Shine a Light on Stories Behind the Screens

Enter to compete for a prize pool of an impressive €6,000 provided by our not-for-profit partner, ESG Gaming! The potential of video games and esports to make a meaningful, positive difference to people’s lives is enormous.

There are countless anecdotal examples of this, and not enough of these stories are told & shared more widely. Film is one medium to help change that.Accordingly in 2023, we introduced the ESI Film Festival; the very first Esports & Gaming Short Film Festival, at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly.

In 2024, ESI Film Festival heads to Lisbon, taking place at the super stage in the MEO Arena, with a scaled-up event, adding more categories, and continuing to offer filmmakers a platform to shine a light on some of the many stories that warrant telling in, and around gaming and esports at large. Additionally we will encourage original short films on select themes (which will change each year!) as they pertain to these spaces and communities within them too. Moreover, with this event, we are looking to better strengthen ties, connections, and collaborations between the film, games, and esports sectors.

Awards & Prizes

Prize pool breakdown:
Best Film – 1st: €2500 | 2nd: €1500
Best Student Film – 1st: €1500 | 2nd: €500

Rules & Terms

Requirements & Rules
You’ll need to submit a trailer alongside the film. Trailers should be a minimum of
30 seconds in duration.
In order to be eligible for the Student category the film must have been
produced by individuals or groups in education.
Entries must be in HD.
Adult content will not be accepted and will lead to disqualification.
Films in any language other than English must include subtitles in English.
Due credit(s) must be given to the cast and crew, though the final prize(s) will be
awarded to the appointed and named lead participant(s).
Stills from any entries to be used in promotions.
No films submitted previously to any edition of the ESI Film Festival will
be accepted.
Recommended Specs
• Video Format: H.264, MPEG-4 preferred
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (letterboxed if necessary)
• Resolution: 1920x1080 preferred
• Audio Format: MP3 or AAC preferred
• Frames per second: 25