Speechless is an international festival inspired by the art of visual storytelling.
The festival is named for our signature category—Speechless Shorts—though we also receive and show films in a broader range of categories. In addition to film showcases, Speechless hosts a number of guest speakers, special screenings, and parties.

Awards & Prizes

Our cash prizes for Best of Fest range from $0 to $500 depending on the category. All of our award winners (including award of merit winners) also receive certificates.

Rules & Terms

Each filmmaker must own the rights to the material being submitted.

Each film must have been completed sometime after January 1, 2019.

The Speechless Film Festival is a juried competition. All entries are evaluated and scored by three to six film professionals, professors, and arts representatives typically from southern Minnesota.

It is the responsibility of the submission contact to communicate any concerns or changes in entry status as it relates to a film's premiere. If we have not received correspondence at the time of our status announcement to filmmakers (Jan 17, 2020) we will assume your film has not been removed from our contests.

All materials in a film's digital press kit or posted publicly at the time of acceptance are viable for the Speechless Film Festival to use in promotional materials.

14 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Michelle Rose

    It was switched to on-line due to COVID-19, but the organizers really pulled through in making last-minute shifts to a successful on line event.

    May 2020
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  • Sonic Barometer

    A brave call in persevering in times of such adversity. Truly reflects the dogged commitment and professionalism that is Speechless Film Festival. Proud to have been a part of it and good luck for next year…

    April 2020
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  • Vanessa Powers

    The Speechless Film Festival did an amazing job adapting to COVID-19. They were proactive and courteous in their communications, and the streaming was a wonderful way to preserve the festival experience during the Shelter in Place order. Kudos to them! A fun festival in person (I've been before) and their handling of this year's felt speaks to their infrastructure and professionalism.

    April 2020
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  • Serena Abraham

    Thank you for selecting my film! Speechless Film Festival was accommodating, courteous and always kept its participants in the loop. I would love to submit again, it's a great festival!

    April 2020
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  • David Groom

    I wasn't able to attend Speechless FF but there was good communication from the festival team and it looked to be a great niche film festival. We were very honoured to be selected and would happily submit again in the future!

    May 2018
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