The Film Noir Shorts Competition and Film Showcase, hosted in partnership with the Humphrey Bogart Film Festival, the Bogart Estate, University of Miami's Department of Cinema and Interactive Media and its Norton Herrick Center for Motion Picture Studies, identifies, fosters and celebrates emerging and independent talent in the genre that Bogie made famous.

The weeklong program showcases the best classic film noir, neo-noir, and dark/noir comedy shorts from around the world. The week begins at the University of Miami with student shorts and pilot screenings, script table-reads, filmmaker workshops, networking events, and awards party. It then joins up with the classic Humphrey Bogart Film Festival (HBFF) in Key Largo at midweek (an hour's drive south of Miami) with additional short film screenings to complement their classic Bogart repertoire and other exciting festivities. (See www.bogartfilmfestival.com for the HBFF program and tickets).

Awards & Prizes

Humphrey Bogart is synonymous with classic Hollywood and post-war film noir, detective, and crime genres, starring in films like The Maltese Falcon, In a Lonely Place, The Big Sleep, Key Largo, and Casablanca. To celebrate Bogart's legacy as well as to acknowledge Film Noir as a broad and dynamic genre or movement, awards will be given in 11 categories:

BOGART CLASSIC AWARD for best detective, crime, mob, or psychological thriller in the 'classic noir' cinematic style

NEO-NOIR AWARD for best 'noir' tale told in a contemporary cinematic style

NO ANGELS AWARD for best dark comedy or satirical 'film noir' comedy

BEST PILOT for mini-web series or episodic tv pilot in the above categories

MARKED WOMAN for best female performance in the above categories
(awarded to the actress, writer, & director)

BIG SHOT for best male performance in the above categories
(awarded to the actor, writer, & director)

KEY LARGO PRIZE for outstanding Florida-set short film

CASABLANCA AWARD for outstanding foreign-language or short film made outside the US

AUDIENCE AWARD voted by attendees

STUDENT AWARD for best student short film (please note: we welcome student submissions and consider them along side other films, not as a separate category. Filmmakers whose films were made as a student SHOULD EMAIL THE COMPETITION DIRECTLY after submitting, at r.reitan@miami.edu to notify us that you wish to also be considered for the "best student film award".

BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY in the classic noir, neo-noir or dark comedy genre (script competition - 30 pp. max)

Filmmakers whose films and screenplays are selected into competition are granted free entry into all events at the University of Miami, as well as morning short film screenings at the Humphrey Bogart Film Festival (HBFF) in Key Largo.

Winners will receive an award certificate and dvd trophy, their film’s title and details will be posted on our www.filmnoircompetition.org website and our other social media, and select filmmakers will be invited to stream their film on our online festival film channel as well.

Rules & Terms

See the above Award & Prizes for rules and terms.
6 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Joseph Vincent

    Ruth really made it all come together. I had a blast and met a ton of great people!

    April 2018
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  • Damien Michael Aulsberry

    Great festival. Ruth was a fantastic director and her post festival follow up was excellent. Hope to bring the winning neo-noir short screenplay back as a short film next year.

    December 2017
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  • Dusan Zaric

    Terrific festival with wonderful organizers and judges. My screenplay was in the official neo-noir short competition. Amazingly, seven out of eight screenwriters were present. I hope I return to Miami next year and that this time I'm victorious.

    December 2017
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  • David J Schroeder

    The HUMPHREY BOGART FILM FESTIVAL! What can I say - great guest speaker panel, great venue, and awards presented by Humphrey Bogart's grandson. Awesome.

    November 2017
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  • John Capone

    The Bogart Film Festival was my first festival experience and it was a great one. From the first notification of selection into the festival, to the thank you card following the festival, communication was top notch - even in spite of it being postponed due to Hurricane Matthew. The festival coordinator Ruth handled the situation transparently and tactfully.

    When I attended during the rescheduled November dates, I was welcomed warmly to the University of Miami's campus. Ruth did a great job with the programming, organizing workshops and a nice awards reception following the screenings. Overall, a positive first experience and a strong student festival that focuses on celebrating the tradition of film noir. I was so pleased that this festival brought together young filmmakers who shared the common passion and love for storytelling with this particular style, both classic and neo-noir. I would love to attend again!

    July 2017
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