For ten years, LOCO has been making London laugh by showing the very best of international comedy film. In 2023, LOCO will be back, cosily rehomed with Picturehouse and with a programme that’s fuller and funnier than ever.
To celebrate LOCO’s comical decade, we’re running a one-week comedy filmmaking competition. Taking part is easy and you have the chance to pick up an award, to get free access to our exclusive training programme next May, to enjoy a celebratory glass of champagne at one of our industry networking events, and to have your short film shown at LOCO 2023 as part of the BAFTA-accredited shorts competition.
The competition is now LIVE and you can check out the requirements below. You have until 10 a.m. on Monday 10 October to write, plan, shoot, and edit your comedy masterpiece. It can be any length between 10 seconds and 10 minutes. There is an entry fee for the competition of £10. All films that reach us by 10th will be entered into the competition and will be judged by a jury of actors, writers, and industry professionals. On 28 November, we will announce the funniest frantically-made film of 2022.
In order for your film to qualify, it needs to include a few choice ingredients. Because this is LOCO’s tenth anniversary, these ingredients all relate to the number ten. Here they are…
• You are free to choose your own title, but it needs to include the word TEN. To spice things up, the letters can form part of a longer word, such as TENdency, TENsion, or incompeTENt. The choice is yours.
• We’re very keen on comic props at LOCO. We’d like you to include either ten green bottles, ten bowling pins, or a £10 note somewhere in your film.
• We can’t wait to enjoy your funny dialogue. Somewhere along the line, we’d like one of your characters to say (or write) ‘I’ll take ten of them.’
• And finally, we’d like your story to include someone either licking their fingers, polishing their fingernails, or trimming their toenails.
Otherwise, you are free to make your comedy short in any way that suits you. It might be alternative, dark, farcical, observational, parodic, physical, romantic, satirical, surreal, whimsical, or in any other style that you fancy. Remember that your finished film should be between 10 seconds and 10 minutes long. The only other thing that matters is that it should make us laugh.
For further details about the rules, check out the rest of this page. If you have any questions, please email submissions@locofimfestival.com.
A prestigious award for best speedy short, presented at LOCO festival in May 2023.
A screening of your short film at LOCO 2023 as part of the BAFTA-accredited shorts competition.
Free access to LOCO's exclusive training programme next May.
Access to one of LOCO's industry networking events, complete with a celebratory glass of champagne.