***PLEASE NOTE!!*** We ONLY accept FICTION shorts either MADE ON ISLAND OF IRELAND, north or south - or made by an IRISH writer/director (See below: Rule 3 in T&Cs).

If you have made a short documentary, please submit to Docs Ireland https://filmfreeway.com/DocsIreland

The 22nd Belfast Film Festival will take place in November 2022. We believe that film should be an experience, and so, as well as presenting the best in new, short and classic cinema during our festival, we’ve set ourselves apart by having site-specific screenings.

For us, site-specific cinema means hosting the classics of the silver screen in surroundings that enhance and intensify your experience of our films. To prove we’re serious, we’ve screened Evil Dead in the Ormeau Park, Cool Hand Luke in the Crumlin Road Gaol, The Breakfast Club in Christchurch Library, Odd Man Out at The Albert Clock, 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Titanic Dry Dock and Jaws in the Bangor Aurora swimming pool.

In addition, we pride ourselves on experimenting with media in all its forms: we’ve presented cinematic collaborations, like our showing of La Traviata in the beautiful St Anne’s Cathedral, with an accompaniment by NI Opera’s Young Artists’ programme, or the horror masterpiece Suspiria at the Waterfront with live soundtrack by Italian rock band Goblin, to name but a few.

Then there’s our short film programme, this provides a platform for fledgling filmmakers from across the island of Ireland to showcase their work. The winning film receives a cash award and a Belfast Crystal trophy.

Awards & Prizes

Awards

• Short Film Competition
• Audience Award
• Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award
• Réalta Award (for individuals who promote social justice activism through film) John Cusack and Ken Loach are two previous recipients.

Rules & Terms

Short film Entries MUST be:
1. Under 20 minutes duration
2. Completed between the following dates: January 1st 2021 - August 1st 2022.
3. Made in Ireland- or made by an IRISH writer/director.
4. Be submitted online
5. Be Available for competition screening in, DCP or HD Quicktime
(Format: QuickTime
Size: 1920 x 1080
Wrapper: MOV or MP4
Codec: H264 or ProRes
Bitrate: Between 50 and 100 MB/ps)
***DCP IS PREFERRED***
6. No refunds will be given in the event of failure to comply to (or READ!!) the T&C's

INELIGIBLE FILMS
- Those currently available/viewable on online platforms (e.g. Vimeo/Youtube etc). Your film must not be available in full online or have been shown on another medium e.g. TV. If your film is available in full on YouTube, etc. then it will be automatically withdrawn from the competition. Excerpts of your film, totalling no more than ten percent of its running time are exempt from this rule.
- outside dates
- MADE outside of IRELAND - for exceptions see rule 3 above.
- No refunds will be given in the event of failure to comply to (or READ!!) the T&C's

If you have any questions about eligibility please contact rose@belfastfilmfestival.org.

The decision of the Short Film Programmer and selection committee is final. Due to the large amount of submissions received BFF cannot enter into any discussion regarding films that are not selected for the Festival.
Television and Internet broadcasting: Taking part in BFF implies allowing broadcasting on Irish and foreign televisions and on the Internet (extracts limited to and not exceeding 3 mins.) for the purpose of promoting the Festival.
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NI INDEPENDENTS
NI Independent host the best in new medium-length and feature films made in Northern Ireland
NI Independents MUST BE:

1. At least 30min in length (for short film submissions see above)
2. Completed between the following dates: January 1st 2021 - August 1st 2022.
3. Made and produced in Northern Ireland with the majority of the cast originating in Northern Ireland. It is important to note that this category focuses exclusively on Northern Irish film. If you have a film that does not meet these criteria but would like it to feature at our Festival, simply contact rose@belfastfilmfestival.org
4. Be available for screening in HD Quicktime
5. (Format: QuickTime)
6. Size: 1920 x 1080
• Wrapper: MOV or MP4
• Codec: H264 or ProRes
• Bitrate: Between 50 and 100 MB/ps)

Ineligible Films
- Currently available/viewable on online platforms (e.g. Vimeo/Youtube etc). Your film must not be available in full online or have been shown on another medium e.g. TV. If your film is available in full on YouTube, etc. then it will be automatically withdrawn from the competition. Excerpts of your film, totalling no more than ten percent of its running time are exempt from this rule.
-Been screened in public in Belfast.
- Outside dates
- MADE outside of IRELAND - for exceptions see rule 3 above.
-No refunds will be given in the event of failure to comply to (or READ!!) the T&C's
20 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Connor Richmond

    It was brilliant to have our short animation screen in our hometown in Belfast, but also to have our debut premiere for the film. The children in the audience who were there to see another film really added to the atmosphere for our film, due to the young audience appeal. Thanks to all the staff at BFF and thanks again for selecting the short for BFF! We loved it and can't wait to next year!

    April 2023
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  • Jason Branagan

    It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of Belfast Film Festival 2022 and screen alongside such incredibly curated films. The festival is so well run and the venues are great! I hope to get the chance to screen more work at the festival.

    November 2022
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  • Mick Hannigan

    Had the privilege to travel to Belfast and it is a well run festival with amazing venues. Thank you Rose for everything

    December 2021
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  • Kevin Scott

    So happy to have been selected to play alongside such strong films. Organisers were very communicative and a pleasure to deal with. A great celebration of film. Beautiful venue at Queen’s Film Theatre! Hope to be back!

    December 2021
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  • Sean Duggan

    A terrific festival, it was an absolute pleasure to be part of the 2021 Belfast Festival line up and to premiere my documentary Keep It A Secret here. A big thank you to the whole Belfast Film Festival team for making the whole festival a wonderful experience.

    November 2021
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