Minimalen is an annual, independent short film event, covering new productions from all over the world, as well as focus programmes and retrospectives.

Based in the attractive old town of Trondheim, Norway, Minimalen came to life in 1988. Trondheim is the main city in Trøndelag, the central part of Norway by latitude, and the country's first capital back in the good old Viking days.

Over the years Minimalen has refined its main objective into finding new ways to use the film as a medium. This often means independent productions with a free spirit attitude to filmmaking and an emphasis on images and film language more than words. The ideal filmmaker should be on a constant quest to find the right form for each story. Not that they necessarily need to tell a story, but basically, each film should have its own fingerprint, a uniqueness which goes far beyond the constant re-telling of the same storyline as in the contemporary film industry. The small gems of short fiction, documentary or animation told by experimental means. Not always artistically ground breaking or technically perfect, but with a consistency of form and contents. These are the films that Minimalen are looking for, and this is what sets us a apart from many festivals.

International Competition:
* Best Film: EUR 1000 + Trophy + Diploma
* Audience Award: EUR 500 + Diploma

Nordic Competition:
* Best Nordic Film: EUR 1000 + Trophy + Diploma
* Best Norwegian Film: NOK 5000 + Trophy + Diploma + Qualifies for Amanda Award Nomination
* Best Nordic Fiction*, Documentary*, Animation* and Art Film*
(* Except the category of which the Best Nordic Film belongs to)

International & Nordic Competition combined:
* The Raskin Spirit Festival Award: Established to celebrate the unique qualities of a compact, poetic short film that make use of the visual and auditive possibilities in an imaginative way, and do not follow the traditional feature film dramaturgy. Selected by the festival team.

Dance Film competitions - info & submission here: https://filmfreeway.com/MultiplieDanceFilm

* Production year: 2024 or 2025.
* Running time: Max 30 minutes.
* Types: All categories of film can participate, except commercials.
* Origin (i.e. main country of production OR Director citizenship):
a) International Competition:
For short films from all over the world, except the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, refer to the Nordic Competition).
b) Nordic Competition:
For short films from the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden).

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • A fantastic festival with a dedicated team behind it! I am honored to have been officially selected with my short film The Stone Putter, and I had a great time in Trondheim. Thank you!

    June 2025
  • gustavo arteaga

    No red carpets. Just 5 days of pure film immersion to question and feed the practice. As good as it gets.

    February 2025
  • Fantastisk fin festival. Man blir tatt godt vare på og kommunikasjonen er upåklagelig.

    February 2025
  • Malgorzata Rybak

    Great hospitality and beautiful city. I'm very glad I could participate in person.

    February 2025
  • Jostein Leland

    Great festival with true passion for short films. A wide variety of programs with different themes, put together with thought and respect. There were filmmakers from all over the world present, and anything from horror to dance film represented.

    February 2025