Thessaloniki Free Short Festival

EN
Thessaloniki Free Short Festival

The Thessaloniki Free Short Festival is a self-organized, independent short film festival that has operated without sponsors or external funding since day one. Driven purely by a deep love for cinema, we keep our festival free for both filmmakers and the audience, as we believe creators should spend their resources on making art rather than submission fees. Run by art school graduates and students, our main goal is to build a strong network where filmmakers can connect and share their vision.

For our current 6th Season (2026), we accept short films up to 30 minutes, produced from 2025 onwards.

Our journey began in 2021 (Season 1) and was a true milestone, as it was one of the first and few festivals in Greece to host a live event with a physical audience after the COVID-19 pandemic, held at the rooftop of Eterotopia. Since then, the festival has grown impressively. In 2022 (Season 2) and 2023 (Season 3), we received over 3,200 submissions each year from more than 115 countries, solidifying our identity as a festival for new talent.

In 2024 (Season 4), the festival reached new heights with 3,200 submissions and a jury of 25 international judges. Beyond our signature two-day live event, we expanded our impact by hosting Special Online Screenings for Pride Month 2024 on our YouTube channel, celebrating diversity and inclusion.

Our 5th Anniversary in 2025 was our most significant milestone yet. To celebrate five years of independent cinema, we introduced five specialized competition categories, focusing on student, Greek, and local Thessaloniki filmmakers, alongside a dedicated category for LGBTQ+ films. The annual live event, held on December 4th, 2025, at "WE", was a success. It was attended by a large, enthusiastic audience and filmmakers, creating an unforgettable atmosphere of celebration and creativity.

For the past three years, we have also maintained a successful and steady partnership with the "Hallucinea Film Festival" from France, a collaboration that has strengthened our international character.

Throughout the years, our live events in Thessaloniki have become a true meeting point for creators. We are proud to have welcomed filmmakers who traveled from Canada, France, and every corner of Greece specifically to attend the festival, present their films, and interact with the audience. This personal connection remains the heart of the Thessaloniki Free Short Festival.

Season 6 (2026): Call for Entries - We are thrilled to announce that for its 6th season, our festival is turning the spotlight exclusively on the next generation of filmmakers! We are officially looking for the best student short films from Greece and all around the globe.
Are you a film student with a story to tell? This is your stage.

Competition Categories:
We are accepting submissions for our two main competition sections:
-Greek Student Short Film: For students or recent graduates of Greek film schools.
-International Student Short Film: For film students from all over the world.

Submission Guidelines & Selection:
Exclusively Student Short Films: Open to students currently enrolled in film schools or recent graduates.
Proof of Enrollment: A valid Student ID or official enrollment document is required for submission.
No Age Limit: We believe creativity has no expiration date. Submissions are open to students of all ages.
Special Requirement for International Student Short Films:
All submissions in the "International Student Short Film" category must be a Greek Premiere. This means the film must not have been previously screened at any other festival, cinematic event, or public broadcast within Greece.

Selection Process:
Semi-Finalists (Shortlist): From all the submitted entries, we will select 60 student short films to move forward as Semi-Finalists. Please note that being a Semi-Finalist means your film has been shortlisted as one of the best entries of the season. It is not yet an Official Selection of the festival.

Official Selections: Based on the judges' scores, 12 student short films will be chosen from the shortlist as the Official Selections (6 Greek and 6 International Student Short Films).
Festival Screenings: Only these final 12 Official Selections will be screened during our Annual Festival Event, showcasing the year's top student talent to our audience.

Production Year: Films must have been completed in 2025 or 2026.

Show us your vision, your technique, and your unique voice. We can’t wait to see your work on the big screen!
Submit your film now!

Categories:

1. Best International Student Short Film (Student ID is required. Short Films from 2025 onwards)
2. Best Greek Student Short Film (Student ID is required. Short films from 2025 onwards)

Selections:

6 Short Films from International Student Short Film category will be selected as an Official Selection.
6 Short Films from Greek Student Short Film category will be selected as an Official Selection.

1 Winner in each category

Awards:

Best International Student Short Film

Best Greek Student Short Film

Best International Student Director

Best Greek Student Director

Best International Student Screenplay

Best Greek Student Screenplay

Best International Actress

Best International Actor

Best Greek Actress

Best Greek Actor

Best Student Cinematography

Best Student Editing

*All 12 officially selected short films will be screened at the festival's annual live event!*

Winners, Nominees and Official Selections would be announced on our Instagram and Facebook page
ig: thessalonikifreeshortfestival
facebook: Thessaloniki Free Short Festival

GR
«Το Thessaloniki Free Short Festival είναι μια αυτοοργανωμένη, ανεξάρτητη πρωτοβουλία που λειτουργεί χωρίς χορηγούς ή εξωτερική χρηματοδότηση, αποκλειστικά από αγάπη για την έβδομη τέχνη. Η ομάδα μας, αποτελούμενη από φοιτητές και αποφοίτους καλλιτεχνικών σχολών της Θεσσαλονίκης, προσφέρει μια πλατφόρμα εντελώς δωρεάν για τους δημιουργούς και το κοινό, πιστεύοντας ότι οι πόροι των κινηματογραφιστών πρέπει να επενδύονται στη δημιουργία και όχι σε κόστη συμμετοχής. Από την έναρξή του το 2021, ως ένα από τα πρώτα φεστιβάλ με κοινό μετά την πανδημία, το φεστιβάλ γνώρισε ραγδαία ανάπτυξη με χιλιάδες συμμετοχές από όλο τον κόσμο, σταθερή συνεργασία με το γαλλικό "Hallucinea Film Festival" και δημιουργούς από τον Καναδά, τη Γαλλία και όλη την Ελλάδα να ταξιδεύουν στη Θεσσαλονίκη αποκλειστικά για να παρουσιάσουν το έργο τους.

6η Σεζόν (2026): Διαδικασία Επιλογής
Φέτος εστιάζουμε αποκλειστικά στη νέα γενιά, αναζητώντας τις καλύτερες φοιτητικές ταινίες μικρού μήκους (παραγωγής 2025 και 2026).
Η διαδικασία επιλογής περιλαμβάνει δύο στάδια:

Shortlist (Semi-Finalists): Από το σύνολο των συμμετοχών, η κριτική επιτροπή θα επιλέξει τις 60 κορυφαίες ταινίες που θα λάβουν τον τίτλο του Semi-Finalist. Η διάκριση αυτή λειτουργεί ως προκριματική λίστα (shortlist) και επιβεβαιώνει την υψηλή ποιότητα της ταινίας, χωρίς όμως να αποτελεί την τελική επίσημη επιλογή συμμετοχής στο Φεστιβάλ για τα βραβεία και τις προβολές.

Official Selection (Επίσημη Επιλογή): Μέσα από το shortlist, θα επιλεγούν οι 12 τελικές ταινίες μικρού μήκους (6 Ελληνικές και 6 Διεθνείς Φοιτητικές ταινίες μικρού μήκους).

*Οι 12 ταινίες που θα επιλεγούν (6 Ελληνικές Φοιτητικές και 6 Διεθνείς φοιτητικές) θα προβληθούν στην ετήσια εκδήλωση του Φεστιβάλ*