The third annual Ottawa Shortfest (previously Ottawa Film Festival) is now open for submissions, and we can’t wait to see what local and international filmmakers bring to the screen this year. We’re proud to celebrate great storytelling in short form, and this year’s festival will feature a range of awards to recognize standout talent. If you have a film you’re passionate about, we encourage you to submit and share your vision with our growing festival.

Best Live Action Short
Best Animation Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Ottawa Short
Best Student Short

2026 Terms & Conditions

1. All films must be submitted in English or with English subtitles (if in a different language).
2. All films must have been made in or after January 1st, 2025.
3. All films should not have and will not be made publicly available until July 2026.
4. Short films must not exceed 30 minutes.
5. Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.
6. By submitting to us, you give us consent and right to screen your film in front of a live audience, and, under special circumstances, online screening.
7. We may promote clips from your film on social media, based on the press kits you provide us with, or existing stills on your FilmFreeway account.
8. We retain the right to change the date and venue of the festival under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes through email and our online platforms.
9. We place no restrictions on your work in terms of premiere status, however encourage premieres.
10. We do not accept partial screeners, trailers, or screener links that require access other than password protected links.
11. Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. If, at the time of judging, your video file doesn’t work or doesn’t have English subtitles (if in a language other than English), it will be automatically rejected, without a refund. Please contact the festival team ASAP if there are any issues with the submission process, and a solution will be found.
12. We reserve the right to alter deadlines on this platform.
13. By submitting to us you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.
14. All submissions are non-refundable.
15. We reserve the right to update our terms and conditions.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kyle Marchen

    It was great screening our film "Heap" at OFF - the programming was exceptional! I hope to be a part of future editions of the festival!

    November 2024
  • Kiarash Dadgar

    OFF was a fantastic experience! The team was incredibly professional, responsive, and welcoming. The event's organization was seamless, and the festival provided a great platform for filmmakers to showcase their work. It was an honour to have my film in their first year, and I look forward to submitting my future projects!

    October 2024
  • Zahra Benasri

    Ottawa Film Festival is an amazing example of a young festival with a team working with kindness and professionalism.

    We were happy to have MAKAN by Ghanwa Rana of our film at your festival.

    Keep going, we're looking forward to see the festival growing!

    October 2024
  • Pierre Brouillette-Hamelin

    We’re very proud to have had our film A CRAB IN THE POOL screened at the 2024 edition of the Ottawa Film Festival, a young festival with an already strong, varied programming. We wish we could have attended in person, and hopefully we will with our next project!

    October 2024
  • Yassine El Idrissi

    Good festival, I wish to the festival a long life.

    October 2024