✨ LIVE EVENT 2026 ✨ WEST HOLLYWOOD ✨

Our Live Event took place in April 2026 and was a resounding success, featuring fully sold-out screenings and lively networking cocktails throughout the weekend at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre at The Lee Strasberg Institute, in the heart of West Hollywood 🎉

Congratulations to all the talented filmmakers whose work truly lit up the screen.

At HOLLYWOOD SHORTSFEST, we are committed to supporting emerging and independent filmmakers by connecting their work with global audiences. Our mission is to showcase the best independent short films across all genres, and we invite you to be part of this exciting international event.

🎬 Screenings & Awards

Official Selection films will be screened at our Live Showcase, featuring over 70 short films

Honorable Mention films will be presented in our Virtual Screening Program

After each virtual event, our jury will select one film to receive the HSF Best of Virtual Competition Award, which includes an official screening slot at our Live Event

A USD 1,000 cash prize will be awarded to the People’s Choice Award winner at the Live Event

🌍 Industry & Community

Our Live Event is a unique opportunity to screen your film, network with industry professionals, and connect with fellow filmmakers who share your passion for cinema.

Our Judging Team is composed of international film industry professionals from diverse fields, with no ties to the films in competition. Each season, they carefully select outstanding films and artists across all categories.

🎉 Join Us

Join us for an unforgettable three-day celebration of innovative and talented independent filmmakers from around the world at HOLLYWOOD SHORTSFEST.
Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the energy, creativity, and diversity of independent cinema.

Awards & Prizes

🏆 HSF Best of Virtual Competition Award

Each quarter, one outstanding short film will receive the HSF Best of Virtual Competition Award.
The winning film will earn an official screening slot at our Live Event.
Will you be the next winner? 🏆

🎬 Main Categories

Best Short
Best First-Time Filmmaker Short
Best Foreign Language Short
Best Experimental Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Student Short
Best Animated Short
Best Student Animated Short
Best Drama Short
Best Comedy Short
Best Horror Short
Best Music Video

🎥 Technical & Performance Categories

Best Female Director
Best Male Director
Best Female Student Director
Best Male Student Director
Best First-Time Director
Best Cinematography
Best Screenwriting
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best New Actor / Actress
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Original Score
Best Sound Design
Best Editing
Best Producer
Best Production Design

📋 Short Film Selection Process

Once your project is submitted, it will be reviewed by our Screening Team. Films are evaluated based on:

Originality and creativity
Direction and writing
Cinematography and performances
Production value
Pacing and structure
Sound design and music

Films receiving the highest scores will be selected for the Official Selection and will receive an email notification along with the corresponding Official Laurel.
Non-selected films will also be notified via FilmFreeway on the official notification date.

🎉 Screenings & Jury Process

All Official Selection films will be screened at our Live Event

All Official Selection films will be reviewed by our Jury, who will select the winners

Winners will be announced during the Live Event

All Honorable Mention films will be screened at our Online Event

In addition, our Curator may invite a limited number of exceptional projects to participate in the Live Event.

📣 Winners & Promotion

Each winner will be notified via FilmFreeway and HSF and will receive:

A personalized achievement certificate

The official HSF laurels

All winners will be announced on our website in the WINNERS section and actively promoted across our social media platforms.

Rules & Terms

IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR FILM, YOU AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES:

FILMS MUST BE 40 MINUTES OR LESS.

FILMS MUST BE FULLY COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE DATE THE PROJECT IS SUBMITTED.

FILMS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH A PRIVATE LINK (VIMEO, YOUTUBE, FilmFreeway, SELF HOSTED). OTHER FORMAT IS CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTED.

QUALITY STANDARDS MUST BE MET. BELOW 720P RESOLUTION, POOR AUDIO QUALITY, ETC WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

FILMS CONTAINING ANY OTHER LANGUAGE THAN ENGLISH MUST HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES.

HSF HAS NO PREMIERE STATUS REQUIREMENTS.

ALL FEES ARE NON TRANSFERABLE AND NON REFUNDABLE.

WE DO NOT OFFER FEE WAIVERS.

HSF MAY USE PORTIONS OF YOUR FILM (INCLUDING TRAILER/TEASER/STILL/POSTER) FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES.

YOU MUST OWN THE RIGHTS ON YOUR FILM IN ORDER TO SUBMIT IT.

FESTIVAL EVENT DATES AND TIMES MAY BE DELAYED OR CHANGED.

A DCP COPY OF YOUR FILM MIGHT BE REQUESTED FOR THE LIVE EVENTS.

We are not liable for any copyright infringements or unauthorized usage and any conflict should be settled by the parties involved thereof.

You are responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity.

HSF can consider any film to be disqualified if the festival considers the content inappropriate. If you have any questions regarding this decision, feel free to contact us.

All submissions in personal categories required the name of the person and the category. You can easily send us this information in the cover letter at the FilmFreeway website.

Not all the submissions are selected for the official competition. Our Judges are free to make their own choices and no answers nor feedback will be given about not selected films.

When submitting your film, you are consenting to our Privacy Policy. We are committed to respecting each filmmaker's preferences. We might contact you through your email or social media provided in the submission page to communicate updates on your submission status, screening and DCP requirements, events ticket confirmation, as well as to provide information about events, services, promotions that we think you might be interested in. You can unsubscribe from any marketing or advertising newsletter from us or any partner festival simply by clicking unsubscribe.
Even when unsubscribing from a marketing newsletter, you can still receive any communication regarding your submission status through the FilmFreeway system. For more information about our associated event, please refer to hollywoodshortsfest.com. If you need further information, please contact us via hello@hollywoodshortsfest.com, and we will be happy to help you.

250 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • pietro zuercher

    The best of the small film festivals. Very well organized, the audience is very engaged, great overall experience. We really hope to be back soon!!

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • Tenz_animation None

    Great experience and great movies! Really enjoyed the festival atmosphere and meeting so many talented filmmakers. Thank you for supporting independent cinema!

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • Scott McCullough

    Great festival...great people and the films were top notch!

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • Robert Zawadzki

    My film "FEAR" was part of the online event, so I didn’t have the chance to experience the atmosphere in person, but I’m still grateful for the invitation and for the opportunity for the film to meet its audience. All the best.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much, Robert! We're glad FEAR had the chance to reach its audience through the online event, and we truly hope to welcome you in person at a future edition. All the best!

  • Dianna Vasileiou

    Thank you for showing my film "twenty-seven hours". Everything was great!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Dianna! It was a joy to screen twenty-seven hours, and we're so glad everything felt great from start to finish. Hope to see you back with us soon!