PUFF is happy to announce that submissions are now open for our 2021 festival! The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone around the world and PUFF is no different. After a lot of discussion we decided to postpone our 2020 festival. But we’ve used the time away to come back with a supersized festival that’s going to offer even more opportunities for filmmakers to advance their careers.

We are expanding our three day festival into a 10 day extravaganza with twice the screenings, twice the events, and twice the networking opportunities!

The weekend of April 9th will feature our full 2020 lineup and the weekend of April 16th will have the 2021 lineup. The week between will have a plethora of Q+A’s, mixers and parties and each weekend will have its own award presentation.

We know it's easier than ever to get your work out there. The important thing is who's watching it. PICTURE'S UP! is designed to provide maximum exposure for filmmakers. We want to get your work in front of people who can help you take the next step in your career. We have an exciting group of judges from all aspects of the film industry: managers, agents, producers, filmmakers and actors will all view your work.
Along with our $500 grand prize, we’re offering a new category for “Made During Quarantine”, to celebrate the ingenuity and creativity of filmmakers working and creating in these unprecedented times. We want to see films that you’ve made during the quarantine period along with an explanation of how you shot your film and the challenges you overcame.
Submit your short films under 35 minutes in any of the following genres:
Comedy
Drama
Foreign Language
Sci-Fi/Horror, Student
Made In Quarantine
Television Pilot

PUFF is based in Los Angeles, CA at the historic Marilyn Monroe Theatre.

Awards & Prizes

Best of Festival - $500 PRIZE
Best Comedy Short
Best Drama Short
Best Sci-Fi / Horror Short
Best TV Pilot
Best Foreign Language Short
Best Quarantine Produced Short
Best Director - Winner receives 1 on 1 consultation with Industry Professional in their field
Best Screenplay - Winner receives 1 on 1 consultation with Industry Professional in their field
Best Performance by an Actor - Winner receives 1 on 1 consultation with Industry Professional in their field
Best Performance by an Actress - Winner receives 1 on 1 consultation with Industry Professional in their field

All nominees will be receiving a package of perks and gifts from our exciting partners!

Rules & Terms

1. Submission Format
* Films must be submitted via online screener ONLY. We DO NOT accept DVD screeners. * Vimeo or YouTube links are preferred.
* Only one version of the film will be reviewed by programmers - updated cuts will not be reviewed.

2. Submission Eligibility
* All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2016.
* There is no premiere policy - we accept films that have screened at other festivals or online

3. Submission Fee
*All submissions for PUFF are to be paid through FilmFreeway platform. Submission fees are non-refundable.

4. Selection of Films
*Submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges and selected under the following criteria:
- Quality of narrative and production values.
- Independent nature of the production.

5. Notification
* PUFF endeavors to complete all selection procedures by March 15, 2020 and inform all submitting parties if their film has been accepted or not after that time. Successful submissions will receive a Filmmaker Festival Kit that will include information on press and publicity, screener requirements, contact information and how to make the most of participating in the Festival.

6. Festival Screenings - selected films ONLY
* PUFF aspires to provide the most quality projection possible but will not be held liable for any failure in the technical quality of the projection during screenings, nor will fees be refunded in any such case. PUFF assumes that the submitting party or filmmaker(s) has spot checked the submission.

7. Scheduling - selected films ONLY
* Screenings are scheduled at the discretion of PUFF. Every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule however PUFF reserves the right to make changes at any time for any reason. PUFF will not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.

8. Promotion - selected films ONLY
*Selected films must acknowledge that PUFF reserves the right to promote the films using both images and video that you provide.