Submit your film for the 14th annual Short Circuit Film Festival on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada!

For 2026, Short Circuit will be a … short circuit! That’s right, we’re hitting the road to present a tour of local films in four locations across Vancouver Island: Tofino, Courtenay, Nanaimo, and Victoria. Submissions are accepted from filmmakers in our home region of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Short Circuit began in 2012 with a showcase of short films from the Pacific Northwest, and in 2017 we widened the lens to include work from around the entire Pacific Rim. Our tours in 2018 and 2023 expanded the scope and impact of our festival, bringing outstanding short films to even more audiences in BC and across Canada. In 2025 we presented more than three dozen short films in five screening programs, plus filmmaker Q&As, parties, awards, the Odeon Alley mini-cinema, and the INDIE+INDUSTRY professional development day including a brunch, panels, and networking.

In 2026 we are excited to partner with Monday Night Movies in Tofino, Comox Valley International Film Festival in Courtenay, and Vancouver Island Short Film Festival in Nanaimo, to present this unique opportunity for local filmmakers. The tour wraps up with our two-day hometown festival in Victoria at The Vic Theatre!

🗓️ Submission deadlines:
Early Deadline – February 4, 2026
Late Deadline – February 25, 2026

🎞️ Tentative screening dates:
Courtenay / CVIFF – April 3, 2026
Tofino / MNM – April 13, 2026
Nanaimo / VISFF – April 17, 2026
Victoria / Short Circuit – May 1-2, 2026

If your film has already screened at a previous edition of Short Circuit, or if you have already submitted to CVIFF or VISFF for their 2026 festivals, we encourage you to submit again to Short Circuit this year in order to be considered for other screenings on the tour!

We will start to make selection decisions for the first tour stops after the early submission deadline, and will make the final selection decisions including the Victoria screenings after the late submission deadline.

CineVic pays artists for the privilege of exhibiting their work. Short Circuit compensates selected filmmakers with screening fees to be paid after the festival. We will not be presenting festival awards in 2026.

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Short Circuit is presented by CineVic Society of Independent Filmmakers. CineVic is an artist-run society providing independent filmmakers and media artists with accessible programming, affordable equipment, professional development resources, and cinematic exhibition opportunities since 1991. CineVic acknowledges and respects the long and continuing history of the Lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking people, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, on whose traditional and unceded territory we carry out our creative activities. CineVic gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance and support of Canada Council for the Arts, Province of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, and the CRD Arts Development Service.

Rules & Terms

1) Entries and submission fees are only accepted via the FilmFreeway online portal.

2) Film submissions are only eligible from filmmakers on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands region in British Columbia, Canada. Entries originating from outside of this region will not be considered. Entry fees are non-refundable.

3) We accept entries in any film genre. Films must be in English OR contain English subtitles. Maximum running time is 20 minutes including credits. Only films completed after January 1, 2021 will be considered. Only the originally submitted version of the film will be considered (file updates after the original submission date will not be considered).

4) All programming decisions are final. We do not provide feedback on film entries or selection decisions.

5) If selected for screening at the festival, the filmmaker will be required to submit the following:
• Minimum two high-resolution film stills
• One high-resolution Director's headshot photo
• Brief synopsis of the film
• Film exhibition copy in minimum 1080p resolution (preferably 2K or 4K), in DCP, ProRes, or MP4 format, with HI/VI captions and descriptive audio track if available
• Film trailer file and/or online link if available

6) Once a film has been selected for the festival it may not be withdrawn.

7) Screening fees will be paid to Canadian films/filmmakers which are selected for screening.

8) Two representatives from each selected film will be provided with a pass to all Short Circuit events. Unfortunately we cannot provide a pass or tickets to other screenings and events at CVIFF or VISFF.

51 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Gay 4Nature

    Thank you for screening our film, Green in Tofino and Victoria. We loved being part of the festival, and the organizer is fantastic.

    May 2026
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  • Anthony Carr

    Was a pleasure to be part of the Short Circuit Film Festival this year. David and the team did a fine job showcasing and promoting Vancouver Island and Gulf Island talent. Communication was great, atmosphere at the festival was friendly and supportive and having the opportunity to screen at multi venues was amazing. My only regret is that I couldn't get to all the other partner festivals. Hopefully next year. Thanks Short Circuit FF for including my experimental film in the program :)

    May 2026
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  • Darcy Demerse

    Massive thank you to all those involved at the Short Circuit Film Festival! I was so grateful for the opportunity they afforded me to screen my film More of Mum. David was a phenomenal host who took the time to connect with each artist as well as curate a fun experience for all filmgoers with his steady, humble leadership throughout the entire event. This festival elevates art first while creating a safe and positive space for all those in attendance, and I recommend it to all.

    May 2026
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  • Simon Rasmussen

    I can’t say enough good things about this festival. From the quality of the films to the great industry panel discussions, it’s a well run, and very special festival. The organizers are extremely supportive of local films and filmmakers, and it was a real pleasure to be part of it this year!

    May 2026
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  • Steve Barker

    From the Director- I really enjoyed this festivals creativity and friendly people involved in making it happen. - Eric Hinch

    March 2026
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