Accepting short films, music videos, animations and documentaries in any genre.

COVID-19 UPDATE - 17/04/2020
We are still accepting submissions for this year's festival. As our event is not due to take place until Saturday 26th September, it is still our hope the festival will be able to proceed as planned.

THE FESTIVAL

Exit 6 Film Festival is an all-day celebration of short films taking place at multiple venues in the heart of Basingstoke, UK, including Vue Cinema.

As filmmakers ourselves, we know how rewarding it can be to screen your work to people outside your regular circle of friends and colleagues, and also have the opportunity to give that audience an insight into the processes that brought it to life. That's why we invite a representative of each selected film to take part in a short Q&A right after the film has screened. However, as much as our audience would love to hear from you first-hand, attendance to the festival is not a condition of selection.

There will also be guest industry speakers giving talks throughout the day on different aspects of film-making, covering a range of topics from pre-production through to post-production and beyond.

We keep submission and ticket fees as low as possible because we understand raising the money to make your film is hard enough - and we want you to enjoy your achievement with us!

RECOGNITION & REWARD

The Exit 6 judging team will select the films for the festival programme, including the 'Judges 6' - the 6 films shortlisted for our Best Film award, the winner of which will be selected by this year’s guest judge. Last year's winner was selected by Pacific Rim, Torchwood and The Expanse star - and Exit 6 Patron - Burn Gorman.

This year we will be awarding Best Cinematography, Best Performance, Best Screenplay and Best Editing for the first time. The 6 nominees in each category will be selected from the entire official selection, and will be informed of such when receiving notification their film is in the programme.

Our confirmed judges for this year are:

Jeffrey Ford (Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, Public Enemies, Crazy Heart) will select the winner for Best Editing.

Nanu Segal (The Levelling, Guilt, Shrooms) will select the winner for Best Cinematography.

These awards will be announced at the end of the Judge's 6.

In addition, our 6th award of the festival is the Audience Choice award, for which all of the films in the festival programme can be voted for by ballot on the day, with the winner announced at the Afterparty.

AFTERPARTY

After a day and evening of watching some wonderful work (or sweating over what audiences may have thought of yours) it’s time to let your hair down and enjoy the rest of the evening with drinks and music. 

All attendees will be invited to the Aftershow Party to celebrate a fantastic day with friends old and new.

Awards & Prizes

Best Film
Best Cinematography
Best Performance
Best Editing
Best Screenplay
Audience Choice

2019 Best Film winning director Zoe Dobson (The Cunning Man):

"This incredibly friendly and professional run festival is a real gem, that we were chuffed to be part of. The standard of films was truly impressive. Huge congratulations to the selection team, every film I watched in the festival was superbly crafted and executed. It’s a truly inclusive festival with a great atmosphere. The Awards night party was a perfect opportunity to meet the both the audience and fellow filmmakers. Whether you are a film maker or film buff, I highly recommend Exit 6, it’s one of the best around and may it go from strength to strength."

2018 Best Film winning director Christopher Haydon (In Wonderland):

"We had such a great time at Exit 6. It was thrilling to see our film in such a strong line up, and winning the Best Film award judged by Burn Gorman was a huge vote of confidence in our work."

2017 Best Film winning director Liam Harris (Perched):

"Exit 6 was a really wonderful day for us. There was a great vibe about the festival coming from both the Exit 6 team and also the attendees. We were extremely fortunate to come away with the 'Best Film' award which was truly humbling, especially as we were screening alongside some extremely professional filmmakers and talented visual artists, all of which you will certainly be hearing from again in the future!"

Rules & Terms

Completion Date
* Each Film must have been completed on or after 1st October 2018.

Running Time
* The maximum running time including credits is 15 minutes.

Language
*If the film is not in English, subtitles in English must be embedded on-screen. If this is not provided at time of submission, we will disqualify the entry.

Copyright
* By entering the EXIT 6 FILM FESTIVAL you are confirming you are the owner of the submitted project and hold copyright to all material used in the film.

Genre
* We accept films of any genre.

Promotional
* You agree to give the EXIT 6 FILM FESTIVAL permission to link/display your project's FB/Twitter page/Poster/Stills on all of the EXIT 6 FILM FESTIVAL's various social media outlets.

Submission
* Submissions will be accepted via FilmFreeway only. Entry Fees are non-refundable.

Entry
* We do not limit the number of films you can enter.

Premiere Status
* We do not require Premiere status, but please let us know if we are the first to show your film. Films available online are admissible.

Country of Origin
* Exit 6 is an International Festival, we will accept films from anywhere in the world.

Media
* We only accept digital submissions, do not send us any DVDs or Blu-Rays.

You
* Filmmakers of any age, experience, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation are welcome to submit.

FESTIVAL RULES

* All entries will be watched by at least three members of the Exit 6 judging panel. The panel will select the final festival programme and also the top 6 films (Judges 6), from which the Best Film will be chosen by our independent guest judge(s). The selection panel will also select 6 nominees for the Best Cinematography, Best Performance, Best Screenplay and Best Editing awards, the winner of each will be chosen by a guest judge.

* The Audience Choice Award will be voted for throughout the day and the winner announced at the Afterparty.

* If your film is selected for the programme, a representative of the film will be invited to take part in a Q&A on stage immediately after your film has screened.

*Selected films will be sent official selection laurels. Judges 6 films will receive special laurels.
45 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kimberley Wintle

    Exit 6 were delightful to communicate with, made a real effort to make filmmakers feel special, including noting family member guests who were in attendance and greeting them as such on arrival, which was very thoughtful. Sadly I could not be there on the day, but was invited to record a message too, (hence cannot comment on networking). Lovely festival - would definitely submit again with other films!

    January 2020
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  • Greg Hall

    Amazing festival! Super well organised, highly promoted and fantastic hospitality. Brilliant line of films, the festival has great visibility in it's local area, plus excellent audience turn out to screenings. A great platform for indpependent cinema! Well worth enetering and also attending!

    December 2019
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  • Adam Smith

    Love this festival. The whole team are so welcoming. The range of films is superb. They do a short Q&A after every film which is really insightful and breaks up the monotony of long short film blocks that other festivals suffer from. Importantly - they attract big audiences and not just filmmakers.

    I look forward to playing here again in the future and watching the festival grow from strength to strength.

    - Ben S. Hyland

    October 2019
    Helpful
  • Roger Cook

    Exit 6 has been one of the highlights of our festival tour with CAR PARK LOVE NOTE.  From the moment we arrived the care put into the festival for audience members and attending filmmakers was exceptional, and the entire town seemed to be taking park in the event.

    The projection of our film was fantastic and we were given an opportunity to take part in a Q&A that wasn't a token gesture but done genuinely because the festival organizers care about the craft of filmmaking and wanting to give filmmakers a platform to talk about their work.

    Additionally the festival organizers went above and beyond to set up networking and social events to make the audience and filmmakers be a valued part of the day.

    Even if I don't have a film showing at Exit 6 next year I would certainly attend as an audience member.  

    October 2019
    Helpful
  • Norman Bertolino

    I wish I could have attendant this festival. Exit 6 did such a great job of communicating with the filmmakers. The festival looked like so much fun, I really wish I could have gotten one of those shirts!! I highly recommend submitting to Exit 6 next year because I most certainly am.

    October 2019
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