The IMDb qualified festival of San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival is happy to welcome filmmakers from all over the world and short films of all genres. Our main goal is to showcase their brilliant projects to a diverse audience of cinephiles. It is a world-class event committed to presenting the best of this beautiful art called 'Cinema' and dedicated to all generations of filmmakers. The festival has a hybrid structure. First, through "private" screenings, a team of professional screeners will evaluate all the submitted short films during each season. All the highest-scored films will be reviewed by at least three judges who will decide through "private" screenings the best of each season. All the winners will receive the Official Laurels and the winning-category certificate for each season. We will announce the winners of each season through our social media. In the second step, a few selected films will offer the online screening option.

Best narrative Us short film
Best international short film
Best first time filmmaker short
Best student short
Best documentary short
Best animation short
Best experimental short
Best horror short
Best dance short film
Best sci-fi short
Best covid film
Best music video
Best web series
Best micro-short
Best pilot
Best women empowerment short
Best human rights‘ film
Best lgbtq short
Best female director
Best male director
Best producer
Best original screenwriting
Best unproduced short script
Best cinematography
Best editing
Best sound design
Best original score
Best composer
Best production design
Best make up
Best actor
Best actress
Best ensemble
Best trailer
Best poster

Rules and Terms:

– In order to submit a film, you must own the rights or have permission from the owner.
– Any Foreign film that is not in English must have English subtitles.
– All fees are non-refundable.
– Not all the submissions are selected for the official competition. Our Judges are free to make their own choices and no answers will be given about not selected films.
– San Francisco Arthouse short festival can consider any film to be disqualified if the festival considers the content inappropriate. If you have any question regarding this decision you might contact us at our email address.
– Filmmakers can submit the film in multiple categories in order to become a multi-award film. Still, the decision about the selection is strictly determined by our judges’ team and no selection is guaranteed.
– Submitting your movie, you authorize San Francisco Arthouse short festival to use, distribute and share the film poster, trailer, synopsis and movie stills in our social media.
– Films can be available online and still be entered in the competition for our festival.
– Multiple submissions and multiple category submissions are accepted.
– Films must have been completed within the past 5 years.
– Shorts must be less than 50 minutes.
-We do not require premiere status.
-Festival reserve the right to change the date of the deadline for submissions and the event’s date.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • CORTO AMARGO SILENCIO

    Great festival. HOPPING to attendi t again

    March 2024
  • Gonghee Lee

    I am very happy that my short film “Living Funeral” was selected as a semi-finalist. Your film festival is very friendly and has great communication. thank you.

    March 2024
  • Stephen Bushnik

    Thank you San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival for Awarding my freshly baked short..."The Donut Mob" as BEST ANIMATION. So incredibly grateful for this award, honour and appreciation of my film. Thank you! Stephen Bushnik

    March 2024
  • Barry Samson

    The San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival is great! We are so honored to have our film, "Cats and Husbands" selected as a semi-finalist!
    Thank You so much!

    March 2024
  • Matthew Speak

    Thank you for including The Foot of the Bed!!! Such a fun festival!

    March 2024