Short Com is a leading short comedy film festival and script competition platform. And is also a BIFA qualifying film festival.

We're delighted to be bringing the festival to Edinburgh and London for 2022

Short Com is a short comedy film festival that has grown from strength to strength from humble beginnings back in 2011, where it started in Manchester.

Short Com prides itself on the quality of its programme and the range of comedy stylings it has screened. The most emphatic thing we look for in a film is its ability to make an audience laugh or smile, thus we consider ourselves the most competitive comedy short film festival in Europe. Short Com has screened films from amateur made films to multi-award films that have screened at major film festivals.

Short Com has screened during the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, in London, Manchester, Bristol and Berlin. For two years it was a guest programme at the Glasgow Short Film Festival.

Why submit to Short Com? Short Com prides itself on the quality of its programme. There is a great deal of honour to selected filmmakers who make it to the annual best of screenings. In the past we have been sponsored by Blackmagic Design, Final Draft and Festival Formula all donating fantastic prizes for winning films in our category awards section. We will be looking to work with new brands to continue this tradition and bring some excellent prizes.

2021 Programme - https://www.shortcom.org/film-festival
2020 Programme - https://www.shortcom.org/2020-programme
2019 Programme - https://www.shortcom.org/2019-programme

Judges for 2022 festival TBA

Awards & Prizes

We are delighted to announce several new award categories for 2022

Grand Jury Prize
Recognising the best overall film from the festival by our special select jury.

Funniest Film
The reason what separates Short Com from any other film festival. Celebrating the film that makes audiences laugh no end.

Best Animation
Recognising the best comedy animation short film.

Best British Film
Recognising the best film from domestic filmmaking talent.

Best Performance
Recognising the best on screen performance by acting talent.

Best Script
Recognising the best script by writing talent.

Prizes TBA

Previous awards in the past have been.

$500 for the funniest film voted by a panel of judges.

Digital certificate awarded to those screened at the awards ceremony.

Free consultancy meeting from film festival strategy experts, Festival Formula.

Free marketing and or crowdfunding consultation for selected filmmakers from crowdfunding platform Greenlit.

Rules & Terms

Films ideally should be no longer than twenty minutes for extended narrative based shorts. There is no set minimum length and we have shown shorts under a minute.

Films must be released after February 2022. Try to be honest please.

Foreign language entries must contain English subtitles.

The filmmaker gives permission for Short Com to use images and footage of their film for the purposes of promoting Short Com events and marketing materials.

Submitting your film to Short Com does not mean your film will be selected for screening at Short Com events. Only selected films are screened in the Short Com programme.

A final disclaimer. Filmmakers are responsible for any copyrighted material and licencing rights of music within their film. Short Com cannot be held responsible for the promotion and distribution of materials that contain footage or music that does not have the required legal permissions. Films will be deemed disqualified at submission stage if the submitted film does not hold all clearances.

Short Com is under no obligation to screen films that do not satisfy the criteria set above.

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Scripts must be written in industry screenplay format. If you don’t know what that is… https://screenwriting.io/what-is-standard-screenplay-format/

Scripts are between 80-120 pages. No more, no less!

Must include a one pitch page.

Submissions can come from anywhere. All scripts have to be in English.​

No discriminatory language.

Material is your own original writing. (Writing teams are permitted) Breach of copyright is not permitted unless prior permission is sought and granted.

Authors of submissions will contain the copyright of their own material and have clearance of music rights.

Entrants cannot approach judging panel enquiring the judging status of their film. Entrants can be immediately disqualified if found to have broken this rule.
5 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Megan Dahl

    We were so honored for Lily's Mirror to be included in this year's festival and nominated for Best Comedy, wish we could have attended in person! The communication, other films, and press materials were top notch.

    November 2022
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  • markus meedt

    We had a great time at Short Com. The "touring" aspect of the festival means more people get to see the films across the UK and Networking works on an in person and social media front.
    The team behind the festival was super supportive, incredibly welcoming on the day and the line up of films was impecable. We are so grateful to have been part of it. And can't wait to go again in the next year!

    November 2022
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  • Varun Raman

    We had a blast playing MAN OR TREE at the festival in a strongly curated comedy programme at a great venue in the Peckhamplex. Would love to return to the festival again!

    November 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Varun! Looking forward to seeing more from you guys in the future and well done on Man or Tree smashing the circuit.

  • Blue Iris Films

    Lovely festival and great films! Felt very welcomed and the communication was excellent.

    November 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Liv! Pleasure to meet you and our gratitude for having Bound as part of our programme.

  • Tom Nicoll

    Fantastic festival, great films, lovely people!

    November 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Tom! Really appreciate you coming and for being a big part in our programme of 2021. And best wishes for Lighting Tests on its journey on the film festival circuit.