LA Shorts International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world.

The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences OSCAR®, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT) presenters of the Canadian Screen Awards and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain (Goya Awards).

61 LA Shorts filmmakers have earned Academy Award® nominations, with 16 taking home the Oscar.

Now in it's 26th year, LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 300 films and attracts over 10,000 attendees each year including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging independent filmmakers.

LA Shorts is an official qualifying event for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA short film awards. Award-winners at the festival are eligible to win BAFTA Awards.

LA Shorts is recognized by The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT) presenters of the Canadian Screen Awards.

Those who have been honored at the festival include directors, Jon Favreau, Paul Haggis, Bryan Singer, Jan de Bont, Shane Black, and actors Gary Oldman, James Woods, Martin Landau and Richard Dreyfuss. Many recognized actors and directors have screened films and attended the festival such as Scarlett Johansson, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Courteney Cox, Tim Burton, Jason Reitman, Terry Gilliam, Spike Jonze, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Rachel Weisz, Hilary Swank, Josh Brolin, Kirsten Dunst, Rita Wilson, Ralph Macchio, Ricky Gervais, Vin Diesel, John Stamos, Matthew Modine, Dean Cain, Robin Wright and many many more.

The film programming screens all genres from a wide spectrum of categories with high to low budget films under 50 minutes. From recognizable directors and celebrity actors to students from the finest film schools and high school teenagers- they're all here to celebrate the art (and business) of short-form cinema!

Awards & Prizes

*ACADEMY AWARD OSCAR® QUALIFYING
*BAFTA Qualifying
*Canadian Screen Awards Qualifying
*Goya Awards Qualifying

Best of Fest
Best Foreign Film
Best Drama
Best Comedy
Best Animation
Best Experimental
Best Documentary
Best Sci-Fi
Best Horror

Best Music Video
Best Web Series
Best High School Film

Best Actor
Best Actress

Rules & Terms

REQUIREMENTS

- Films must NOT screen in Los Angeles county prior to our festival. We will factor in previous screenings in the Los Angeles area when determining a film's selection.
- We prefer films NOT be available online prior to the festival.
- Films must have been completed after Jan. 1, 2020.
- Non-English films must have English subtitles.
- Works-in-progress will be considered, provided they will be completed prior to the festival.

You may submit more than one film, but you must complete a separate entry form and pay entry fee for each film.

69 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Alex Ochman

    It was amazing to have my short film "Native Speaker" selected for the festival. The communication was excellent and things were very professional at all times. It's a shame the pandemic made the festival online, so naturally I would have loved to network with more people. Either way, a top festival and hopefully in future years there'll be physical screenings again.

    December 2021
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  • Eric Jungmann

    LA Shorts is a fantastic festival. Honored and grateful to have been included with my sci-fi thriller, "BODY OF THE MINED". Really great, diverse program of films - and an awesome, supportive community of filmmakers.

    November 2021
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  • Carleton Rodgers

    This festival had great communication throughout and although the festival moved online due to the on-going pandemic, it was a great success with a huge selection of fantastic short films! Thank you for including Transmission as part of your programme and I will certainly be submitting my future projects to LA Shorts!

    October 2021
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  • Ross Morrison

    Fantastic festival. Very proud to have premiered at one of the most prestigious festivals in the world when it comes to short films. Thanks for being easy to contact and consistently professional throughout a time where things were up in the air.

    October 2021
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  • max willocx

    It was a big deal for me to be selected for the festival! All was high quality! Super communication and follow up ! Thank you!

    September 2021
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