Aspiring European filmmakers are invited to submit their films to SCANORAMA’s Short Film Competition!

Established in 2003 as a Nordic Film Forum, SCANORAMA has evolved into one of Lithuania's premier film festivals, spotlighting European cinema. Annually, the festival curates a program of over 100 films from esteemed international film festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, and Venice, attracting around 30,000 admissions.

Alongside its screenings, SCANORAMA hosts masterclasses with distinguished cinema figures such as Sergei Loznitsa, Agnieszka Holland, Peter Moland, Ulrike Ottinger, Allan Starski, and others. These masterclasses provide valuable networking opportunities for both national and international industry professionals.

At the heart of the festival are its two competition programs: the Main Competition and the Short Film Competition, dedicated to emerging European film directors. Established in 2008, the Short Film Competition has grown to become a significant part of the festival, each year attracting around 300 short film submissions. From these, two films are selected and awarded by an international jury: The Best Lithuanian Short Film and Best Short Film. Both categories receive financial prizes.

Recent notable winners of SCANORAMA’s Short Film Competition include Mark Gerstorfer, whose film 'Invisible Border' was recognized as the Best Short Film at SCANORAMA in 2022 and, along with other wins, received the Student Academy Award presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In 2021, Saulius Baradinskas won the Best Lithuanian Short Film award with 'Techno mama'. The film had its official world premiere at the 78th International Venice Film Festival and has received 35 awards and special mentions, including a nomination at the European Film Academy Awards for Best Short Film.

In November 2026, from the 5th to the 22nd, SCANORAMA is set to celebrate its 24th edition across 8 cities in Lithuania. European filmmakers are invited to submit their short films and become part of this vibrant cinematic experience!

Awards & Prizes

Awards & Prizes

2 financial prizes are handed out each year:
Best Short Film – 5 000 EUR, sponsored by the Association LATGA.
Best Lithuanian Short Film – 3 000 EUR, sponsored by the Lithuanian Film Centre (LKC).

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms

1. The headquarters of the main production company of the submitted work must be located in a European country.
2. Films submitted to the competition must not exceed 30 minutes in length.
3. Films submitted to the competition must have been produced no earlier than within the last two years.
4. Applicants must not have debuted with a feature-length film yet. There is no limit on the number of short films made.
5. Films may be registered in the following categories: fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental.
6. The film must not have been publicly screened in Lithuanian cinemas or at any other festival held in Lithuania.
7. The film must not be publicly available online.
8. The film version may not be substantially altered after the announcement of the selection results (editing, radical color correction, special effects, etc.).
9. Films for the competition programme “Glimpses of Europe” are selected by a curator and coordinator appointed by “Scanorama.”
10. Up to 23 short films are selected for the competition.
11. From the selected films, the winner is chosen during the festival by an independent international jury formed by “Scanorama,” consisting of competent representatives of various film professions from different European and other countries worldwide.
12. The international jury selects the best film of the entire programme and the best Lithuanian film. Winners are announced and awarded during the festival’s official closing ceremony.

In response to the military aggression of the Russian Federation and its allies against Ukraine, applications from the Russian Federation and Belarusian filmmakers are not accepted.

Applicants (film producers, directors, or production companies) can submit their entries from 8 April 2026 to 11 August 2026.

Please read the complete regulations here: https://scanorama.lt/en/short-film-competition-programme-regulations

8 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • ausra lukosiuniene

    Scanorama is one of the most important and consistently curated film festivals in Lithuania – both for audiences and for filmmakers. I especially value the short film programme: it is always carefully composed, thematically and aesthetically diverse, yet coherent and meaningful. You feel that the films are not selected just to fill slots, but to create a real dialogue between different authors, countries and cinematic languages.

    The short film programmers are highly qualified and truly professional: you can sense their deep knowledge of European and regional cinema, their sensitivity to new forms and their respect for filmmakers. As a director and producer, it matters to me that both films and authors are treated with care – in communication, in contextualisation and in how the works are presented. Scanorama offers exactly that, and I can wholeheartedly recommend the festival as a reliable and significant platform for short film makers.

    December 2025
    Helpful
  • Love Lundgren

    Really good festival, with a high quality in the films selected. The festival really did everything in there power to make us feel like stars. Had a blast!

    November 2024
    Helpful
  • Silvija Kuodyte

    Scanorama is an amazing festival, thanks for the opportunity to participate! ❤️

    May 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Ačiū, Silvija, didžiausios sėkmės skinant laurus Sidabrinėse gervėse!

  • Nicolas Piret

    I was able to compete last year and it was a great experience ! helped by a excellent film programming !

    May 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for taking part in our festival! We are very happy that you left with nice emotions and that you enjoyed the experience of participating in our short film competition!

  • Agata Tracevič

    Lovely festival, full of amazing films and great workshops. It was an honour to be part of it!

    May 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your participation! We are delighted that you were satisfied! We wish you the best of luck on your filmmaking journey!