Now entering our 17th consecutive season, The San Jose International Short Film Festival is dedicated to delivering the highest quality short films to welcoming audiences in the heart of Silicon Valley. This is a festival that welcomes storytelling and the artists behind those stories.

With over one hundred 5 star reviews from attending filmmakers, we invite you to submit your short film (up to 40 mins in length) and experience what World Class Short Films are all about.

“Fantastic festival! So incredible to see our films in a state-of-the-art cinema with huge screens, great site lines, clear sound. The people who run this are true professionals who love film. Our Q&A after the films was a delight with intelligent questions and thoughtful answers. It's a 5-star event. Thank you!” ~ Betsy De Fries Little Fluffy Clouds

We are looking for exceptional short films that have unique voices, films from every possible genre and now that we are officially an Oscar Qualifying festival we are encouraging West Coast, USA and World Premiere films to join our ranks during our October event.

Comedy shorts, the avant garde and the genre films are most welcomed here, plus we have a soft spot for micro-short comedies under 90 seconds in length, but close to 50% of our films are from outside the U.S. and we are privileged to be able to present the best in international shorts each year.

“The San Jose International Short Film Festival featured some of the most high-quality short films that I've seen on the circuit. Sinohui, Bill, and Marcella ran an organized and heartfelt festival with a deeply curated program. We had a packed house at Cinearts theater with some of the best optics/sound/seating in the world. This is a great festival to network with top quality up-and-coming filmmakers in the heart of Silicon Valley.” ~ David Michael Maurer

No question, we strive to create a memorable experience for all attendees, but we must admit that our focus is and will always remain with the talented filmmakers that join us each year, we invite you to accompany your film and be part of the festival experience.

You can expect that each film will be presented via DCP, which enables us to offer state of the art 4K projection on a brand new laser projection system and audio from stereo to 5.1 surround.

“Participating in the San Jose International Short Film Festival was incredible! The festival team was welcoming, and the screenings were top-notch, featuring a wide range of inspiring films. Networking opportunities, engaging discussions, and an enthusiastic audience made it an unforgettable experience. For any filmmaker, San Jose is a fantastic place to share and celebrate the art of storytelling.” ~ The AG Brothers

We are expanding our festival from four to five days and will be offering more opportunities for our patrons, attending filmmakers and our general audience to experience the impressive nature of our selected films.

Join us each October for the San Jose International Short Film Festival and submit your film today.

Awards include:
Best Short Film (Oscar Qualifying)
Best Drama
Best Comedy
Best World Cinema
Best Sci-fi
Best Animation
Best Documentary
Best Family
Audience Awards Winner

All films must be a minimum of one minute and no longer than 40 minutes, including credits and may cover any genre (note: always looking for more films under 5 min in length). Rough cuts and work-in-progress prints are acceptable as long as the final (completed) film can be delivered prior to June 2024.

Our preferred method for submissions is via online screener, digital streaming via private link or password protected via Vimeo or similar sites. We prefer films that have not been widely distributed online.

Final screenings will be via DCP (Digital Cinema Package), please provide a DCP or we can have your film converted to DCP for a nominal fee. Sources can be high resolution DNxHD, ProRes, DPX or other professional formats. We also require Quicktime or MP4 version of the film in no less that 1080p upon acceptance.

All submission applications, disposable media and press kits submitted become property of EAP Creative, Emerging Artist Productions & the San Jose International Short Film Festival and will not be returned.

Upon acceptance, the San Jose International Short Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize and/or excerpt from any film submitted & accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional and marketing purposes. This will include the use of the filmmaker's name, likeness & publicity stills, film or video footage, title, logline and synopsis of materials, in pre & post-competition publicity & promotional efforts.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The submitter shall indemnify and hold harmless San Jose International Short Film Festival, Emerging Artist Productions, EAP Creative, their officers and employees from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

In addition, said films may also be used in Road Show or Showcase exhibitions or other events and venues associated with SJSFF including the Yountville International Short Film Festival and other Best Of screening events.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kate Auster

    We’re incredibly honoured to have been selected for San Jose International Short Film Festival, even though we couldn’t attend in person this year. It’s clear that the festival is an amazing celebration of creativity and storytelling, and we’re so proud to have our work included among such talented filmmakers. One of the filmmakers who attended the event reached out to let us know he saw our film, a testament to the supportive and positive environment SJIFF creates. Thank you to the SJISFF team for the opportunity, here’s hoping we can join you in person next year!

    November 2024
  • We were honored to be included in this great festival and to be awarded Best Comedy! One of our producers attended the festival to represent our film, and he had a wonderful experience. Lots of terrific filmmakers in attendance, with state of the art presentation of the films, and a very well-run festival. Communication was great. Thanks to everyone at SJISFF!

    November 2024
  • A very fun film festival with a carefully curated selection of shorts from around the world. There's a lot to love about this festival from the various unique networking events, to its prime location, and a great selection of film blocks. Overall, a great experience for both filmmakers and attendees!

    November 2024
  • Finding a good short specific festival in the US that has a great varied programme but is still accessible and welcoming (rather than being overwhelming for filmmakers) is a tough one... But this goes up there with one of the festivals our clients love attending. Clear communication, great programming strands, networking events for filmmakers to meet.

    We had 13 clients screen in 2024:

    🎬 Best Before
    🎬 Grave Error
    🎬 KISS
    🎬 Lichtblick
    🎬 Lotus
    🎬 My Week With Maisy
    🎬 River of Grass
    🎬 Shouting At The Sea
    🎬 The Eyes of Marge
    🎬 The Hearts Of Bwindi
    🎬 The Letter
    🎬 The Stranger I Love
    🎬 WHAT I AM

    November 2024
  • Connie Sechrist

    Thank you once again for an incredible festival experience! Your film selections and networking opportunities are outstanding, and I truly appreciate all the effort you put into supporting filmmakers.

    My only suggestion would be to enhance the awards presentation and communication to make the experience even better.

    November 2024