The Wine Dark Short Film Festival (WDSFF) is London's first film festival dedicated to mental health, disability and neurodiversity. Now in its second year, WDSFF celebrates often-unsung voices in the film industry. The festival will proudly showcase short films that are either created by D/deaf, disabled, or neurodiverse filmmakers or explore themes related to mental health, disability, and exclusion.

Spanning two immersive days, the festival offers more than just screenings. Filmmakers will have the opportunity to network, collaborate, and promote their work among like-minded creatives. Our programme includes film talks, Q&As, and discussions on disability and neurodiversity, featuring experts and industry professionals. The full programme of talks and Q&As will be announced soon.

The festival will conclude with an award ceremony with categories including Best Disability Narrative, Best Access Coordination, and the Audience Choice Award.

Accessibility is at the heart of WDSFF. The venue will be fully accessible, all screenings will be relaxed to accommodate neurodivergent guests, and films will be screened with captions and subtitles.

Venue announcement coming soon!

Awards & Prizes

Awards will include:
Best Short Film
Best Neurodiversity Narrative
Best Disability Narrative
Best Student Short
Audience award
Best Short Script
Best Lead Performance
Best Supporting Performer
Best Director
Best Cinematographer
Best Editor
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Best Costume Design

Rules & Terms

Eligibility
Original Content: The film must be original and the submitting party must hold all necessary rights and permissions for content, including music, images, and third-party content.
All short films must be either made by D/deaf, disabled or neurodiverse filmmakers, or deal with topics to do with mental health, disability and/or exclusion.

Submission Format
Online Submissions: Films must be submitted via FilmFreeway.
Screening Format: Accepted formats for screening include DCP and Blu-ray. Digital files for pre-screening must be in MP4 or MOV format.
If the submission is successful, we will require a high resolution export of the film.
Language
Subtitles: All films must have English subtitles..
Rights and Permissions
Clearances: The submitter must secure all rights, licenses, clearances, and releases necessary for participation.
Agreement: Submission of the film constitutes an agreement to these rules and terms.
Promotional Materials
Poster:
High-resolution poster (portrait orientation).
Formats: JPEG and PNG.
Photos:
High-resolution stills from the film (maximum of 3 images).
Formats: JPEG or PNG, at least 1920x1080 pixels.
Synopsis and Logline:
Brief synopsis (50-100 words).
Logline (one or two sentences).
Additional Considerations
Screening Rights: By submitting, you grant The Wine Dark Film Festival the right to screen your film at the festival.
Marketing and Promotion: Filmmakers agree to allow the use of provided materials (poster, trailer, photos) for promotional purposes.

7 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Anna Merryfield

    Thanks so much to the lovely festival organisers for putting together such a lovely event and generally being so thoughtful and great to communicate with. We're very grateful for the selection of our film Only When You Bury Me in this Earth and the best lead-performance award for our lead actor.

    It is so rewarding as a filmmaker to be able to attend small festivals like this. It really makes all the hard work worth it.

    October 2024
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  • Martin T Brooks

    Having my very first short film “Going Home” receive an “Honourable Mention from the Wine Dark Short Film Festival was more than I ever expected. They really know how to support first time film makers, and the communication was excellent.

    October 2024
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  • Ewan McPherson

    Couldn't attend myself but the organisers did everything that festival organisers should for those who were unable to travel, and kept me posted with the audience reception, and answered queries promptly. The festival seemed like an absolute joy and I have no hesitation in recommending Wine Dark to other filmmakers - long may it continue!

    October 2024
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  • Fabrizio Quagliuso

    Thanks for awarding 'Would you rather' at your wonderful festival. Comms were great and I loved the organisation and the talks. The festival focus on neurodiversity and mental health is so important in today's world and the atmosphere was very inspiring throughout.

    October 2024
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  • Dale Forder

    A great new film festival that specialises in very important topics and gives voices to those not always heard or seen.

    Long may it continue.

    October 2024
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