IMPORTANT! Unfortunately we do not offer fee waivers.
Please note that enquiries about fee waivers will not be responded to.

OFF is Denmark’s most courageous and most adventurous short film festival. We always offer a varied and experimenting film programme garnered with thought-provoking off-screen experiences, debates, workshops, concerts and much more.

Every year in August, film enthusiasts from all over the world have the opportunity of catching an exceptional selection of Danish and international short films in Odense that would otherwise never reach the big screen.

Main Competition:
The H.C. Andersen Award (Oscar qualifying)
The Storyteller Award
The Artist Award

Danish Competition:
Best Danish Short Film (Oscar qualifying)
The Talent Award
Best Danish Acting Performance Award

Animation Competition:
Børge Ring Award (Oscar qualifying)
Animation Talent Award (Only Danish animators can be considered for this award)

Documentary Competition:
Best Documentary Short (Oscar qualifying)
The Soapbox Award

Youth Jury Competition:
The Youth Jury Award

Audience Competition:
Audience Award
Youth Audience Award
European Film Awards:
A jury will select a film from one of the competitions to be qualified for an EFA Award.

SUBMISSION
1. Deadline 4th of April 2024
2. Submission must be done via filmfreeway.com
3. Early-bird deadline 1st of January: 10 Euro/film
4. Regular deadline 15th of March: 15 Euro/film
5. Late deadline 4th of April: 20 Euro/film
6. NO waivers or refunds

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
1. All genres are welcome
2. Maximum length 30 minutes (24/25 frames per second)
(From 2025 the maximum length will be lowered to 25 min.)
3. Completed in 2023 or 2024
4. Work in progress is accepted (Final cut, but missing elements in post-production such as mix or grading is accepted).
5. Films can only be submitted once – no resubmissions from previous editions
6. Premiere not required
7. Online digital submission only. Films for pre-screening must be uploaded via FilmFreeway.
8. Low-quality copies are accepted for selection screening, but cinema screening formats must be high-quality – HD 720p or above
9. All films must have English subtitles also when the spoken language is English
10. No promotional films (e.g. educational, industrial, advertising, tourist films etc.)
11. Please be sure that you have all rights, concerning thirds parties, needed in order to participate at OFF

SELECTION
The organizers will appoint a selection committee that will be in charge of the final selection for the competition. The organizers may also authorize persons, whom they consider competent, to pre-select films for the selection committee or directly to the competition.
1. Final selection screenings in April 2024
2. Entrants will be notified of the selection results no later than the 15th of May 2024

IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED
1. Upload of cinema screening format no later than June 2024
2. An e-mail specifying the technical requirements for cinema screening and a link for upload will be sent out. We accept ProRes 422, 422HQ and H264 file formats and 5.1 surround sound. Unfortunately we cannot screen DCP formats.
3. ALL films with dialogue must have hardcoded English subtitles. Also if the spoken language is English.
4. OFF is authorized to use a short excerpt (max. 2 minutes) of the film in a radio, TV or video programme presenting OFF - Odense International Film Festival
5. OFF is authorized to screen the film at OFFstream.dk, for a period of two weeks as a part of OFF24. OFFStream will be geo-blocked and limited to streaming in Denmark and all films will be password protected behind a payment wall.
6. Selected films may be considered for any award at OFF
7. All film and music rights and clearances must have been obtained by the filmmakers (in accordance with copyright laws)
8. You cannot withdraw your film from OFF after selection by the OFF-selection committee
9. OFF is authorized to screen winning films from OFF24 as part of a Best of OFF24-tour in selected cities in Denmark
10. Selected, Danish films will be screened on FilmFreeway before the festival by the Danish Film Academy as selection of the nominated short films for the Robert prize (Short fiction/Animation)

FESTIVAL SCREENINGS
1. All screenings at OFF will be distributed directly from a central secure server to the various cinema platforms.
2. The Festival reserves the right to refuse or cancel the screening of any film if advised by authorized technicians that the film is not of sufficient quality to ensure satisfactory public screening.
3. OFF does not offer a screening fee for selected films

JURIES AND PRIZES
1. The organizers will nominate an international jury, a national jury, an animation jury, and a documentary jury all consisting of three members, as well as a youth jury
2. The juries will award prizes to films in the festival’s five competition programmes.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Claudius Gentinetta

    Thank you so much for showing my film!

    October 2023
  • Uğur Savaş

    It was a great experience from the first day to the last. The selected films are truly impressive. The sincere communication at the festival is very nice. I think it is one of the most important festival in Europe.

    September 2023
  • It was a big and great festival and it made us happy that the first show of our animation "BAYUSA" was in your festival.

    September 2023
  • Toryn Westcott

    A brilliant festival. So well organised and great fun to be a part of. Thanks again for showing our film, can't wait for next year's edition!

    September 2023
  • Michal Kracmer

    Fantastic festival. We were honoured to be selected, yet to win the Artis Award. Thank you for everything. We enjoyed the festival a lot. It is trully a high quality event worth the submission fee!

    September 2023