Welcome to our 14th Annual Edition of the pioneer International Mobile Film Festival for only movies shot with mobile phone cameras for the big screen, launched in the Spring 2009.

We are an IMDb qualifying film festival. We launched in 2009 as a film festival for only films shot with only mobile phones with a live venue screening of all accepted films. We created a respectable traditional film festival for only mobile films.

We've been listed on FilmFreeway.com since February 17, 2014.

FIRST AND FOREMOST: ONLY FILMS SHOT WITH SMARTPHONE / MOBILE PHONE CAMERAS QUALIFY. NO OTHER MOBILE DEVICE QUALIFIES.

Not more than 10% of total footage may be aerial footage shot with drones (Max. 10% of total film). No other mobile devices qualify.

We provide all these rules and criteria in detail for clarification on our website’s Rules page.
Note: All films selected may, or may not, be selected to stream online. All official film selections from feature, short and selected Rookie Films, will screen during the in-person festival. See details about Screenplay and smartphone photo contest. All films and projects should be original works created by the submitting filmmaker(s). Plagiarism or unauthorized use of others’ work is prohibited.

We do not accept direct email submissions.

We have two separate official competitions for films: Short Films and Narrative Feature Films.

Feature Film Competition is for films between 60 minutes and 2 hours in length.

Our Short Film Competition is for films 3-10 minutes total length.

Please read details of rules and criteria on our website.

Our festival is geared for high quality professional mobile films, therefore, we created The Rookie Award contest, with a handful of films (1-5 minutes) to screen in a separate session during the festival. We’ll present the Rookie Award to the best film by a less experienced mobile filmmaker in this contest. All genres from our short film categories qualify.

The entries in this new category will not be included in the short film competition and the short film competition films will not be included in the Rookie Award competition.
We urge youth of all ages to submit to this new competition. The Rookie Award will be presented during the awards ceremony for all competitions. All attending filmmakers, including "the rookies" will take part in the Red Carpet Extravaganza.

Filmmakers who attend our event in San Diego will receive special recognition and unique attention during our festival's live in-person event during the last weekend in April. Filmmakers will be part of Q&A Panel, participate in our red carpet show, interviewed, and much more. We also promote selected films and filmmakers online. All officially selected films, screenplays and photos receive customized unique laurels from our film festival.
BONUS: We’ve partnered with Videomaker! Our partnership offers a free one-year digital subscription to Videomaker magazine when you submit your project to IMFF 2025. Details on website.

All selected films in all categories, contests and competitions will receive laurels noting their official selection. Awarded contestants may receive promotions including announcements and press release mention with winners listed on our official awards annual listing on our website.

Each category will select a winner and the winners from each category (excluding The Rookie Award) will be in the running for the First, Second and Third Place trophy awards and prizes. Each category winner will receive award laurels.

The feature film winner will receive the Best Feature Film Award trophy and laurels.

*Please make an effort to be in attendance to receive free engraved trophy with your name if you win the feature or short film competition top awards. Festival cannot cover the cost of shipping and handling of trophies.

Some filmmakers may be selected to be guests in the "SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking" hosted by festival founder Susy Botello. Podcast episodes include a written article with links and photos of each guest. 

"The red carpet is in your pocket!™"

2025 Rules: Deadlines are listed in each category for short and feature films. 

FEATURE FILM COMPETITION: We are looking for exceptional quality films with higher production quality and story driven narrative.

All contests and competitions must abide by these rules: Vulgar, porn, or demeaning and offensive films will be disqualified.

Respect other artists by not using media of any kind without proper licenses, permissions and clearance. Proof may be required to qualify. All films and projects should be original works created by the submitting filmmaker(s). Plagiarism or unauthorized use of others’ work is prohibited.

We have extended deadlines and beyond those deadlines we offer no exceptions. It takes a lot of work to process and prepare films for screening in an event. We reserve the right to refuse all films beyond the deadlines set by our festival. We will not extend deadlines for anyone. There is no preferential treatment in our festival.

After the deadline has passed, and your film is selected, you will receive official selection laurels and a letter welcoming you to the 2024 edition. We urge you to keep checking for emails from us so you don’t miss requests from us.

