Novella Film Festival is a microcosm of what the future of film should look like. It combines aspects of a traditional film festival with modern society's progression towards equality and diversity, giving voice to untold stories and helping young and/or inexperienced filmmakers get into the industry and make it their own. We want to create a space that inspires creativity and inclusivity, and provide filmmakers with the resources to continue doing what they love.

Awards & Prizes

Our 10 categories are split into two subsections: Form and Perspective. The Form categories describe the more traditional format of film you are submitting, whereas the Perspective categories describe the narrative content and the point of view your film is coming from. Please note that for the Perspective categories, this represents the narrative content and not the cast and crew.

We are proud to offer high value cash prizes for all 10 of our categories.

FORM CATEGORIES:
- FICTION - £1,500
- DOCUMENTARY - £1,500
- ANIMATION - £1,500
- MUSIC VIDEO - £1,000
- EXPERIMENTAL - £1,000

PERSPECTIVE CATEGORIES:
- POC NARRATIVE - £1,000
- LGBTQIA+ NARRATIVE - £1,000
- DISABILITY NARRATIVE - £1,000
- FEMALE NARRATIVE - £1,000
- ENVIRONMENTAL NARRATIVE - £1,000

Rules & Terms

- You must own the rights or have permission from the owner for any material in your film
- Any film in a foreign language must have English subtitles provided 
- Maximum length allowed is 35 minutes
- Any film submitted must have been completed after 1st January 2022
- All submissions must be digital and in the format required 
- Novella Film Festival is not responsible for damaged or incorrect submission files 
- Any film may be submitted to 2 categories, one form and one perspective. Any one film will not however win in multiple categories
- Perspective categories are based on the narrative content of the film, not the cast or crew. 
- Submission does not guarantee screening or selection
- The selection is solely at the discretion of the jury
- All fees are non-refundable
- You must present a valid student ID to receive a student discount
- By submitting, you agree to your film potentially being screened at the awards event (if selected)
- You agree for Novella Film Festival to potentially use clips and images from your film for promotional purposes
- We reserve the right to update the terms and conditions 
10 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • WaterBear Network B.V.

    A fantastic festival with a wonderful selection of films and categories. A very communicative and lovely team, we're looking forward to submitting more content for this year's edition.

    February 2024
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  • Maja Costa

    A great festival with excellent quality of selected films and the kindest team ever. Send your films without a second thought, they will be in excellent hands!

    February 2024
    Helpful
  • Kay Vasey

    Super cool festival with the best selection. You won't be disappointed by their curation. Check it!

    February 2024
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  • Harry Shaw

    It’s our second year of attending Novella with a film and honestly I’m just so impressed. The festival is thoughtfully curated and the quality seems to get higher each year. This team really know how to pull off an event, it’s wonderful. Our wee animation RICE BALL won the £1500 animation prize. It’s so so incredible to me that a festival in its relative infancy can back filmmakers so meaningfully with cash prizes. I wholeheartedly recommend this wonderful little festival, you’ll have a fantastic time!

    February 2024
    Helpful
  • Rebecca Ozer

    Amazing team that created a smooth and completely communicative process. So much care goes into this festival and it’s absolutely one to watch. Impressive and eclectic high quality shorts across the board - the fiction block this year was genuinely one of the strongest I’ve seen at any festival. Also, the scheme they’ve created to provide cash prizes is so rare and a meaningful way to propel filmmakers forward. Big up Novella!!

    December 2023
    Helpful