The Cittador International Film Festival based in Vienna is an annual event showcasing short films with an edge and from around the world. The event is created with the sole purpose to showcase and screen upcoming talents aiming to inspire, to motivate and to award.

We consider short films up to 10 minutes length and there are no film premiere requirements or date of completion requirements. Cittador International Film Festival seeks to award short films based upon their originality and ability to tell a compelling story and to award original music exclusively composed for the film.

The screenings of the winning films will take place at the beautiful Studio Cinema Lugner City in Vienna.

We award films in the following categories: Narrative Short, Original Film Music, Arthouse Short, Feminist Short, Animated Short, Sci-Fi Short, Experimental Short, and LGBTQ+ Short.
We want not only to select the inspiring films and award the most interesting among them, we will also introduce the filmmakers through a short interview and present the background thoughts about the vision that became the film.

As an additional prize, we also award films with the Audience Award. The selected films will be presented and made available for public viewing on the Cittador International Film Festival´s website from the date of selection until December 15, 2022. In this way, each film will be nominated not only for the submitted category award, but also for the Audience Award. The Audience Award will be chosen by the Internet viewers with the help of a voting tool.

The submission period: June 1, 2022 – December 15, 2022.
Selection date: shortly after submission, but no later than December 15, 2022.
Notification date: December 22, 2022.
Screenings: December 27, 2022 in Studio Cinema Lugner City, Vienna.

Awards & Prizes

1. AWARDS
Best Narrative Short
Best Original Film Music
Best Arthouse Short
Best Feminist Short
Best Animated Short
Best Sci-Fi Short
Best Experimental Short
Best LGBTQ+ Short

2. HONORABLE MENTION as a special award can be given to short films at our discretion for outstanding dialogs, cinematography, editing, special FX, acting performance of an actor or an actress.

3. AUDIENCE AWARD – All selected films will participate in the competition for Audience Award after they are uploaded on the Cittador International Film Festival´s website from the date of selection until December 15, 2022. The award is determined by Internet viewers using a voting tool. The film in each category with the highest number of voting will receive the Audience Award.

4. LAUREL
All selected and winner films will receive the official laurel of the Cittador International Film Festival.

5. INTERVIEWS
The filmmaker of the selected films is introduced through a short interview on the Cittador International Film Festival´s website. This will include information about his/her/their views of the film, work, and recommendation of the film or books that inspired him/her/their to make the film. In the category "Original Film Music " the interview will be given by the film composer.

Rules & Terms

1. SUBMISSION
Films must be submitted through FilmFreeway with an online screener.

2. SUBMITTED FILM
We consider films in any language, from anywhere in the world up to 10 minutes length. We have no film premiere requirements or date of completion requirements. We also accept submissions that have premiered elsewhere and that may have distribution agreements already in place. Unfortunately, rough cuts and incomplete projects cannot be accepted.

3. FILM MUSIC
In the category "Original Film Music", the film music must be originally and completely composed only for the submitted film.

4. SUBTITLES
Films with dialogs not spoken in English must have English subtitles.

5. TERMS
The submission period: June 1, 2022 – December 15, 2022.
Selection date: shortly after submission, but no later than December 15, 2022.
Notification date: December 22, 2022.
Screenings: December 27, 2022 at the Studio Cinema Lugner City, Vienna.

6. AUDIENCE AWARD
As an additional prize, we award films with the Audience Award. The selected films will be presented and made available for public viewing on the Cittador International Film Festival´s website. In this way, each film will be nominated not only for the submitted category award, but also for the Audience Award in each category. The Audience Award will be chosen by the Internet viewers with the help of a voting tool. All selected und winning films remain available for public viewing on the Cittador International Film Festival´s website from the date of selection until December 15, 2022.

7. FEE
The submission fee is non-refundable. You may submit as many entries as you like. Each entry requires its own entry fee. We do not pay screening fees for any of selected films.

8. FESTIVAL CATALOG
The Cittador International Film Festival will publish a catalog contains all the information about the selected and winning films, as well as other facts about the festival. Interviews with filmmakers will also be published in the catalog. Since the interviews are available previously on the website of the Cittador International Film Festival and the same is adopted in the catalog, there is no free author's copy of the catalog for selected and awarded films. The catalog is a document about the festival and serves as a protocol of the festival. The catalog can be purchased online.

9. DISCLAMER
You confirm that all necessary permissions have been obtained to enter this film in the Cittador International Film Festival and that the film does not infringe the rights including copyright of any third party.

10. DATA
Please include your physical address in your FilmFreeway entry and do not submit a film without giving us your mailing address, phone number and email address, which we need only for our records.

11. AGREEMENT
By submitting your film, you agree that Cittador International Film Festival can use parts of your film (including trailer / teaser / film poster / film stills) for promotional purposes. Submission to the Cittador International Film Festival constitutes acceptance and agreement to all rules of the Film Festival and grants the Cittador International Film Festival full permission to screen the submitted film at the sole discretion of the festival. The festival has the right to reject or disqualify a film without stating the reason. Event date is subject to change.