We are the founders of both the Bodega Bay and Healdsburg International Short Film Festivals based in the prestigious wine country region of Sonoma County, California, home of Coppola Wineries.

CULTURAL ICON TOM WAITS is on the Film Jury for the third year!

Other notable judges will be joining soon. Our past film jury has included cinematic luminaries such as Academy Award-Winning writer, Billy Ray ("Captain Philips"), veteran actor Ed Begley, Jr., celebrated Writer/Filmmaker Ellie Foumbi, and Jon Shapiro (Imagine Entertainment).

Our past festivals have included over 200 short films from 50 countries submitted by filmmakers of all ages and walks of life. The winning films from past festivals have included an Academy Award-winning short.

In 2024, we are excited to announce the inclusion of the Music Video category as a result of the amazing feedback from the world premiere of Tom Waits' music video "Hell Broke Luce."

Awards & Prizes

Cash prize:

Grand Jury Prize- $2500
Audience Favorite Prize - $1000
Cinematic Trailblazer Prize - $500 plus free DCP (Digital Cinema Package) of your film with a duration of up to 20 minutes

Eligible for inclusion into our worldwide traveling collection where filmmakers get paid a cash royalty for screenings.

Rules & Terms

RULES & TERMS

NO DCP REQUIRED FOR PRODUCTION (Saves you money!)

Short film not to exceed 20 minutes.

Films must be submitted through FilmFreeway.

All selected entries must contain a mini press pack with a one-paragraph synopsis, a short bio of filmmakers for promo use, a cast list, and high-quality promotional photos including the main film poster, and filmmaker contact information.

The filmmaker gives permission for the festival to use of all submitted promotional material on any festival promotional platforms including social media.

We are excited to announce that our film festival is expanding to various worldwide venues as a traveling program for the "Best in Fest." Selected films will be eligible to earn royalties for screenings. These films will be selected after the in-person festival and filmmakers will have an opportunity to review the details before committing to the royalty program.

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REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS:

Films must have been completed in 2018 or later.

Films cannot appear on public YouTube ("Unlisted Youtube" and Vimeo are okay). MUSIC VIDEOS CAN ALREADY BE ON YOUTUBE PUBLICLY.

Non-English speaking films must have English subtitles.

AUDIO = Stereo (not surround sound)

PROJECTION FILE = .MP4 File format (High quality)

ASPECT: Minimum pixel dimensions: 1920x1080. (or letterboxed within that). NO anamorphic)

ENGLISH SUBTITLES: Burned into the picture when non-English is spoken

1 Review
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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  • Jason Branagan

    I was delighted to screen Picture Day at the 2023 edition of the festival. Kirk runs a great festival and even though I couldn't attend in person, the communication was exceptional. Well worth the submission and highly recommended!

    October 2023
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