Bucharest Short Film Festival [BSFF]

Independent is the key word for Bucharest Short Film Festival [BSFF], as it is founded by independent film professionals and focuses on independent artists in cinema, from all over the world. Bucharest Short Film Festival aims at recognizing, showcasing and spreading-out the most professional, most innovative, and most interesting fresh short international films, while always prioritizing independent short films.

Bucharest Short Film Festival will showcase some of the finest short international film in Narrative, Animation, Student, Experimental, Documentary, Fashion, Music Video, Stop Motion, Human Rights. We take to heart the amount of work put into each film. Therefore, the festival rules ensure that each movie is reviewed at least two times and well-debated by our team. Some of the winner films will also be screened at other international film festivals.

Independent artists and their short films will meet an effervescent, and a quite experienced with cinema and film festivals audience, ensuring quality networking, and engaging opportunities, while the selected films will be determined by a panel of industry experts.

Bucharest Short Film Festival is building a strong community of interest around international independent film professionals and film lovers, in the heart of one of the most interesting emergent capitals of arts and culture, a city that never sleeps – Bucharest.

The festival will run film screenings, preceded or followed by artists Q&A, or networking side events, and, surely, parties, that all take place in various conventional and unconventional stages around Bucharest, as in cinemas, open spaces, and even summer theatres. Bucharest, you’ve heard about it, eventually – a city for young people. Well known for different things – like “Old Paris” nickname, in its bourgeois times, before the communism decades, or the world’s biggest parliamentary building [and one of the largest buildings of any kind], from its communism times, new architecture, or the explosive contemporary art scene, and the also quite impressive underground arts and music and nightlife communities, in its current times.

All selected participants will receive the Official Selection Laurels.
Awarded films will receive Winner Laurels and Certificates of Awards.
BEST FILM winner will receive the BSFF trophy.

BEST FILM
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Debut
Best Sound Design
Best Music Soundtrack

Best Animation
Best Student
Best Experimental
Best Documentary
Best Stop Motion
Best Music Video
Best Human Rights

Special Jury Mention
Jury Award Of Recognition

Awarded films will be announced on our website and our social media page.

General Rules and Regulations

All entries must be submitted digitally.
If you are submitting more than one entry, a separate submission is required for each film.
If the Project is selected please send any related press materials, including electronic press kit, and photos to contact@bucharestshort.ro
All genre films will be accepted.
The film production may be from the last 5 years.
All films must be under 30 minutes.
Submissions in languages other than English must be subtitled in English.
Multiple entries are allowed. You can submit more than one film to the same category or different categories.
We will not screen your work online.
Only online submission will be accepted through film festival platforms.
All submissions are final. No refunds are provided.
After a film has been selected and the filmmaker is notified, the film will be listed on the festival website, under official selections.
The official language of the Festival is English.
Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule, Bucharest Short Film Festival reserves the right to make changes at any time, for any reason. Bucharest Short Film Festival will not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.
All non-Romanian films must have their Romanian premiere at Bucharest Short Film Festival.
Films can not be withdrawn from the festival program after being selected.
Each participant is responsible for the content of his/her work and for any possible copyright problems. The participant owns all rights concerning the usage of his/her work according to the regulations. The Festival Committee has no responsibility to third parties. The Festival Committee has the right to reject films, if the content or technical quality does not correspond to the Festival conditions.

The candidates must respect the following rules:

Each entry will be accompanied by non-refundable fees.
The Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes in regulations or scheduling.
Any Film, selected or not selected, will be a decision of selection panel which is final and accepted by all.
The decision of jury members will be final and accepted by all.
By Submitting the film, you agree to our GENERAL AGREEMENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN Bucharest Short Film Festival and that you have read our Rules and Regulations.

Liability:

The sender of the submitted film is responsible for all copyrights. He is legally authorized to enter his film in the festival and, if selected for the festival, authorized to give screening permission.
Filmmaker agrees that film entered into the festival may be selected for screening at the Festival, and that fragments of the film might be also presented through mass media, in association with the promotional campaigns of the Festival.
The applicant has secured all necessary rights for both picture and sound, and the exhibition will not violate or infringe upon any rights, including but not limited to music, images, and content.
If selected for the festival the applicant acknowledges and agrees that an exhibition quality digital screening file must be made available for screening by the Date of Event.
The film, including all copyrights, remains the property of the author.
If screenings or information are inaccurate or flawed, the organizer is only liable in case of gross negligence.
The applicant has to read and accept the regulations and guidelines for participation.

GENERAL AGREEMENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN Bucharest Short Film Festival:

I have read and accept the Rules and Regulations of Bucharest Short Film Festival. I authorize Bucharest Short Film Festival to screen my film at the ceremony each season to compete for the award of the best film in each category: Narrative, Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Student, Music Video, Stop Motion, Human Rights. I certify that I hold necessary rights for the presentation of this film in Bucharest Short Film Festival and that all rights and permissions have been made. This film is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation. By accepting these conditions, I transfer to Bucharest Short Film Festival the right to use excerpts of the submitted film, its stills, and trailers, for the purposes of publicity and marketing of the film at the various social networks and on the website of the festival, and for other non-commercial purposes related to the promotion of the festival. I hereby agree to indemnify Bucharest Short Film Festival, in the event that such rights have not been properly transferred.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • George Siougas

    One of the most heart-warming and gratifying film festival experiences in our year-long journey with The One Note Man. Radu and his team were simply superb!

    November 2024
  • Alexandre de Villeneuve

    Great and professional festival. Nice program

    June 2023
  • The festival is organized by people who really care to promote quality films. Bravo!

    December 2019
  • François Zaïdi

    It is a great festival.
    The staff responded to mails very quickly and to the point, which is not that common. The film screened in DCP, and they were able to provide me with Romanian subtitles, hence making a double langage DCP.
    Cherry on the cake the film won three awards there, which was not expected, so it attests to the impartiallity of the jury. I just regret I wasn't there.
    So yes, M. Radu Munteanu is running a tight ship. Congratulations and thank you.
    To other filmmakers, this festival is worth every penny IMO.

    December 2018
  • Glad to be selected in BSFF18 with my short film IVAN, in such a wonderful program of shorts from around the world. The festival director (Mr. Radu Munteanu) and his creative team are doing impressive job with the artistic quality and the event organisation. Bucharest Short Film Festival truly respects the guest directors, giving a great chance of communication/dialogue between the audience and the filmmakers. Definitely it's the most promising festival in Romania.

    December 2018