ABOUT:
Submissions are now open for MOPOP’s 21st Annual Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF or “siff-siff”).

Created in collaboration with the Seattle International Film Festival, SFFSFF celebrates out-of-this-world short cinema and the daring filmmakers who make it happen. Films screened at SFFSFF have gone on to be nominated for Academy Awards, featured in museum exhibitions, internationally distributed, and more.

Enter your film today for a chance to see it shine on the big screen at our June 2026 festival!

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FEE WAIVERS:
MOPOP recognizes the importance of representation and accessibility both behind and in front of the camera. We continue to learn and grow every year, working to ensure our festival reflects the vast diversity of science fiction and fantasy creators and fans, especially those who have been historically excluded.

As part of this commitment, we can offer partial and full entry fee waivers to filmmakers who would otherwise be unable to submit their film to the festival, with priority given to creators identifying as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and low income.

Please fill out this short form if you’d like to request a waiver code: https://forms.office.com/r/cRNBKjzC3q

Got questions? Contact us at sffsff@mopop.org.

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NEXT GENERATION FILMMAKERS SECTION:
Our Next Gen Section highlights filmmakers ages 24 and under. Top films in this category are screened at an in person showcase and eligible for our Next Generation Filmmakers Grand Prize, selected by MOPOP’s Youth Advisory Board.

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IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES:
• Early Bird Entry: July 11 –August 31, 2025: $20
• Regular Entry: September 1–October 31, 2025: $25
• Late Entry: November 1–December 31, 2025: $35
• March 20, 2026: Notification of Acceptance
• June 6 & 7, 2026: Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

Awards & Prizes

Grand Prize
Second Place
Third Place
Audience Award
Douglas Trumbull Award for Best Special Effects
Next Generation Filmmakers Grand Prize

Rules & Terms

COMPLETION DATE:
Films must have been completed no earlier than January 2022.

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FILM LENGTH, GENRE, & QUALITIES:
• Films must be no longer than 15 minutes.*
• *Films that exceed 15 minutes may still be considered for festival programming but will not be eligible for awards.
• Films may be animated or live action.
• Films are selected on the basis of originality, innovation within the short film format, purposeful vision, contribution to science fiction and fantasy genres, and representation of diversity behind and in front of the camera.
• Films must be science fiction or fantasy genre. (Examples: futuristic stories, space adventure, technological speculation, social experiments, utopia and dystopia, sword and sorcery, folklore, urban fantasy, magic, mythic adventure.)
• MOPOP & SIFF seek to create an inclusive space open to all ages, genders, races, cultures, religions, abilities, and the full expression of self. In support of all marginalized peoples in our communities, films that promote institutional oppression are not welcome at our festival and will be disqualified from selection.

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FILM FILES:
Selected films must be made available for presentation as high-resolution digital files (2k or 1080p resolution [.mov file encoded using Apple ProRes 422 or equivalent pro codec] or hi-res mpeg-4 file). Failure to provide the film in the specified format will result in the film being dropped from the festival. To ensure the wide variance of frame rates and resolutions properly conform to our system, we convert the high-quality files to DCP in house. Please do NOT send us a DCP version of your film!

Captions are required for exhibition. We accept burned in (on video file) captions or separate caption files (.srt or .vtt). If you do not have captions, we will work with you to create them for your film. Caption status will NOT factor into our selection process.

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LANGUAGE:
Foreign language films must be made available with the original language soundtrack and English subtitles.

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THE FINE PRINT:
Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize any excerpt from any film selected for exhibition at the festival for promotional purposes. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered. By signing your name below, you authorize that you have read and understood and hereby agree to the general festival rules.

15 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Javier Badillo

    Thank you Maddy and your amazing team for putting together an incredible film festival that focuses on sci-fi and fantasy shorts with something new and different to add to the pop culture conversation. What an honor and pleasure it was to have our film Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake selected for your 20th edition, and have the privilege of joining the selected few visionary filmmakers who have their fingers firmly placed on the pulse of our world. Thanks also for such top-notch hosting, and being so attentive to my international travel requirements to reach you in Seattle. I wish you continued, well-deserved success in your future editions! Until we meet again, muchas gracias!

    June 2025
    Helpful
  • Devon Mitchell

    Amazing festival! SFFSFF treats their filmmakers incredibly well, and everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I really enjoyed watching the other films; what a great lineup! Would highly recommend to any speculative fiction filmmakers out there.

    June 2025
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  • Karina Loerchner

    What an amazing festival! I don't even know where to start. First of all, thank you for selecting and screening my film 'Nix's Symphony'. Maddy was superb with communications and answering even the most trivial questions without hesitation. Although I couldn't come to the festival, I had the opportunity to meet the other amazing filmmakers during the virtual filmmaker Meet & Greet that was set up by the festival organizers. I highly recommend this film festival, and I can't wait to enter my next film to the 2025 festival!

    July 2024
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  • Miguel Duran

    SFFSFF was amazing! This festival really knows how to make a filmmaker feel special. And to top it off, my short film, Death in Training, won the big prize- the Jury Award Grand Prize! The audience showered me with love. Maddy and the whole crew were wonderful. I can't wait to submit again in the near future. Submit your film, it's super worth it!

    June 2024
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  • Jess Koh

    My team and I were honoured to have our short film 'Out of Order' screened and awarded at SFFSFF this year! The communication and hospitality shown by Maddy was fantastic, and we couldn't have asked for a better virtual experience.

    June 2024
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