GENERAL REGULATIONS:
1. The deadline for entry is May 31, 2026. Entries that arrive later than the deadline will not be considered.considered.
2. Short films of all genres with a running time of no more than 40 minutes are accepted for consideration.
3. Entries must have production year 2025 or 2026.
4. A film can be submitted only once per competetive section, including if the submission is withdrawn or submitted as a work in progress. Works in progress should have an introductory still frame detailing the work still to be done.
5. Preview copies with other than English or Swedish dialogue/commentary must come with subtitles in English, or they will not be considered.
6. Entry must be made via Shortfilmdepot or FilmFreeway. For FilmFreeway submissions, preview links to Vimeo are much preferred. Direct uploads to FilmFreeway are also valid, but links requiring download from third parties or individual password requests will not be considered.
7. It's the submitter's responsibility to ensure that the preview copy is in full working order and that passwords and links on the submission platform are clearly displayed and functional, from the date of submission until September 15, otherwise the film may not be considered.
8. The festival charges no entry fee for entering the National Competition. The entry fee for the Children’s Film Competition is 5 euros. The entry fee for the International Competition fluctuates according to the below levels. These fees do not include possible administrative fees charged by the submission platform. In the event of withdrawal, cancellation or incorrect or ineligible submission, entry fee will not be refunded.
Early bird fee (January): 12 euros
Regular fee (February, March, April): 17 euros
Late fee (May): 25 euros
9. A multiple entry discount may apply if you’re submitting five separate films or more. For more details, please contact programme@shortfilmfestival.com. Discounts for multiple entries must be granted before the films are submitted. Discounts cannot be applied retroactively, nor can previous entry fees be refunded.
10. Films with Sweden as the main production country should submit to the National Competition and/or the Children's Film Competition (if applicable). Films intended for children should be submitted to the Children's Film Competition. It's possible to submit one film to more than one competition by making separate submissions. We reserve the right to change submitted competition as we deem fit. Films submitted to the competitions might be selected for out of competition programmes, subject to the submitter’s permission.
11. All preview copies and submitted entry information may be available for viewing in a video library by accredited industry guests during the festival and up until 30 days after.
12. All preview and screening copies may be stored in the festival archive and used for research purposes.
13. Decisions regarding the selection of films will be reached by September 15, at which time a full list of the selected competition films will be published on the website.
14. The festival office do not have the possibility to answer questions about status of entries or progress of selection.
15. In case of selection, the festival reserves the right to use stills and excerpts from the films for promotional purposes, not exceeding 10 % of the running time, or a maximum of 3 minutes.
16. Submitters are not entitled to claim screening or rental fees for the screenings of their films in competition. Screening fees are offered for out of competition screenings.
17. Eligible formats for screening copies for films selected for the National Competition and International Competition are DCP, 16 mm and 35 mm. In addition, a digital file in.mp4, for backup, online and publicity purposes, must be provided. Eligible format for the Children's Film Competition is .mp4 file in the h264 or h265 codec, for translation reasons. The festival reserves the right to make a Swedish dubbed or translated transfer from the file, to be screened for the youngest audience.
18. Screening copies for the National Competition and International Competition with language/commentary other than English must have English subtitles. Screening copies for the Children's Film Competition with language/commentary other than English or Swedish must come with or without English subtitles and/or time-coded dialogue list in English in .srt format, depending on the result of the festival programming, as notified by September 15.
19. Selected films for the Children's Film Festival are screened in the cinema and streamed in classrooms in the Uppsala region during the festival.
21. Screening copies of selected films must arrive at the festival no later than October 9.
22. By submitting the entry form, the submitter acknowledges that they have read, understood and accepted these regulations without reservation.
AWARDS:
23. The festival is recognised by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, BAFTA and The European Film Academy. The awards are listed below. All awards and award sums go to the director of the awarded film. The awards in the list below are subject to change without prior notice.
International Competition:
- The Uppsala Grand Prix (Uppsala Film Jackdaw and 50 000 SEK) The award goes to the director of the best film in the International Competition. The festival is recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the winner of the Uppsala Grand Prix may qualify for consideration in the short films' Oscar® categories.
- The Uppsala Award in Memory of Ingmar Bergman (50 000 SEK awarded by the Cultural Affairs Board in Uppsala) The award goes to a young and promising director who pushes the boundaries of film art.
- The Uppsala Short Film Candidate for European Short Film – Prix Vimeo.
- The Audience Award.
National Competition:
- Best Swedish Short Film (Uppsala Film Jackdaw and 50 000 SEK) The festival is recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the winner of the Best Swedish Short Film may qualify for the short films' Oscar®.
- Uppsala Early Bird (distribution offer from Draken Film and 10 000 SEK)
- The Audience Award.
Children’s Film Competition:
- Best Children’s Film (Uppsala Film Jackdaw and 15 000 SEK).
24. The jury for the National Competition and the International Competition is appointed by the Uppsala Short Film Festival and is composed of representatives from various fields of film industry. The jury for Children’s Film Competition is appointed by the Uppsala Short Film Festival and comprises school children of various ages.
25. In the event of the live festival being unable to go ahead due to extreme circumstances such as the COVID-19 crisis, the festival might take place online. Selected filmmakers will be informed in advance of this change, and will have the opportunity to withdraw their film from selection if they so wish. In the event of withdrawal, submission fees will not be refunded.
