SHOW US YOU CAN DO A LOT WITH A LITTLE!!!

The Low Budge, No Budge Film Fest was created to discover and showcase the power of creativity in film making, regardless of budget.

Focusing on celebrating short films made with limited or no financial resources, proving that strong storytelling doesn’t rely on a big paycheck.

To help support your next creative projects, the two top jury selections of the night will receive $500 and a custom trophy created by Maine artists.

The second annual film fest will be held on April 16th, 2027 at Mayo Street Arts in Portland, Maine.

Awards & Prizes

A cash prize of $500 to the winning films.

Custom trophies, one of a kind art pieces themselves, created by Maine artists.

All selected films will be featured on the festival website and social media and receive custom laurels.

And if your film isn't selected this year, the judges will happily give actionable feedback upon request!

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY

Short films from 0 - 40 minutes.

The Festival is open to all filmmakers worldwide. For films in languages other than English we ask you include English subtitles.

Films must be original creations, and the Submitter must be the copyright holder of the submitted film. The Submitter affirms that they or their team own all necessary rights to the film and all its content (including music, scripts, and visuals).

Films will be judged based on creativity, story, technical execution, and adherence to the festival's theme.

Films must be created on a small or no budget. For the purposes of this Festival: Low budget films are those made with a budget of $20,000 or less. No budget films are those made with a budget of $1,000 or less.

SUBMITTING & ACCEPTANCE

Upon acceptance into the festival, the submitter grants the festival permission to publicly screen the film during the event, both virtually and at the live event in Portland, Maine.

The submitter also grants the festival permission to use, promote, and display footage, stills, or other promotional material from the film on its website, social media, and in any other format, before, during, and after the event.

The festival reserves the right to disqualify any film that does not meet the required criteria or is found to infringe upon any copyright or legal restrictions.

The submitter retains full copyright ownership of the film. However, by submitting to the festival, the submitter grants the festival organizers, sponsors, and partners a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and promote clips (up to 5 minutes) or the entirety of the film for promotional and marketing purposes related to the festival.

The festival reserves the right to disqualify or terminate any entry or participation at any time if these terms and conditions are violated or if the submitter engages in any illegal activity, fraudulent behavior, or unethical conduct.

A full list of terms and conditions can be found on the Low Budge No Budge festival website.

4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Dzianis Ivanou

    An incredibly warm and cozy small festival! Don’t miss the chance to visit this iconic city known for its lobsters and craft beer!

    May 2026
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  • Eli Speigel

    Very generous cash reward for the jury prize and a beautiful custom made trophy!

    May 2026
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  • Jeannine Cannon

    It was such an honor and joy to be part of the Low Budge No Budge festival. The films were all incredible and the whole evening was magical. Can't wait until the next one. Thank you all so much.

    May 2026
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  • Chico CATV

    The perfect festival for my film! A packed audience who were up for something weird. The lineup of films was superb, the venue was beautiful, the hospitality was sublime.

    April 2026
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