Giving short film and screenplay projects by up-and-coming filmmakers and screenwriters increased recognition and industry exposure. Winning short films are considered by Hollywood insiders seeking new talent and feature film adaptation rights.

Official Awards for the best of each genre are given to outstanding projects demonstrating originality and quality among its peers... and all category winners are now eligible for official awards in specific categories!

Awards & Prizes

PRIZES FOR BEST SHORT FILM:

The winning short film will be promoted to our Hollywood contacts who will consider your work for representation or adaptation deals.

* OPTIONAL: If your film is available for public viewing, we'll also add it to our curated Showcase and promote it on our high traffic web presence and social media profiles to give you an additional boost of exposure to audiences and other industry professionals worldwide.

BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY AWARDS:

The winning short script will be sent out to our contacts in Hollywood who will consider you for representation or adaptation rights. Depending on scheduling and interest, we'll also send your script to directors who may be interested in shooting a script in your genre. Scripts of each round will be eligible to win an official category Short Screenplay Award.

PLUS: Winners in all Short Screenplay categories are now eligible for official awards in multiple categories!

SHORT FILM AWARDS:

Genre-specific Awards will be given to a variable number of projects in any given round which achieve a high level of quality and originality in storytelling.

The awards are intended to give an added emphasis on a project's achievement within its genre when the winner is sent out to industry professionals for consideration. (Projects must be entered into the genre-specific categories to qualify for the corresponding award.)

PLUS: Winners in all Short Film categories are now eligible for official awards in multiple categories!

Rules & Terms

1. We are a GREEN competition: To reduce waste, only electronic submissions are accepted. Physical submissions are NOT accepted. Your Short Film must be uploaded to Vimeo (either public or a private screener using a shared password). Short scripts must be submitted in PDF format.
2. By submitting your film or script, you confirm that you own 100% of the rights to the work. If the work's copyright is held by more than one person, the submitter must have the written consent of all other owners prior to submitting.
For short films only: If the entrant, for any reason, prefers NOT to have their film made available on the public Just 4 Shorts Showcase, the entrant is responsible for notifying the competition administrators.
3. Scripts must be written in English. Films may originate from anywhere in the world. However, if the film has dialogue which is required to understand the narrative in any language other than English, then English subtitles must be included.
4. Entrant must be 18 years of age or older. (Entrants between the ages of 13 to 18 may enter with a written letter of consent from a legal guardian.)
5. The short film/script must be less than 70 minutes/pages in length to qualify.
6. Any decisions made by the judges and/or competition administrators must be considered final and cannot be disputed.
7. The competition and its administrators shall not be liable for any typographical errors.
8. Entry fees must be paid in US Dollars and are nonrefundable. The winner is responsible for filing income taxes on any cash prizes that may be received if any is received.
9. Entry must be received by 11:59 PM Pacific Time on the date of the deadline specified.
10. All rights to the submitted material will remain with the entrant. The contest administrators and operators DO NOT claim any rights to the material submitted to the competition.
11. Each film or script is eligible to be entered into multiple categories. All categories qualify for the general prizes. However, only projects entered into genre-based categories qualify for the individual genre awards.
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  • Nora Ni Fhlatharta

    Delighted that "The Bride Andromeda" has reached Hollywood! 🎉
    as a semi-finalist in the Just4Shorts Film & Screenplay Competition. Thank you, Just4Shorts and the readers, for this incredible opportunity. This recognition highlights the journey of The Bride Andromeda, a film that blends decadent gothic aesthetics with dark humor and a satire of contemporary image culture. 🦇✨

    The film features a visually rich mise-en-scène where tactile Gothic surfaces meet polished influencer gloss, with jewels as signature props across costume, lighting, set, hair & makeup, and sound design. It’s a dark comedy fused with mythic horror, think Interview with the Vampire meets What We Do in the Shadows, with echoes of Batman Returns (Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman metamorphosis) and Lady Gaga’s “Dead Dance” (Dir: Tim Burton).

    Honors to date: Best Plot Short nominee at HorrorHound Film Festival Cincinnati; Quarterfinalist, New York International Screenwriters Awards; Finalist, Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Webseries Showcase 26; and selected for the Catalyst International Film Festival screenwriting lab with mentors Lena Byrne and Ciarán Hayden. Through HorrorHound I’ve built strong connections in the horror community for festival outreach and screenings.

    The Bride Andromeda interrogates beauty, image versus intimacy, and the monstrous cost of treating a woman as a prize. I’ll be at the Galway Film Fleadh next week and would love to connect with anyone interested in collaborating, let’s chat over coffee (I’ll bring the chocolates!). 🍫💖

    A huge thank you to Just4Shorts, all the readers, festival teams, and everyone who has brought this project to this exciting stage. Stay tuned for updates as we take this to the next level! 🌟🔮

    July 2026
    Helpful
  • Coco Nicole Estef

    Thank you for the consideration of being selected as a semi finalist. Even though I did not get further selected, this was a major milestone as my first screenplay.

    July 2026
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  • Joe Leone

    Thank you for the recognition of THE APOLOGIST as a Finalist. Much appreciated!👍🏻💥✌🏻🎉

    June 2026
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  • Elizaveta Manina

    Great festival! I’m honored that my short film script Elza was recognized as a semi-finalist. Thank you, Hollywood Just4Shorts, for the encouragement and recognition. Highly recommended!

    June 2026
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  • Rob Tode

    Thank you so much for the recognition. We are grateful. Cast & Crew of Posers (2026)

    June 2026
    Helpful