Spark Micro-Short Film Festival (formerly MicroMania Film Fest) builds cultural awareness and connects hearts with impactful micro-short films.

** Please note, our event date will be April 2025 (scroll down for details). Notifications may

We select films that expand perspectives and inspire new folks to share their voices and vision in film and video.

Diverse filmmakers play to diverse audiences at our free events that span a weekend in April 2025 - our events screen 1.5 hours of content at venues accessible to anyone and everyone.

OUR PROCESS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT

We select films seasonally, making new opportunities for filmmakers available long before submissions close.

Officially selected films:

- can stream on the MicroMania Channel (2.3M+ views since 2020)
- are eligible for opportunities to screen outside of festival events, at times compensated with a screening fee
- move to our finalist round in which our programmer selects the films that will screen at our festival in 2025 and compete for awards.

We have a multi-round selection with deadlines. Filmmakers are notified of the selection status within a month of the deadline under which they submit.

Please check your junk and spam mail folder if you have not heard from us.
If that produces nothing, please log in to your FilmFreeway account as we have also left a note.

CRUCIAL COMMUNICATION INFO

We notify through FilmFreeway. If your film is selected we message you with instructions by posting notes to your FilmFreeway project page. Please ensure that FilmFreeway.com is on your contact list, or you may miss our notification.

If we don't don't hear from you, we will mark your film as 'incomplete' and reach out again.
If we never hear from you, your film will be disqualified.

*2024/2025 SMSFF Officially Selected films:

1. Advance to our juried finalist round in June to determine which films will screen during our 2024 festival events and award winners. Our program runs on several days at a variety of locations and includes 1.5 hours of content which limits how many films can be selected as finalists.

2. Are invited to stream their film *MicroMania Channel, which has topped 2.3M views since its launch in 2020. We've discovered that micro-short films attract more views together than alone.

3. Sometimes, get referrals to other festivals and invitations to have their films, join panel discussions, be guest bloggers, be interviewed, and have options to screen during Spark year-round events - some that may even pay a screening fee.

Only finalist films - screen and compete for awards during our 2025 festival event.

**If your film is over 5 minutes due to credits - enter your runtime as 5 min.

SELECTION PROCESS, JUDGES, AND SPONSORS

Films are selected on a seasonal basis by our programmer, receive a laurel, the option to join the MicroMania® channel and advance to our finalist round, which determines what films will screen during our annual festival event series.

Filmmakers are notified of the official selection and invited to stream on our channel on a rolling basis. Official selection does not guarantee participation in Spark Micro-Short Film Festival 2024 events.

Officially selected films advance to our finalist round in July 2024, determining which films screen and compete during our 2024 festival event. Films are selected for finalist status based on impact and how they fit into the allotted time of our programs, which run between 1.5 and two hours long.

Check out former MicroMania Film Fest 2019-2023 Officially Selected films at micromaniafilms.com

IRANIAN FILMMAKERS - HOW TO REQUEST AND OBTAIN A CODE
1. Scan evidence of nationality (photo id - passport, or driver's license) showing your name and address 2. Scan a postmarked and dated bill or another official document showing your current residence place 3. Send both via email to micromania@sparkfilmmakers.org 4. Once we confirm your eligibility, we will send you a code. 5. Once you have received your unique code from us, you may submit via this category and upload your documents to the docs section of your application. I request per submitter per year.

EVALUATION

Submissions are evaluated on a combined basis of impact, uniqueness of vision, and production quality, with a weight placed on impact.

Films are also evaluated compared to other recently submitted films and previous season official selections and award winners.

MicroMania Channel offers a good basis to acquaint you with the kinds of films that have been accepted previously. www.micromaniafilms.com

Filmmakers whose films have not been selected are welcome to request feedback. Please note, our team is very small so it may take a while for us to get back to you.

AWARD JUDGING

Films are selected on a seasonal basis by our programmer, receive a laurel, the option to join the MicroMania® channel and advance to our finalist round, which determines what films will screen during our annual festival event series.

Our judging panel reflects all members of a society so brilliant work isn't passed over due to unconscious prejudice or bias. We've shifted to a public judging model that includes official judges from the film industry and film/media academia.

Films are rated on a scale from 1-5 based on impact first and production quality second. Category winners are those who have the highest average score in their category. Best Micro and Best Mini-Micro award winners have the highest average ratings overall.

Festival Finalist films screen live during our festival and compete for prizes—finalist notification date TBD but no later than July 30, 2024.

2023 Official Judges

Lukia Costello - Filmmaker, Executive Director, Spark Filmmakers Collaborative
Dorothea Braemer - Winner Best Micro Experimental 2021, Documentary Filmmaker, and Associate Professor of Media Production

For a complete list of judges from previous seasons visit: https://sparkfilmmakers.org/film-festivals/micro-short-film-fest/

SPONSORS

Money isn't everything. MicroMania® cares for only select sponsors and partners with a track record of inclusion and sensitivity to undue financial barriers that impede diverse perspectives.

2023 Sponsors: Buffalo City Council North District, Torn Jersey Media (Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Film Program), Micro-Budget Indie Filmmakers Podcast, CarMax Studio, Buffalo Music Club, Spark Filmmakers Collaborative, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Arts Services Inc.

2022 Sponsors: Buffalo City Council North District, Native Spirit Film Festival UK, Torn Jersey Media (Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Film Program), Micro-Budget Indie Filmmakers Podcast, CarMax Studio, Buffalo Music Club, Spark Filmmakers Collaborative, Rezultz Marketing, Solar Ingram, Amy's Place Restaurant and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Arts Services Inc.

