Starling Film Festival (formerly Starling Short Film Festival) is taking flight for its third annual film festival. We welcome you to enjoy all that we have to showcase—films from six different categories, with one of them having its unique flair. We have raised submission selections from 25 to 54, so there are more films to enjoy. The festival shall take place online and in person, including Q+As with the selected filmmakers and an award ceremony, all online, to wrap everything up. Events will also include industry panels, networking night and more (scheduled to be announced soon).

Whether you are a participant or an audience member, you can have the chance to watch the films at our live screening or in the comfort of your own home. So no matter where you are in the world, whether you are our next-door neighbour or on the other side of the planet, we want you to be part of our little murmuration.

How the Festival plays out:

Submission Period - 1st Feb to 1st August
Selected Filmmakers - All films are showcased on our online website
Finalist Filmmakers - Of the selected films, finalist films are then shown at the live event (excluding Short Feature Films) alongside the online Award Ceremony

Awards & Prizes

To begin with, successful films that made it into the festival will receive selection laurels to showcase. Here is a breakdown of all the awards we have to give away at our festival. Each of the category winners will receive a winning laurel award.

Best Animation

Best Student

Best Fiction  

Best Documentary

Best Horror 

Best Short Feature

Murmuration Audience Award - Voted by our online audience

Aviary Audience Award - Voted by our live audience only

Mad As Birds' 'Golden Feather' Award

The Golden Feather Award is an award for excellence in film, sponsored by Mad As Birds Films (MAB). The winner will receive a signature trophy, a small cash prize, and a free mentor session with Mad As Birds Films! Six of our finalist films will be chosen for this award.

If a participating filmmaker wins one of our awards, SFF will send the award to the filmmaker at an address provided by the winning filmmaker. Postage and shipping will need to be covered by the filmmaker if they wish to receive their award, and rates will vary depending on travel distance (MAB will ship their award separately to the other awards).

Rules & Terms

To show our support for Ukrainian and Palestinian filmmakers, SFF would like to offer free submissions to all Ukrainian and Palestinian filmmakers who wish to submit their films to our festival this year. Please get in touch with starlingfilmfest@gmail.com if this does apply to you, and we will give you a unique code.

Please read these rules carefully to make sure that your film meets the requirements to submit and that you understand everything before submitting your film:

Films submitted into the 'Short Feature' category will only screened online, not at our live screening event.

All selected films will be showcased on our website live, whereas finalist films, will be shown at the live screening event.

Films selected at last year's festival cannot be submitted again for the festival this year.

The film must be no longer than 15 minutes (excluding Short Features which will be up to 45 minutes). This must include a title screen and credits.

The film must have been completed within the last two years (beginning January 2022).

If your film contains any verbal dialogue, the film must come with English subtitles embedded in the film.

The concept of the film must be of original ideas. Any external materials used in the film (i.e. music, videos and so on) must be appropriately secured by the person/group submitting.

The film must be submitted by the final deadline on the 31st of August at 11:59 pm (BST Time) to be counted. Any film submitted after this final deadline will not be counted.

Every selected film will receive a laurel and a certificate with the chance of being screened at our live event (all selected films will be shown online).
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PLEASE NOTE!

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Submission fees are NON-REFUNDABLE and non-negotiable!!

The categories 'Student', 'Interpretari' and 'Short Feature' welcome all film genres to their categories, not just one genre.

Upon applying for the festival, those who submit understand and consent that they are solely responsible for their films being as accurately described and that all criteria are met. Starling Film Festival and all those associated with and/or in charge of the festival will not take legal responsibility for any film submitted under false information or use of unsecured external materials. This responsibility falls to the individual/group submitting to the festival.

​Once selected, filmmakers will receive an email regarding written consent about participating and being screened at the live/online festival. SFF will set a deadline for all selected filmmakers to meet. If the deadline passes and SFF has not received formal written consent, then your film selection will be revoked.

Any film discovered to be submitted under any false information will be immediately removed from the festival, regardless of where the film stands.

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All final decisions our programmers and juries make are final and cannot be disputed.

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Best of luck to all who submit their film(s) to the festival.
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  • Klaudia Makowska

    I had a great time at the Starling Short Film Festival. I wholeheartedly recommend it to other creators.

    November 2023
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  • Martin Sandin

    A small festival with the heart and ambition of the big ones. The people behind Starling Short Film Festival are doing an amazing job with promotion the film, the film makers and making the whole experience feel great. As an indie film maker it's the perfect match to mix with festivals like this. Thank you.

    November 2023
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  • Tyrese Shipp

    A lovely festival, great selection of films, friendly organisers. I will definitely be entering again. Would highly recommend, its worth the fee!

    November 2023
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  • Nirman Chowdhury

    Incredible festival team! Loved interacting with each and everyone and thank you for hosting our film.

    February 2023
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  • Eliana Fernandez

    Great festival, very friendly staff!

    November 2022
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