Film Festival
Free-to-enter international student film festival in Cambridge; nominated filmmakers get travel and accommodation bursaries to attend.
Cambridge (and online) · Free to enter · up to 23 min · At least two of director, producer and writer must have been students during production; under 23 minutes; in English or with English subtitles.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source
Festival2027 submissions open in winter 2026; the last call ran 1 November to 29 June
Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF)
Festival of short films by and about women over 50, screened at Depot in Lewes and online, with a student prize.
Lewes, East Sussex, and online · Entry fee via FilmFreeway; a bursary can cover the fee · up to 25 min · A woman over 50 at the centre of the film or as writer, director or producer; under 12 minutes for animation, comedy or experimental, under 25 for drama or documentary.
checked 27 Sept 2026 · source

The list is found and re-checked by a research pass that reads each festival's own page; a row it cannot confirm for sixty days comes off, and a deadline that has passed comes off at once. Read the festival plan before you enter anything, and the festival's own rules before you pay.