MMFF22 was supported by a New York State Regrant and the office of the Governor of the State of New York as administered by Arts Services Inc. Additional support was provided by Buffalo Common Council Ellicott and Niagara District.

2021 Sponsors: Buffalo City Council North District, Native Spirit Film Festival UK, Torn Jersey Media (Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Film Program), Micro-Budget Indie Filmmakers Podcast, Argle Bargle, CaraMax Studio, Buffalo Music Club and Spark Filmmakers Collaborative

2020 Sponsors: The New Hotness Media Institute, IndieVice, FREE AGENT, Argle Bargle: The Game Where you Insult Your Friends, Black Girl Film Club, CaraMax Studio, Mystic Road Films and Alycia Ripley.

**submission fees don't cover our expenses. Our sponsors do not provide cash support.

This New York State Council on the arts grant we usually get to cover these costs was cancelled for this year.

We will be applying for coverage but the money does. not become available until 2025. Because of this, we've decided to move our events to April 2025.

Our listing shows a January event date because FF's system would not allow us to list later.

Spark Micro-Short Film Fest 2025Finalists compete for the following titles and a minimum of $50 USD cash award.

AWARDS

Best Micro 2025
Best Mini-Micro 2025
Best Micro-Narrative 2025
Micro-Documentary 2025
Best Micro-Freestyle 2025
Best Micro-Experimental 2025

Spark Micro-Short Fim Festival is open to micro-short content up to 5min long (before credits) from all countries.

Mini-Micro - a film with a runtime of 2 minutes prior to credits.
Micro - a film with a runtime of 5 minutes prior to credits

All non-English language films must be subtitled in English.
We also ask that English language films include a caption file so that everyone can enjoy your film.

The use of copyright-protected music unless you can produce written permission or proof of a usage agreement. We ask.

No pornography, NO HATE, no excessive or bloody violence.

We reserve the right to remove any category for which a minimum of 8 films have yet to be selected due to low submissions or low acceptance. Accepted films within a category that has been eliminated will be shifted to 'Micro-Freestyle' or the closest thematic category related to the content.

Upon request, we're happy to furnish a detailed accounting before or after the event.

RESPONSIVENESS

Accepted filmmakers are expected to respond fully to requests for assets (film files, still images, descriptive text, and contact information) by stated deadlines. All assets must be delivered by the method requested. However, we will work with you if you have accessibility issues.

We do understand that life happens. We don't mind following up - to a point.
Lack of responsiveness after two attempts will result in disqualification.

ENTRY FEE

Entry fees pay for operational costs (website, marketing, venue, promotional costs), filmmaker cash awards, and stipends for filmmaker panelists (if a surplus remains and/or we can find sponsors to cover them).
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Entry fees are non-refundable and required for each distinct category submission.

One fee per entry. If a film is duplicated in multiple categories and accepted, the duplicate will be disqualified.

No refunds - it is your responsibility to read and base your decision to submit on the information we have taken care to provide. You are also welcome to email us with any questions you may have before you submit your film. However, we will not review your film before submission - we just don't have the capacity to do that.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All entrants agree with the terms and conditions below to be featured as 'Officially Selected' and to qualify as a finalist/winner.

Delivery of 'Officially Selected' films will be accepted digitally only via WeTransfer. We will make accommodations if technical difficulties exist.

All films must be delivered in HD with credits to the specifications requested in the acceptance email notification. Filmmakers will also be required to send promotional stills and may be asked for descriptive text to aid our promotional efforts.

Accepted filmmakers must add our festival email to their safe list and respond promptly. We understand that times are crazy and that we have no idea what anyone is facing at any given moment. We will do our best to work with you.

We reserve the right to remove an accepted film from its programming schedule due to low resolution, poor quality, disrespectful behavior on the filmmaker's part, or lack of timely response by accepted filmmakers.

PROMOTIONAL RIGHTS

Spark Micro-Short Fim Festival is at this moment granted the right to utilize still images and submission descriptions provided by accepted filmmakers for exhibition on the MicroMania channel (opt-in) during MicroMania Film Fest 2021 (mandatory) l and for promotional purposes leading up to the event (required) and any encore events (opt-in).

ENTRY LIABILITY
The filmmaker holds the Spark Micro-Short Fim Festival, its management, juries, subsidiaries, agents, sponsors, affiliates, etc., harmless from any claims of liability resulting from entry. The filmmaker is certified to have full rights. The producer will indemnify the organizers of the Festival against all claims, demands, costs, damages, expenses (including legal fees), proceedings, and losses resulting from the film's screening at the Festival or from claims by any third parties.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • shaho ahmadi

    Thank you for your efforts
    I wish you could send a certificate to the selection

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Sent!

  • I am honored to participate in this year's Spark Micro-Short Film Festival with "Resurrection under the Ocean" short film! - 😃😃😃🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Happy to have your lovely film, Serkan. Thank you for taking a chance on us.

  • mark bellusci

    A great festival that supports independent filmmakers. Thrilled to have my film, Bad Doggie, Chuckles, selected.

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for submitting. Your film is super fun!

  • Professional festival
    No 1
    It’s great pleasure choosing my work for tow prize
    Thanks 🙏

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Farnoosh. Your film is wonderful. We’re so happy that you choose to submit it.

  • martin del carpio

    Great festival to be a part of! Thank you so much.

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks for taking a chance on us and submitting your excellent micro!