IMDb qualifier IndieX Film Fest is an LA-based international short film festival with red carpet screenings and Q&A all year round and an annual awards event.

Among its previous winners, IndieX is proud to have Academy Award winners Barney Burman and Joel Harlow, Academy Award nominees Abigail Breslin, Bruce Davison, Eric Roberts, Janet McTeer, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Paul Giamatti, Primetime Emmy winners Loretta Devine and Patrick Norris, Primetime Emmy nominees Cara Bueno, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Screen Actors Guild Awards winner Donny Carrington, Sundance Grand Jury prize nominee Bart Freundlich, and AACTA Award winner Darren Gilshenan. Plus some notable such as Arthur Roberts, Danny Trejo, Geoff Bell, Jeff Blyth, Karen Allen, Patrick Gorman, and Roslyn Gentle, to name a few.

IndieX is looking for independent projects from all genres and all countries, especially from those traditionally underrepresented in the global film industry. With room for transgressive, eccentric or forbidden, to balance traditional narratives with high standard projects, linear or non linear, that simply "don't fit".

Each round, all submitted projects are judged by a random team of invited experts from academia and film industry from Los Angeles area, against a high standard of merit.

From the pool of official selection, which has a very competitive acceptance rate, IndieX choses the nominees and award winners of the season. Some of the award-winning projects, selected by the programmers of IndieX, are publicly screened in Los Angeles in special Q&A sessions with cast and crews.

Annual Awards qualifying
The nominees and award winners of each round qualify for the Annual Awards. For this event in Los Angeles, the judging team of IndieX chose around 75/85 films to nominate for the best of the year (from the pool of nominees and awards winners of 12 monthly rounds).
To learn more, check the following link:
https://indiexfest.com/annual-awards/

Every submission can add additional judging categories. In these cases, the name(s) to be credited should be included in the cover letter or sent to IndieX by email.
Note that any entry is judged only according to the nature of the submitted category or categories.

MONTHLY ROUNDS
All projects officially selected in each monthly round receive the IndieX official laurel and the custom certificate of achievement according to their final status in the competition.

At least 3 different judges score the quality and creativity of each entry on a performance scale. The highest rated entries are nominated for the awards of the respective categories and finally are choose the winners.

Besides the main award and the special Student Awards for each category, it can be given also Outstanding Achievement Awards (for the runner-ups) and Honorable Mentions.

Also, for each round, IndieX decides and award two overall winners (chosen from all categories) as Best Short (spoken in English) and Best Foreign-Language Short, plus two overall special mentions (Awards of Excellence).

The awards by category:
Best Short Script
Best Indie Short
Best Drama Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Romantic Short
Best Comedy Short
Best Dark Comedy Short
Best Adventure Short
Best Action Short
Best Mystery Short
Best Crime Short
Best Thriller Short
Best Horror Short
Best Gore Short
Best Sci-Fi Short
Best Fantasy Short
Best Animation Short
Best Childen Short
Best Women Short
Best Parody Short
Best Mockumentary/Docucomedy
Best Experimental Short
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
Best Web and New Media
Best Mobile Short
Best Microfilm
Best Music Video
Best Screendance Short
Best Producer
Best Director (Female)
Best Director (Male)
Best First Time Director (Female)
Best First Time Director (Male)
Best Student Director (Female)
Best Student Director (Male)
Best Young Filmmaker (Female)
Best Young Filmmaker (Male)
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Child/Young Actress
Best Child/Young Actor
Best Acting Duo
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound Design
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Visual FX
Best Special FX
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Special Makeup
Best Set Design
Best Production Design
Best Trailer/Teaser

Categories with no submissions meeting the requirements have no awards.

ANNUAL AWARDS
The top monthly award winners qualify for the annual awards.
Each annual event is based in an annual cycle of 12 monthly rounds.
The judging team of IndieX chose around 75/85 films to nominate for the best of the year.

EVENTS DATES
The event date in FilmFreeway designates the day of the announcement of the award winners of each monthly round.
The special screenings and Q&A as well as the annual awards have a different timeline that is announced through our website and social media outlets. All submitters are always kept in loop and in advance to be able to do the preparations to attend the events.

All films should have a maximum length of 60 minutes.
All short scripts should have a maximum of 60 pages.

The films must include English subtitles (unless the spoken language is English).
The scripts must be written in English.

By submitting the film or script, the submitter agrees that:
1. IndieX can use trailer/teaser/film poster/stills or BTS and script excerpt for promotional purpose (but do not release, under any form or circumstances, the full film or script)
2. Entry fees are non-refundable.
3. The submitter owns all the rights to the film or script.
4. The information about the entries can be disclosed to IndieX associate film festivals.
5. Submission cannot be withdrawn after the announcement of the official selection.

For student fee, it is mandatory the student status evidence (e.g. copy of student card included in the project).

For the public events, submitter must provide IndieX with a DCP or, if not possible, full HD mov or mp4 digital file.

The projects that do not follow the rules & terms above can be automatically disqualified at the sole discretion of IndieX.

Disclaimer:
(i) IndieX Film Fest has two associate events only: Independent Shorts Awards and Indie Short Fest. Any resemblance to other events is purely coincidental. We do not represent or can be represented by any other organization.

(ii) Also, we do not disclose any kind of information with third parties.

(iii) Finally, please be aware that we do not ask for or accept any kind of donations.

Important Notice: The submitter owns all the rights to the film, meaning that the submitted work (i) does not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, that (ii) does not constitute or include a defamation of any person or entity, and that (iii) its representatives have paid and will pay in full all license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Film at or in connection with the Festival. Also, that the submitter is duly authorized, on his own behalf and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights or interests (including, without limitation, intellectual property rights) in or relating to the film, to exhibit the film at the Festival.

IndieX Film Fest 2019-2024 © All Rights Reserved

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kevin Croxton

    I highly reccomend IndieX Film Fest. I was impressed how IndieX would give me updates on my submissions, and was thrilled when our film won 7 awards, including an Award of Excellence-Special Jury Mention! When submitting future projects to film festivals, I plan to include IndieX!!

    March 2024
  • Participating in the festival was an unforgettable joy, highlighted by seamless organization and exceptional communication that made every moment feel special. Winning an award for my movie in such a vibrant, supportive community was a highlight of my year, filling me with gratitude and pride. The festival's dedication to celebrating creativity and fostering connections among artists was palpable, leaving me inspired and eagerly looking forward to future events. Thank you to the entire team for an experience brimming with positivity and unforgettable moments.

    March 2024
  • Jerome JACOB

    Great Festival! Thanks for the award!

    March 2024
  • jamal mclemore

    Excellent communication and support of independent film and filmmakers!

    March 2024
  • Ying Chu

    We appreciate the festival for honoring us as an Award Winner.

    March 2024