London Super Shorts Film Festival

The Super Shorts Film Festival London is an annual event that highlights independent short film talent.

Talent Circle in London founded the Super Shorts London Film Festival in 2003, to focus explicitly on short films in all its forms and shapes. During its original eleven year run, the festival shown over 2,000 incredible short films, from slick 35mm shorts to weird and wonderful experimental films. Super Shorts held over 120 events, including seminars, panel discussions and workshops. This resulted in rave reviews:
”The best short films from around the world“ Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series)
“The best in short cinema from around the world“ Timeout London
“The world's best new shorts” Metro newspaper

Unfortunately, in its original incarnation, the festival came to an end in 2014. Inspired by that original movement, the Super Shorts Film Festival London was revived in 2018, and continued to emphasize lesser known, vanguard cinematic works and further its tradition of galvanizing budding talent. The 2018 edition proved that the Super Shorts Film Festival London was still very much relevant, and had the potential to grow. In 2019, the festival moved to the Stephen Street location of the BFI (British Film Institute). The 2022 festival will once again create an intimate atmosphere and space for unique visionaries and voices. True to its history, the festival will screen films of both novices and veterans—with medium and low budgets—from all over the globe. The festival’s goal is to create a warm, open atmosphere in which filmmakers, fans, critics, and producers can watch the films of emerging talents, explore new cinematic techniques and styles, and award cinematic excellence.

The Super Shorts Film Festival London will take place in December, 2026 at BFI Stephen Street, London.

Super Shorts Film Festival London is
- A Cannes Film Week© qualifying film festival
- An IMDB qualifying film festival
- Named as one of the Top 50 Emerging Film Festivals worldwide by Final Cut Magazine.
- A 'Climate Neutral Film Event', powered by TreePlan.org.

PROUD PARTNER OF THE BIGGER SCREEN
Super Shorts Film Festival London is supported by The Bigger Screen, an organization that aims to make film as an art form more accessible and more inclusive. A short overview of their projects:

- SUPPORTING FILM FESTIVALS: Film festivals are not only a place to share films, but they are a safe haven for film makers to connect, share, and learn. The Bigger Screens supports and engages with over 25 respected international film festivals from mainstays like the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival and the Brussels Independent Film Festival to emerging events such as the Venice Film Week and The Producer’s Night Los Angeles. These events bring filmmakers and filmgoers together, providing that place to connect and engage in a comfortable setting, away from Hollywood glitz and glamour.

- CONNECTING CULTURES PROGRAM: Each year, The Bigger Screen selects at least ten countries and grants filmmakers from those areas the ability to submit their work free of charge to partner festivals all over the world. This opens the door of film exposure to those who may not otherwise be able to enter. As we support inclusivity and shareable films, this program exemplifies our mission. Check out https://www.connectingculturesprogram.com to see if your country is included in this year’s program and submit your work for free.

- LOCAL FILMMAKERS PROGRAM: To encourage rising talent, we lowered the festival submission fee to local talent and even made it for free when submitted before the Extreme Early Bird Deadline. This provides a great opportunity for local filmmakers to enter the international film scene. Think global, act local, right?

- INCLUSIVE AUDIENCE PROGRAM: Our screenings are always low or even free of charge to provide opportunity for interested film goers to view up and coming, challenging, and inspiring pieces of art, encouraging students, seniors, and those in underprivileged environments to share the experience of film and cinema. We welcome film goers, regardless of income and financial status.

- THE TARKOVSKI GRANT: All selected filmmakers will receive The Tarkovski Grant, a film festival submission fee waiver package with an average value of about $500. This not only saves you a lot of money, but it also recognizes your work as something to watch for during the selection procedure, making a selection with another partner film festival more likely - but of course, never guaranteed. The Tarkovski Grant supports hundreds of filmmakers each year in their challenging journeys as independent filmmakers, by promoting existing films, no matter the genre, style or length.