⭐️⭐️⭐️Cash bonus⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️offline screenings⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️actual prizes⭐️⭐️⭐️

top jury members guarantee that each film will be watched at least four times

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED TO UPLOAD AN ENGLISH SUBTITLE.

Every quarter, we award the best independent short films curated from around the world, against a high standard of merit and a very competitive acceptance rate. The award winners of 4 quarter editions qualify for the Annual Awards.

We welcome projects from all genres, fictional or non fictional, linear or nonlinear, including non-English speaking, low or no-budget productions, and works from traditionally underrepresented countries in global film industry.

Main judging criteria: innovative and/or competent filmmaking, passionate storytelling.

The jury members are all senior filmmakers, who have been shortlisted for A-category film festivals, top independent film festivals, and participated in Hollywood film production.

The preliminary jury is made up of filmmakers, distributors, and media executives , and we will ensure that each film is viewed by at least three preliminary judges and one final judge.

We have many private theaters in different cities to host screenings, including Beijing, the capital of China and Chengdu, the hometown of pandas. In addition to the cash prize, the winners will also receive prizes from sponsors such as SmallRig, Rode, Aputure, etc. The winners of the Best Documentary and Best Short Film will receive a trophy, a certificate and an exclusive interview.

Number three is one of the most important and mysterious elements in Eastern culture.

In ancient times, there were the "Three Emperors", in the court, there were the "Three Lords", and the "Three Elders" in the prefectures, counties, and villages; religions that have a profound influence on the world are no exception. There are "Three Pure Ones" in Taoist mythology, and Confucianism proposed the "Three Pure Ones" or "Three Cardinal Guidelines", while Buddhism has "Three Worlds". In the "Tao Te Ching" there is also: "Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things." Even in traditional Chinese medicine theory, there is the so-called "three yin and three yang". The ancients believed that Taiyang, Yangming, and Shaoyang in the human body are the three yangs; Taiyin, Shaoyin, and Jueyin are the three yin. The locations of these important meridians are directly related to people's health.

Sima Qian wrote in "Historical Records·Lüshu": "The number begins with one, ends with ten, and ends with three." The "Three Jewels" of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Confucius had three fears: fear of destiny, fear of adults, and fear of the words of sages. It means: “A gentleman should have three points of reverence: reverence for the will of God, reverence for the virtuous monarch, and reverence for the teachings of the saints.

Zeng Guofan has Zeng Guofan’s Three Precepts. The first is to abstain from saying too much, the second is to abstain from anger, and the third is to abstain from having an angry and seeking heart.

We also believe that within 33 minutes, you can tell a very exciting story and make the audience more focused in a limited time. We believe that the more restricted the stage, the better the performance. So I hope that at the 33rd International Film Festival, you can create works that shock Eastern culture.

Awards & Prizes

Short Film:
Best Short Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Original Score, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Audience Choice Award.

Short Documentary:
Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Audience Choice Award.

1500 CNY for the Best Short Film of the Year
1,500 CNY for the Best Documentary of the Year
1,000 CNY for the Best Audience Choice Award of the Year in both categories
.
The Best Short Film and the Best Documentary winners of the year will receive a leather trophy handmade by the famous leather goods artist Zhang Li for free.

Note:
Quarterly winners automatically join the annual selection.
Quarterly winners will be selected for the annual screening.

Rules & Terms

-- Failure to comply with guidelines, rules and regulations will result in disqualification.
-- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older (or submitted by a parent or guardian on behalf of a minor) to enter the Contest.
-- All submitted works must be the original work of the author.
-- Allow multiple authors.
-- 33 International Film Festival reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any submitted project or film.
-- Submissions do not guarantee promotion, recognition or screening at any event. - - Submission, entry and any fees are included in the judging process (from which a number of applicants are then selected to be honored and/or screened at the 33 International Film Festival event).
-- Submissions and press materials are non-returnable.
-- Please do not send originals.
-- DVDs, Blu-rays and promotional materials will not be returned.
-- 33 International Film Festival is not responsible for any loss or damage to submission materials, exhibition materials or press materials.
-- Please adhere to all deadlines and fees.
-- Filmmakers submitting films after the submission deadline will need to pay an additional fee to obtain an exemption code. Any original fees are considered non-refundable.

For any revised version of a previously submitted film or screenplay - a new submission fee must be paid and a new tracking number generated.

Festival programming and final festival submission decisions will be decided in August. - Festival winners will be contacted via email or phone 1-3 months prior to the festival. - Please provide current contact information and be reachable prior to the event. - Works selected for display must send a copy of the exhibition print for screening. - Showtimes, venues and cities subject to change (or postponement). - Festival dates may change before the festival begins. - The review decision is final.
-- If accepted, the submitter has two weeks to notify the festival if you do not wish to screen your accepted film. By participating and submitting to the festival, you grant the festival the right to publicly screen your film once at our festival. - By registering, you acknowledge that if the Festival is not notified within the specified period after notification of acceptance: the film may not be screened at the Festival. - By submitting your work to 33 International Film Festival, you acknowledge that you own the ownership and rights to screen your submitted film, and you grant the festival these rights to screen your film. - By registering, you agree to all of the following festival rules and terms and conditions:
By submitting, you also acknowledge that you have the right to allow 33 International Film Festival to use images and clips from your film or project on any 33 website and in any 33 press materials used to promote 33 Film Festivals and events for the next 48 months, but without Reproduction of film images and clips for any other commercial purpose.

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Participants guarantee that they have the legal rights to submit films to the 33 International Film Festival. As a director/producer/submitter of a 33/FilmFreeway submission, entrant represents and warrants to 33 International Film Festival that the film or script and all portions thereof are original; that the submission does not infringe the rights of any person or entity, and that entrant owns or controls the film and all parts thereof, and has the sole right to submit the film to the 33 International Film Festival; film entrants submitted to the 33 International Film Festival will not be subject to any lawsuits or threats. Entrant acknowledges that no fiduciary or confidential relationship currently exists between the Festival and Entrant, and Entrant further acknowledges that no such relationship is created by these Guidelines, the submission of the Film, or the acceptance, review or retention of the Film by 33 International Film Festival.