The organisation
1. Glasgow Short Film Festival, the largest competitive short film festival in Scotland, champions new film talent by providing an annual showcase and meeting point for new and established Scottish and international filmmakers, industry delegates and the local audience.
2. Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, charity number SC049556. GSFF's registered office is 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB. GSFF’s business address is 60 Tradeston Street, Glasgow G5 8BH.
3. The 18th edition of GSFF takes place 19-23 March 2025 in Glasgow, UK.
4. GSFF and Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) are are two entirely separate organisations with two different programming teams. GFF does not accept short film submissions.
Eligibility
5. The festival is open to short films of all production techniques, forms, genres and budgets.
6. The primary contact completing the submission process must be authorised to submit the film for consideration including permission from a distributor or sales agent representing the film and must have obtained necessary permissions for the inclusion of copyrighted music and/or images within the films. With this submission, the applicant confirms that they possess all rights necessary for the screening of the submitted film at this film festival.
7. Films must have been completed after 30 September 2023 with a maximum duration of 40 minutes including credits.
8. Films previously submitted to previous editions of the festival will not be considered. If substantial structural changes have been made to the film since a previous submission, please contact submissions@glasgowshort.org to discuss your entry.
9. GSFF has no premiere status rule, and accepts works that are available online.
Data protection
10. Before you can submit your film you will be asked to register your contact and film details. These details will only be shared with GSFF. GSFF ensures this information will NEVER be used for anything other than direct contact from the festival or one of the festival’s submission partners and will NEVER be shared with anyone else.
Submission fees
11. There is a submission fee to enter your film. Films submitted by the Regular Deadline of Tuesday 24 September 2024 are charged US$15. Films submitted by the Late Deadline of Tuesday 29 October 2024 are charged US$21.
12. The submission fee is waived for single entries if the applicant resides in one of the countries on the United Nations' list of Least Developed Countries: https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/least-developed-country-category/ldcs-at-a-glance.html
We can respond to waiver requests until 23 October at the latest.
13. GSFF does not have the facility to apply refunds. Please ensure your film meets the eligibility criteria before submitting.
14. Applicants may enter as many eligible films as they wish. A separate entry form, upload and additional entry fee is required for each film submission.
15. For anyone wishing to submit multiple entries special discounted rates may apply. For a multiple entry discount please contact submissions@glasgowshort.org.
16. Discounts for multiple submissions must be sought before the films have been submitted. Multiple discounts cannot be applied retrospectively after the films have already been submitted.
Digital submissions
17. GSFF accepts submissions via FilmFreeway. You are able to upload your film as a digital file via a secure external link, or to provide a password-protected Vimeo link, once your registration details have been completed. GSFF guarantees that your film will never be used in any way other than that to which you agree and will not be available online to the public except under restrictions outlined in paragraph 32.
18. Please ensure that your upload adheres to the specifications supplied by FilmFreeway.
19. Please submit your film digitally.
20. It is up to the applicant to ensure that the preview copy is in full working order.
Contact
21. For all enquiries please contact submissions@glasgowshort.org.
Award eligibility
22. Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film - All entries other than Scottish entries are eligible. International Audience Award - All entries other than Scottish entries are eligible. Scottish Short Film Award - All Scottish entries are eligible. Scottish Audience Award - All Scottish entries are eligible.
23. A film is considered eligible for the Scottish competition if at least two of the following key positions - director, writer, producer - are filled by people resident in Scotland. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Festival Director.
24. If a film is eligible for the Scottish competition, it is the responsibility of the submitter to indicate this when submitting the film.
Films not in the English language
25. If the original language of any dialogue or text featured in the film is not English, the preview and screening copy must be subtitled in English, unless this is at variance with the filmmaker’s intention.
Selection procedure
26. Submitted films are viewed by two or more members of the selection team. All programming selections are at the discretion of the Festival Director, whose decision is final.
27. GSFF will not provide comments on films prior to submission, nor reasons for rejection of a submitted film.
Notification
28. The festival will not confirm the receipt of submissions and preview copies. All applicants will be notified via e-mail about the selection or rejection of their film by 7 February 2025.
Festival competition screenings
29. Films in competition screen from DCP. The festival prefers to receive films on professionally made and tested DCPs. For details of a special DCP creation offer from submissions partner The Ark, go to https://theark.uk.com/gsff-dcp/.
30. If a selected filmmaker is unable to provide their film on DCP, GSFF will make a DCP transfer from digital file. This DCP transfer is the property of GSFF, and can be supplied to the filmmaker after the festival for a charge to cover the cost of making it.
31. Films in the international competition screen publicly twice. Films in the Scottish competition screen publicly once. Films may be screened privately to the jury or to accredited guests and industry delegates. Films may also be included in other public programmes, subject to the submitter’s permission.
32. There are no fees for participating in the festival competitions. Participants are not entitled to claim rental or other fees for the screenings of their films at the festival.
33. In the event of the live festival being unable to go ahead due to extreme circumstances such as the COVID-19 crisis, GSFF 2025 will take place online. Films will be screened on a password-protected VoD hub for a period of no more than 48 hours, geo-blocked to the UK for public access, but available for all accredited international industry attendees. Selected filmmakers will be informed in advance of this change, and will have the opportunity to withdraw their film from selection if they so wish. In the event of withdrawal, submission fees will not be refunded.
Video library and archive
34. All films selected for screening will be made accessible to accredited industry guests in our private online video library for one month following the festival. The primary contact details given on the entry form will be made available to festival delegates and in the festival catalogue unless a distributor is identified.
35. GSFF may promote a range of new Scottish work submitted to the festival to international industry talent scouts, programmers and buyers year-round via a private password-protected online hub.
36. All selected films may be stored in the festival archive and used for internal research purposes. GSFF will never publicly screen or publish online a film for which permission has not been granted.
Further screenings, out-of-competition selection and touring programmes
37. If selected for the festival, the submitter authorises GSFF to file their film in the festival archive, where it may be made available for further screenings or events promoted by the festival itself, solely for cultural and not for commercial purposes (unless otherwise specified on accepting an invitation to screen at the festival). The festival will always request permission and give reasonable notice before proceeding with any further screening, whether theatrical or online. The festival will never allow any third party access to the film without the submitter's permission.
38. GSFF may curate out-of-competition screenings or themed touring programmes from films that were submitted to the festival, including those that were not selected for competition. These programmes will be subject to separate agreement between the festival and filmmaker. Where possible screening fees or other forms of financial reimbursement will be offered.
Publicity
39. In addition to the reproduction of stills of selected films for all GSFF publications and press, selected films may also be screened as part of preview screenings to promote GSFF 2025.
Submission agreement
40. At the point of payment on your submission you will be asked if you have read and agreed with the festival’s regulations. By agreeing to proceed with your submission you are agreeing to these regulations and your application can then be processed. Entry of a film is binding and implies acceptance of these regulations.
41. In the event of disagreement concerning the interpretation of the regulations, the interpretation of the festival will take precedence.
42. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in the submission being disqualified.
43. These regulations are subject to change without prior notice.
Delivery instructions for selected films
44. Full delivery instructions will be provided on notification of selection.
45. GSFF will only cover one-way shipping costs for physical drives.
46. It is the responsibility of the submitter to inform the festival of any change to the onward delivery address, otherwise the festival reserves the right to return the screening copy to the contact address as specified during submission.
Attending the festival
47. GSFF encourages all selected filmmakers to attend the festival, and offers guest passes to each film selected for international or Scottish competition. Any selected filmmakers attending from outside Scotland will be offered up to four nights’ accommodation in a Glasgow hotel. Additional travel support may be available.
