Competition Rules & Regulations 2026
General Information
Kurzfilmtage is an Oscar®-, BAFTA- and EFA-qualifying film festival for the Short Film category.
Kurzfilmtage accepts short film submissions of all genres for the International Competition. The films must have been completed in 2025 or 2026, and their runtime must not exceed 30 minutes. Commissioned works made for advertising or PR purposes are not eligible.
Films submitted for the Swiss Competition can either be made by Swiss nationals or by non-Swiss nationals residing in Switzerland. The films must have been completed in 2025 or 2026, and their runtime must not exceed 40 minutes. The selection committee of the Swiss Competition can nominate films to also participate in the International Competition, which can win prizes in both Competitions.
The section Family Programmes (out of competition) features short films aimed at audiences aged 6 to 12 (two programmes: ages 6 and up / ages 9 and up). If your film is made for a younger audience, please submit to this section. If we consider the film suitable for an adult audience, it will be suggested to other selection committees. Please do not submit the film in both categories.
Films that were previously shown at Kurzfilmtage or films previously rejected cannot be submitted again.
Films submitted for the Swiss Competition must be world premieres. Exceptions are films screened in the main competition at any of the following festivals:
• Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Berlinale)
• Festival de Cannes
• Festival International du Court Métrage Clermont-Ferrand
• Locarno Film Festival
• Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen
• International Film Festival Rotterdam
• Sundance Film Festival
• TIFF – Toronto Film Festival
• Mostra del Cinema – La Biennale di Venezia
• Visions du Réel (Nyon)
Additional exceptions are at the festival’s discretion.
Films submitted for the International Competition must be Swiss premieres. This rule does not apply to filmmakers, who are explicitly invited by Kurzfilmtage to submit a film even if their work has been screened at another Swiss festival.
We recommend that filmmakers contact us to discuss the status of their submission before agreeing to screen their film elsewhere.
Awards & Jury
• Grand Prize of the International Competition, CHF 10 000.–
• Promotional Award of the International Competition, CHF 10 000.–
• Prix George for the Best Documentary Form, CHF 5 000.–
• Award for the Best Swiss Film, CHF 10 000.–
• Audience Award, CHF 5000.–
• Award for the Best Film in the Section Sparks, CHF 2000.–
• Short Film Candidate, European Film Awards EFA
The jury of the International Competition consists of five international experts. The jury for the Swiss Competition consists of three experts. A three-person youth jury chooses the winner in the Sparks section. The juries watch all the films screened in their respective competitions during the festival.
Nominations
The winners of the Grand Prize and Promotional Award in the International Competition, and the winners of the Award for the Best Swiss Film are eligible to be nominated for the Oscar® (Academy Award) for Best Short Film. This applies to all genres.
All British films selected for the International Competition are eligible to be nominated for the British Academy Film Award BAFTA.
All Swiss short films selected for the Swiss or International Competition are eligible to be nominated for the Swiss Film Award. Further eligibility criteria are defined by the respective provisions of the Federal Department of Home Affairs. It is the applicant's responsibility to submit an application for the Swiss Film Award.
Under certain conditions, European films of the International Competition (incl. Swiss short films) qualify for nomination consideration for the European Film Award (EFA).
Submission / Deadline
Short films of all genres no longer than 30 minutes (International Competition) or 40 minutes (Swiss Competition) and no older than 2025 can be submitted through the submission platforms Shortfilmdepot and FilmFreeway. Applicants must complete the online entry form for each film and submit it with all required documentation and a preview copy by 12 July 2026. Earlier submissions are welcome.
Submission Fees
International Competition
Earlybird: Submission fully completed and paid by 18 April 2026.
FilmFreeway: CHF 17.– / Shortfilmdepot: EUR 14.–
Regular: Submission fully completed and paid by 12 July 2026:
FilmFreeway: CHF 19.– / Shortfilmdepot: EUR 18.–
Family Programmes (out of competition) for Kids aged 6 to 12.
Submission fully completed and paid by 24 May 2026
Filmfreeway: CHF 9.50 / Shortfilmdepot: EUR 9.–
No submission fee is required for films submitted for the Swiss competition.
Please note that the submission platforms FilmFreeway and Shortfilmdepot as well as payment platforms may charge additional processing fees. A refund of the submission fee is not possible.
Preview Copies
Preview copies with spoken languages other than English must be submitted with subtitles in English. (Submissions for the Swiss Competition can have English OR German subtitles.) Films that are submitted on unreadable or damaged preview files will not be considered for selection. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the preview file is in full working order.
All films submitted for Kurzfilmtage will be uploaded to a local server, and accredited guests can view them in during the festival in the password-protected online short film archive.
The preview copies will be stored in the Kurzfilmtage archive for research purposes. Kurzfilmtage also makes the films available to the curators, select journalists, school classes, academia and film professionals on a password-protected online platform (at reduced quality) three weeks prior to the festival, as well as for research after the festival.
Media outlets reporting on Kurzfilmtage may use up to two excerpts amounting to maximum 10% of the total length of the selected films for editorial purposes, and Kurzfilmtage may use such excerpts for promotional purposes.
Notification
All applicants will be notified via email about the selection or rejection of their film at the end of September 2026. The selection committee's decision to select or reject a film is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Once a film is selected for the competition of Kurzfilmtage, it can no longer be withdrawn.
Screening Copy
For screening purposes, only the following formats will be accepted: DCP.
If the original version of the film is in a language other than English, the screening copy must have English subtitles. The screening copy must arrive at the Kurzfilmtage office no later than one Month before the beginning of the festival.
With their application, the applicant authorizes Kurzfilmtage to screen the submitted film up to five times in connection with the competition of Kurzfilmtage, free of charge.
In case of winning an award or receiving a special mention during the festival, the applicant authorizes Kurzfilmtage to additionally screen the submitted film up to five times in Switzerland within three months after the festival.
Shipping
In case of selection, the applicant will receive further information regarding the digital transfer of the film. If a digital transfer is not possible, the applicant will receive further information regarding the address and shipping options.
The applicant covers the costs of sending screening copies to the festival. The festival covers the costs of returning/forwarding the screening copies.
Personal data
The applicant’s address data are stored in the database of Kurzfilmtage and used for communication in connection with the film submission. Personal data are kept strictly confidential and are not sold to or shared with third parties. The data can be changed or deleted on demand at any time.
Insurance
It is the responsibility of the owner of the screening copy to ensure adequate insurance coverage for both inward and outward shipping. During the festival, the insurance of all screening copies is covered by Kurzfilmtage.
Copyright / Reproduction
With their application, the applicant confirms that they possess all rights necessary for the screening of their film at a film festival.
The festival will not use films for commercial purposes other than mentioned in these regulations. Any further use of a film not mentioned in these regulations will be discussed with the applicant.
Contact
submission@kurzfilmtage.ch
+41 52 212 11 66 Winterthur, 21 January 2026
