Queen's University Belfast Film Society presents the Queen's Student Film Festival. Taking submissions from filmmakers across the UK and Ireland, the inaugural two day event will feature short film screenings, awards, workshops, and a Q&A with industry professionals on the university campus in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

This is an event by students for students, bringing the future creative talent of cinema in the UK and Ireland together to highlight outstanding student filmmaking, help build connections and provide amazing networking opportunities. Categories will showcase the top live-action shorts, animated shorts and documentary shorts submitted, with awards for the best in each category, each role and an overall festival Audience Choice Award.

Submission is free!

Deadline March 27th.

Festival dates and locations:
Friday, April 10th, 2026
Queen's Film Theatre

Monday, April 13th, 2026
Queen's University Students' Union

Awards & Prizes

Best Live-Action Short
Best Animated Short
Best Documentary Short
Audience Choice Award

Best Director
Best Writer
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Production Design
Best Sound
Best Performance

Rules & Terms

* Submission to the festival is free
* Deadline of March 27th
* Films must be under 20 minutes in length
* Films must have been created in the last 2 years and while as a student
* The competition is open to filmmakers from and/or living in the UK and Ireland
* Participants must be 18 or over to enter
* 16/17 year olds can enter if their film is submitted by a parent/guardian/teacher. If this is the case, the age of the filmmaker must be in the director’s bio

* No AI is permitted in the creation of films submitted
* It is your responsibility that all image, sound and music rights are secured for third-party material and the submission is allowed for public screening
1 Review
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Florea Andreea Lorena

    I loved the festival so much! The students were incredibly kind and communicative! Great organization as well! I hope they will keep having the festival years to come!

    April 2026
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