The Sandton Film Festival is the first of its kind in the greater Sandton area, north of Johannesburg. Sandton is without a doubt one of the most popular destinations in South Africa, both for leisure and for business.

The Sandton Film Festival takes a relaxed look at filmmaking with our selection of films screened at quaint independent cinemas in northern Johannesburg, offering a picturesque setting for your film to be screened.

The event also includes a screenwriting competition, so feel free to submit your screenplays as well as films, documentaries and even photography.

As this is a short film festival, we are requesting that all films be less than 30 minutes.

Awards & Prizes

The Sandton Film Festival has many awards on offer. You don't need to submit to each category as all films are judged equally. All successful submissions will be allowed to compete for any and all prizes. Short films, student films and documentaries all compete together in the same categories.

The awards on offer:
Best Production.
Best Director.
Best Cinematography.
Best Sound Design.
Best Edit.
Best Visual Effects.
Best Production Design.
Best Achievement Art Department.
Best Actor.
Best Actress.

Screenwriting Awards:
Best Feature Script.
Best Short Script.

Rules & Terms

1 - All films (short, student and feature) as well as documentaries are welcome to submit. Films and documentaries in progress will not be accepted, the film needs to be a completed film. Submissions may be adjusted/edited after submission, only if clear permission has been granted from the festival committee and jurors. This is only allowed in extreme cases or in order to remove scenes that the festival committee deemed to have gone against guidelines.

2 - Films may be withdrawn from the festival at any stage until 24 hours prior to the screening of the film.

3 - Films must be in English or have English subtitles.

4 - All films will go through a vetting process whereby our committee will assign age ratings and restrictions. If we deem a scene or scenes to go against our guidelines or those of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa we will ask for these scenes to be edited or removed completely.

5 - NO FILMS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

6 - All submitters accept that awards given to films and anything that may be associated with the award are at the discretion of the festival organiser, awards may be revoked at the discretion of the festival.

7 - Terms and conditions are subject to change at the discretion of the festival.