International Student Film Festival presented by Short+Sweet International for students of SAE Creative Media Institute around the world.

Entry is free. Shortlisted films will be showcased in Los Angeles as part of the Short+Sweet Film Festival.

Additionally, all finalists may be selected for free entry into other S+S festivals internationally. Winning films (documentary and animation only) may be eligible for Academy Award selection through the S+S partnership with American Documentary Film Festival (Palm Springs).

You must be a current SAE student - any course, any campus, any country - OR have graduated from an SAE course within the last two years (2017/2018). The film may feature the work of other artists and contributors however your involvement should be as one of the Creative Team. You are responsible for obtaining the permission of others involved in the production.

Don't forget all films must be 10 minutes or less (excluding credits). Your work will be seen and assessed by a line-up of industry professionals from around the world.

The festival is a proud member of the Short+Sweet family - the biggest 10 minute performing arts festival in the world - with events in 30+ cities across 14 countries. Short+Sweet has been entertaining audiences for over 20 years, with the first festival in Sydney Australia in 2002. To date, S+S has presented over 8,500 original new works in a broad range of art forms including Film, Theatre, Music, and Dance.

Awards & Prizes

Shortlisted films will be screened at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Prizes and Awards may be given in a number of categories. Other local prizes and awards include Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Design, Best Editor, Best Actor, and People's Choice.

By entering the Short+Sweet SAE International Student Film Festival your film is eligible for selection in any of the other S+S Film Festivals around the world over the next 12 months - Sydney, Hokkaido, Dublin, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melbourne, Brisbane, Dubai, Chennai, Canberra, Abu Dhabi, Wollongong (NSW), and others.

Rules & Terms

Submissions must include a cover letter detailing the SAE student/s and their role/s on the production, as well as the campus of production. For SAE alumni, please state the campus where you studied.

In keeping with the Short+Sweet tradition, all films must be 10 minutes or less (not including the title) and can be shot and edited on any device. You must have permission to use any images, storylines, music, etc. in your film.

The only other limit - is your imagination!

By entering your film to S+S you are agreeing to the following:

1. The running time of my Film is 10 minutes or less. Films longer than 10 minutes (10m59s) will not be considered.


2. I am a senior creative team member of the Film and I give permission for the Film to be presented at any Short+Sweet (S+S) festival or event for which it is eligible. If I am not the (sole) creator of the Film I warrant that I have obtained all necessary permissions of writers, originators or contributors. 


3. Should my Film be selected for a S+S Festival or event I understand I will receive no royalties or other payment for those screenings, live or virtual, but will be eligible for prizes and professional development opportunities. 


4. I understand that my Film will be assessed by a selection committee and that no communication will be entered into by S+S regarding this process. The selection decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 


5. I give S+S the right to screen/record/photograph my Film for archival, marketing and publicity purposes (including in unpaid public forums such as YouTube, Vimeo or similar). 


6. I understand copyright material cannot be used unless I have documentation to prove legal authorisation from the musician, artist, writer or record label. 


7. I may also be required to provide Actor Release Forms to be signed by the people appearing in your film. 


8. I understand that Films in any language are eligible, but must be subtitled in English. 


9. The festival is open to filmmakers of all ages and levels of experience. 


10. Submission deadline for Short+Sweet SAE International Student Film Festival is 11:59pm (PST), September 2, 2019. 


11. All content submitted must be in accordance with the law and any perceived illegal activity will be reported to the appropriate authorities. 



12. I understand that if my Film is selected as a finalist I will be required to provide S+S with the highest quality recording of the Film so that it can be screened.

13. No restrictions on the Device(s) used to record or create video and audio.

14. No restrictions on Software used to create, edit or enhance video and audio.

Privacy Statement 

The personal information provided by you will only be used by us for S+S Festivals, competitions and related activities, and to communicate with you about those activities. You can opt out of these at any time by responding to any emails received with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or the body of an email.


The festival is open to filmmakers of ALL ages and levels of experience who are current students of SAE in any course, campus or country around the world.

The cost of entry to S+S Film is free to current students of SAE. If you're not a student of SAE then please go to https://filmfreeway.com/ShortSweetFilmFestivalLosAngeles and submit as part of the open program.