Making the world a more creative place, ten minutes at a time.

Short+Sweet Film Festival Essex, showcasing Essex and international film makers.

PLEASE NOTE ALL FILMS MUST BE 10 MINUTES OR UNDER

Essex, located in the south of England, boasts an impressive theatre community with several hundred active theatre companies and a large talent pool of actors, writers and directors. Short+Sweet Essex is proud to extend its festival to filmmakers in the region, providing a platform for their work to be seen alongside the international submissions.
The Short+Sweet Film Festival is unique for four distinct reasons:

1) Your film could be considered for any of our international festivals, opening up your chances to have your film screened around the world.

2) We have a very strong international network and this network is constantly expanding. Currently the Short+Sweet festival is run in 34 cities around the world.

3) We have a very strong connection to theatre. We do not believe the gap between theatre and film should be so wide and we aim to bridge this gap.

4) We screen all sorts of films and all sorts of genres and support all sorts of filmmakers from seasoned pros to emerging artists

Awards and certificates will be given in the following catergories:

Best film UK and International
Judges Choice
Peoples choice
Best Script
Best Director
Best performance
Best Cinematography
Festival Directors award

In keeping with the Short+Sweet tradition, all films must be 10 minutes or less and can be shot and edited on any device.

You must have permission to use any images, storylines, music, etc. in your film.
Please ensure films that are not in English have English subtitles.

There are no more limits other than your imagination.

By entering your film to S+S you are agreeing to the following:

1.The running time of my Film is 10 minutes or less. Films longer than 10 minutes will not be considered and the entry fee forfeited.

2. I am the creator of the Film and I give permission for the Film to be presented at any Short+Sweet (S+S) festival or event for which it is eligible. If I am not the (sole) creator of the film I warrant that I have obtained all necessary permissions of writers, originators or contributors.

3. Should my film be selected for a Short+Sweet Festival or event I understand I will receive no royalties or other payment for any screenings, live or virtual, but may be eligible for prizes and professional development opportunities.

4. I understand that my Film will be assessed by a selection committee and that no communication will be entered into by S+S regarding this process. The selection decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

5. I give S+S the right to screen/record/photograph my Film for archival, marketing, and publicity purposes (including in unpaid public forums such as YouTube, Vimeo, or similar).

6. A Film which has been publicly screened in the host city of any S+S festival is still eligible for entry and consideration in any of our S+S festivals and cities.

7. All plays which have been adapted into films must have the permission of the playwright.

8. I understand copyright material cannot be used unless I have documentation to prove legal authorisation from the musician, artist, writer, or record label.

9. I may also be required to provide Actor Release Forms to be signed by the people appearing in your film.

10. I understand that Films in any language are eligible, but must be subtitled in English.

11. The festival is open to filmmakers of all ages and levels of experience.

12. Submission deadline for Essex S+S Film Festival is 11:59 pm (GMT), July 24, 2022.

13. All content submitted must be in accordance with the law and any perceived illegal activity will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

14. I understand that if my Film is selected as a finalist I will be required to provide S+S with the highest quality recording of the Film so that it can be screened.

15. No restrictions on the Device(s) used to record or create video and audio.

16. No restrictions on Software used to create, edit or enhance video and audio.

17. The festival is open to filmmakers of ALL ages and levels of experience.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Janice Baker

    Such a great festival to work with! My team and I from the US weren't able to attend this year but we were so happy with how they handled notifications and all communications. Hope to attend in person in the future.

    July 2024
  • Grant Liston

    Fantastic festival, Hazel is an amazing host and it's a great place to see all sorts of films and their makers!

    June 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Grant, it was a truly memorable evening. Lovely to see so many people come to support the Gala Final.

  • I highly recommend this Festival. Great communication from the start. Five Stars is not enough.

    June 2024
  • This was a very good festival to be a part of. It was exciting to see my own film on the screen and also the other excellent films that were part of the Gala Evening. The communication with the organiser, Hazel, was very good and I always knew what was going on. This was also a fantastic opportunity to meet other film makers. Winning a prize for our film "C'mon" was the icing on the cake. This was worth going to even if you did not win! Being at a seaside venue in summer was an additional bonus.

    June 2024
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    Response from festival:

    We are really pleased you enjoyed the festival and thank you for your support. It was lovely to see so many people at the Gala final and see their films screened. Congratulations to you and Candice on winning your award.

  • Loved attending the Festival, organised well and greatful that Paranoia got to final and a nomination.

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    It was lovely to see you and your team at the screening. We really appreciate your support and are pleased that you got to see your film screened. Hopefully we will see you next year. Hazel :)