Film Thurrock proudly presents Seasonal Shorts, a new programme dedicated to championing emerging filmmakers and fresh creative voices. As an official branch of the Thurrock International Film Festival, this programme is designed to provide early-career and student filmmakers with a meaningful platform to showcase their work and gain industry recognition.

Seasonal Shorts: Summer follows our successful Spring season and will screen selected films online from 16th - 19th July, offering access to bold and original short-form storytelling. Winners of the Best Short Film award will receive automatic selection for the Thurrock International Film Festival, taking place in Grays this October, with an accompanying awards ceremony in London.

We are seeking stories with a distinctive point of view: films that explore the complexities of the human experience with honesty, creativity, and emotional depth. We welcome submissions from students, first-time filmmakers, and underrepresented communities, and we actively encourage voices that are often overlooked within the industry. Films can be fiction or documentary and we accept international submissions.

Awards & Prizes

The winners of our main category will be automatically selected for Thurrock International Film Festival. This is:

Best Short Film

Additional Awards:
Best Screenplay
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound
Best Performance
Best Documentary
Best Fiction Film

Rules & Terms

–Eligibility
All non-English language films must include English subtitles.
Films must have been completed within the past two years.
–Submission Guidelines
Submission fees are non-refundable, including in cases of withdrawal.

–Accepted Categories
Short Film: Under 30 minutes
Short Script: Under 40 pages

–Press & Publicity
By submitting your work, you grant Film Thurrock the right to use excerpts for promotional purposes across our website, social media, press, posters, brochures, and other marketing platforms.
If selected, you may be asked to provide stills and press materials to support festival promotion.

3 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Networking
  • Georgy Pleece

    Our short film Rockpools was selected and screened online, the team were very friendly and gave us lovely feedback. I would submit again in the future!

    April 2026
    Helpful
  • Lisanne van Ingen

    Lovely festival with great communication. It's been an honour to have Endolife as part of the official selection and win best short film!

    April 2026
    Helpful
  • Giuseppe A. Modica

    A very well-organized film festival with a refined selection of international films.
    Thank you for appreciating my “Here where the sea shines” 💙

    April 2026
    Helpful