“...a vital moment in the UK film calendar, and a beacon of inclusive and groundbreaking filmmaking from a diverse range of backgrounds.” - The Voice

2019 will see the London Short Film Festival returning for its sweet sixteenth, occupying ten days across the capital's best cinematic venues - 2018 seeing us helming the big screens of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, BFI Southbank, Curzon Soho, Regent St Cinema, Rich Mix, Hackney’s MOTH Club and Dalston’s historic Rio.

Retaining our ‘legacy as promoter of uncompromising auteurs’ (HISKIND magazine) and renowned as London’s ‘cornucopia of new and beloved shorts from around the world’ (CineVue), we strive always to platform emerging talent alongside the established - with a 16 year old soft spot for the independent and ambitious.

We’re proud to welcome both UK and international submissions, screening 500+ films every year carefully curated from over 2500 submitted, and our industry esteemed competition programmes feature 36 exceptional UK and international short films awarded prizes by a British Council-sponsored international jury.

Awards & Prizes

Each year, the festival appoints an international jury (to be revealed in press in the run up to the 2019 edition, this year comprising of French filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilović, Fish Tank’s Katie Jarvis and Hamburg Short Film Festival’s Lili Hartwig) who deliberate on the following categories and award prizes of more than a cumulative £12,500 value.

BEST BRITISH SHORT FILM

The British Council is pleased to continue its support of the LSFF 2018 Best British Short Award. The winning filmmaker received a bespoke travel opportunity to a Key International Festival, paid for and supported by the British Council (cash value circa £1500). A member of the film team is working with the winning filmmaker to help select the festival and plan their trip.

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

Picture Canning were delighted to present this year’s winner of the LSFF 2018 Best International Short Film Award with a prize of an exciting camera and lighting rental package.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Fantome Line Post Production are offering this year’s winner of the LSFF 2018 Best Documentary Short time in their edit suite and access to their spanking new 4k projection facilities.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

This year’s LSFF 2018 Best Animated Short awardee will take part in an animation course at Pearson College with Escape Studios and receives a full festival pass to the 2018 London International Animation Festival.

In addition, LSFF awards from two other categories:

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM

Chosen from our Leftfield and Luscious and Celluloid Traces strands, this year’s winner has the opportunity to have their film licensed and broadcast by Channel 4 as part of their Random Acts programme.

BEST LO-BUDGET SHORT FILM

Chosen specifically from our UK and international lo-budget entries, this award was sponsored by Lomography who are once again very kindly offering a Lomokino camera and film stock to the winner.

Rules & Terms

PLEASE NOTE: LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL DOES NOT ACCEPT SPEC SUBMISSIONS. ONLY ENTRIES RECEIVED VIA FilmFreeway WILL BE CONSIDERED.

We are a BAFTA affiliated festival, enabling accepted UK filmmakers to apply for the 2019 BAFTAs.

Submissions are open to short films from every genre - we accept drama, comedy, horror & sci-fi, documentary, experimental, animation, music, viral and low-budget work (see info on lo-budget submissions in side bar). All submissions are fully considered and curated by our programming team.

Entries are open to both the UK and international filmmakers based outside the UK, with two separate tiers of submission, broken down as follows:

Early Bird - 1 Feb - 20 April
UK Early Bird - $20
International Early Bird - $28

Regular - 21 April - 29 June
UK Regular - $25
Int. Regular - $38

Late - 30 June - 20 August
UK Late - $38
Int. Reg - $38

All entries must be in English or contain English subtitles. Non-English entries without subtitles, or supplementary printed translations, will unfortunately be disqualified.

Films must have been completed after 1st January 2017, though LSFF does not require any premiere status.

Films must be no longer than 45 minutes.
Only completed entries with paid submission fees will be processed and considered for screening.

Entry fees are not refundable.

Only completed films may be submitted and will be considered.

Should your film be selected, you will be required to provide a Quicktime ProRes file and a DCP of your film.
10 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Neagle & Samad

    It was a Five Star night!

    February 2018
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  • linda ward

    Thank you so much - the festival was heartening and thought provoking.

    February 2018
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  • Toa Stappard

    My short, GOALIE screened in LSFF 2017 and my latest short, EMKHATSINI screened 'in competition' in LSFF2018. The communication, the helpful staff, the eclectic/diverse programming and events and most especially the lush cinemas with full house audiences make this an excellent festival. Thank you - I hope to return!

    January 2018
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  • Jess O'Brien

    We were delighted to be selected for the festival. The communication was excellent. We knew all the details for the screening of our film and all the other relevant parts of the festival. We were made very welcome at our screening which was also a full house so they clearly publicise in the right places. We had a brilliant night and really hope to be back at the festival again soon.

    January 2018
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  • Rodrigo Rodriguez

    I was really thrilled to be part of LSFF 2018. The screening of my short film Zoodio 54 went incredibly well and had an absolutely brilliant response from the audience. Thank you so much for selecting me LSFF!

    January 2018
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