Want your short film screened in commercial movie theatres throughout North America? You’ve come to the right place. An estimated 17,000 short films are produced annually, yet only a tiny fraction ever sees an audience that isn’t positioned in front of a computer screen. Sure, traditional short film festivals offer exhibition to an art-house crowd looking for alternatives. But what about the masses? Isn’t that what being a filmmaker is all about? What better environment for screening your film than in front of mainstream audiences at commercial movie theatres throughout North America?

“Our festival is truly unique,” states Joe Edick, Festival Director. “Most people will never attend a traditional film festival for a variety of reasons – including the time commitment and format. Our fest is packaged to accommodate the average moviegoer’s lifestyle. Plus, it’s a familiar location and routine. Patrons will buy their concessions and watch our comedy shorts up on the big screen, right where they watched the recent 200 million dollar studio blockbuster.”

Awards & Prizes

$1,500 Prize - Best Short Film (Jury Selection)

$1,000 Prize - Audience Choice Award (Cumulative Audience Vote)

Rules & Terms

1. Only completed entries (including entry form, payment and digital screener, Blu-Ray, or DVD) will be processed and considered for screening.

2. By submitting, you agree to allow LOLSFF to exhibit your film during its 2016 festival and any additional screening exhibitions held during the 2016 calendar year, regardless of subsequent distribution deals secured after the submission process.

3. Productions produced after December 2012 are eligible.

4. Productions must provide their film on a digital download, DVD or Blu-ray, Region 0 or 1 unless previously arranged.

5. Entries must be postmarked by September 25, 2015, provided that the entry is accompanied by the late entry fee

6. Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry into the Festival and to use all music, images and content in the entry.

7. Entrant will allow usage of clips from the entry and all related publicity material submitted for promotional use on television, radio, in print, web and at live Festival events.

8. All entries must be either in English or contain English subtitles. Non-English entries submitted without subtitles or with supplementary printed translations will be automatically disqualified.

9. We will NOT look at works in progress.

10. All Decisions by judges, programmers and organizers will be final and NO REFUND of entry fee will be permitted.

11. Digital exhibition format will be used at most theatre locations. If selected, you must supply the highest possible quality digital version for conversion to DCP. High Definition formats are preferred.

12. Filmmakers will pay all transportation costs of shipping their materials to the festival.

Blu-Rays and DVD’s WILL NOT BE RETURNED. LOLSFF is permitted to retain physical and digital copies of each film selected as part of our festival library and for media educational use. Every reasonable effort will be made to protect submitted materials from damage or loss, but the Festival, its management, or its juries cannot assume liability for damage or loss.

LOLSFF prides itself on the clearest digital projection available. Your film will be carefully and meticulously digitally mastered to ensure that it maintains its complete artistic integrity when projected at the theatres. Our theaters project the films using a variety of digital technology.