Mystery Shorts Film Competition from Shot In The Dark Mysteries

Eligible films must be no longer than fifteen (15) minutes in length.

Any submissions not applicable to the mystery genre (including mystery, murder mystery, who-dun-it, thriller) will be immediately disqualified. Horror films are also not eligible.

This is a juried event and official selections will be publicly screened either as part of an online showcase (in the event that Covid-19 restrictions do not lift before the end of the submission period) or in a physical location, as guidelines set forth by the Government of Ontario, Canada, allow.

Prizes will be awarded as outlined in the “Awards” section found below.

Entries must be submitted in digital format (MOV, AVI, MPEG, MP4).

All filmmakers submitting a short film for consideration must guarantee that they own all rights associated with their entry including the rights/permissions for use of accompanying music. Please ensure that you have all necessary releases.

Entries must have been completed after June 15th, 2020 and must not exceed ten (10) minutes in length.

Non-English films must have English subtitles embedded into the video.

Films that have been previously submitted to the Shot In The Dark Mysteries Mystery Film Festival are not eligible. Withdrawn submissions will not be refunded the entry fee.

Submissions received by the closing date of competition will be reviewed by a jury and will be judged based on: Production (directing, writing, originality and acting), Cinematography (camerawork, lighting, composition), Sound (music, dialog, effects, mixing), and Post-production (cutting/editing, transitions, pacing). The decisions of the jury are final and the results will be communicated to the entrants via supplied e-mail. Dependant on the lifting of restrictions due to COVID-19, select prizes will be awarded in an awards ceremony.

A brief description/synopsis is also required.

Please Note
Entering the competition gives Shot In The Dark Mysteries the right to use the work for public presentation, promotion and education. For the purposes of promotion and education, all entries will be identified as follows: “Provided courtesy of the filmmaker and Shot In The Dark Mysteries”. Shot In The Dark Mysteries reserves the right to disqualify any entry that violates the guidelines of the Mystery Shorts Film Competition as stated. Entries selected for presentation will be kept by Shot In The Dark Mysteries and archived for controlled use as reference material.