All Films must be shot with smartphone cameras only. Horizontal films only with high resolution. Must be formatted to play on large wide screens and look good.

Not more than 10% aerial footage from drones is acceptable. See RULES page on our website for more specifics on these requirements.

Short Films must be exceptional quality films. If you are not experienced as a filmmaker, you can enter films that fall within the categories listed below into "The Rookie Award" category for new or non experienced filmmakers.

We still require a level of quality with video and audio to be selected. Please find details about this special category on our website and in the category before you submit.

All Short Films must be between 3 & 10 minutes and Not One Second Shorter or Longer, including intro and end credits and/or video black at beginning or end.

Feature Film Competition: all films must be high quality production narrative story based films between 60 and 120 minutes total length. Only three films will be selected to screen in the festival and online.
Rookie Award Films must be between 1 & 5 minutes.

REQUIRED FOR ALL COMPETITIONS: English embedded captions/subtitles for all foreign, non-English spoken, or hard to understand or hard to hear dialogue and narration/voiceovers in all films is required. All films may be subject to embedded closed captioning in English.

For All Film Competitions: We require filmmakers to communicate with us directly through the approval process. Any agents representing filmmakers must be verified prior to selection by filmmaker via filmmaker. We do not pay or offer screening fees.

We will contact all filmmakers whose films are selected prior to the official selection, via email only, to ensure all qualifications have been met and verified.

Our email correspondence includes a release form to sign, that gives us permission to include your film in our festival with a statement from the festival that they have the non-exclusive right to distribute your film in our film festival; and that all information and licenses required are genuine.

Without returning the signed form we cannot screen your film in our festival. The form protects both, filmmakers and our festival.

You will only be required to sign the separate form if your film is selected, in order to complete the selection process. You may also be required to submit licenses, proofs and other items such as talent release forms; upon request.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

We have a detailed easy to read page on our website with all the rules and criteria. We urge you to read them before you submit your project. There are no refunds.

https://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com/criteria/

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • I was very happy to be part of the 2024 festival competition with Contour Film. It was a good experience even though I was not physically present. But getting to know Susan botello and corresponding with her was very valuable for me. Intimate and respectful friendship.

    May 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Mohammadreza! We look forward to more films from you. Appreciate your kind words.

  • Rick Cerda

    The IMFF was an absolutely wonderful experience. There was plenty of engaging discussion on mobile phone filmmaking and it was great to finally hear first hand from other smartphone filmmakers about their experiences! Motivating! I thoroughly enjoyed the stunt coordinator’s workshop and the Red Carpet was fun! Would definitely like to be a part of this festival again. Outstanding festival Susy!!!

    May 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Loved meeting you and your team, Rick! What you bring to your stories are insightful messages. You're a great storyteller. Thank you for being a part of it this year, and hope to see you again in 2025!

  • Dhwani Shah

    My first time attending the International Mobile Film Festival was nothing short of amazing. Susy went above and beyond to make it an engaging and inspiring experience for all the attending filmmakers! I am so glad I participated with ‘Sapling’, it was a beautiful and memorable experience and I’ll definitely be participating more in the coming years!

    May 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Dhwani! Great meeting you and your team!

  • Harry Valentine

    I had a wonderful time bringing my horror short "I Drew You" to San Diego for Susy Botello's wonderful fest. It was intimate enough to get to know the other filmmakers very well, and the Q&A's were informative and inspiring -- a lot of indie spirit at this fest. Nice diversity in programming too. Highly recommend.

    May 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for coming, Harry! We truly enjoyed your insights into how you made your film. The backstory was captivating!

  • Ronald James Baculo

    Festival Director Susy is so passionate in what she does and fosters a very warm and personal connection with all the participating filmmakers.

    I wasn't able to attend the event in person this year (and see my short film on the big screen in front of an audience that appreciates films like these) but hope to do so in the near future.

    If you've made a film with your smartphone (or thinking of doing one) this is a world-class place to share it to!

    May 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Ronald James! Your film was a very insightful and unique story. Everyone enjoyed it.