The Suffolk Short Film Festival CIC (Suffolk Shorts) is held in Suffolk, United Kingdom.
Suffolk Shorts is an international competition festival for short films with a running time of fewer than 24 minutes (including credits) which have been completed since January 2023. The festival will be held in November at The Riverside in Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK.
The aim of the festival is to bring exceptional international short films to Suffolk, encourage local filmmaking, and raise a fund to support production in the region. The festival will also host workshops and talks.
Our Awards and Juries consist of specialists from the world of film and culture, chosen for their relevance for each category. The juries award cash prizes to the best film in each of the categories.
Student Shorts submitted require valid proof of student status on submission.
Rules and Terms
By submitting entries to Suffolk Shorts you agree to have read and accepted the following Rules and Terms for participation in the Suffolk Short Film Festival.
Eligibility and Submission Procedure
Films must have a running time of fewer than 24 minutes (including credits) to be eligible for consideration.
Only films that have been registered and submitted through FilmFreeway will be considered for selection, it is our only method of submission. No Postal entries will be accepted.
Foreign language films must be subtitled in English.
We do not have a premiere policy.
We are unable to accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films.
No refunds will be offered if you do not adhere to the rules outlined here.
Submission Deadlines and Fees
Proof of registered student status is required.
Entry fees are payable upon submission through the FilmFreeway platform. The same film may be entered into one or more categories, but each category requires an entry fee. All fees are non-refundable.
Intellectual Property and Copyright
Films that are submitted must be the entrant’s original work and must not infringe on any copyrights or any other rights of any third-parties. Contestants agree that they have obtained all required releases and copyright permissions regarding music, sound, images, and all other materials used in their film that are not wholly owned by the entrant. The signature of a parent or legal guardian is required if any person appearing in any film is under the age of 16.
We reserve the right to require appropriate proof of ownership of usage rights and to deny admission or withdraw a work from the competition if for any reason the work appears to Suffolk Shorts to expose it to actual or potential damage to our reputation, risk of legal proceedings or enforcement including, without limitation, the alleged breach of third-party intellectual property rights. Any enquiries regarding copyright will be referred to the entrant.
Press and Publicity
By submitting a work you consent to Suffolk Shorts using the whole or any part of the work for publicity purposes, marketing and education, on our website, posters, leaflets, social media and for press, signage and catalogue purposes;
If your film is selected we require digital images and other press/publicity materials so that your work and the Festival can be promoted. Digital press packs can be uploaded with submissions. We strongly recommend you do this. We recommend you include at least the following:
• Your film,
• A trailer,
• A poster (300dpi),
• A 100-word synopsis of your film,
• At least 3 stills from the film (at least 800px wide and 300dpi),
• A director’s statement (max 500 words),
• At least 1 photo of the director/crew/behind the scenes (at least 800px wide and 300dpi).
Please do not send hard copies as we are not able to store them.
Selection of Nominated Films
Selection will be carried out by the Suffolk Shorts team. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the selection process and the decision of the Festival Directors is final. We aim to inform successful applicants by the 3rd September. Due to the volume of entries, we are unable to offer individual feedback about your work. If your film is selected, you will be contacted by Suffolk Shorts with logistical and practical details of your screening during the Festival. No film may be withdrawn from the Festival programme after its participation has been publicised.
Successful submissions will be listed on the Suffolk Shorts website www.suffolkshorts.co.uk and social media platforms, and successful applicants will be notified by email or ‘phone. Please make sure the contact information you provide is accurate so that we can reach you during August/September so that we can confirm your film's inclusion in the Festival programme.
Please note that only successful applicants will be notified personally. If we are unable to contact you your film may be removed from the Festival line up.
Acceptance
By submitting your film through FilmFreeway you accept that, if selected, your work may be shown at Suffolk Shorts events.
Festival Announcements
Invitations to participate, and selection for Suffolk Shorts award categories, must remain confidential until the programme is announced by Suffolk Shorts. The scheduling and screening times and the announcement of these, are the sole responsibility of Suffolk Shorts. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in exclusion from the selection.
Screenings and Scheduling
Screenings will take place at the discretion of the Festival. We reserve the right to make changes to the advertised schedule at any time for any reason and will not accept liability for any costs incurred as a result of such changes.
No film may be withdrawn from the Suffolk Shorts programme by its submitter after its selection and participation have been confirmed. The Festival is not able to cover the costs of any format transfers or subtitling.
General
Suffolk Shorts reserves the right to make all decisions relating to the festival, including selection of films, award of prizes, screenings and scheduling.
