IMDb Qualifying | Live Screenings | Submissions Open

Preparing for TCFFNZ 2027! To be held March 11-17. Tauranga, New Zealand!

Originally founded in Hong Kong, it made a pledge to create a platform for independent film, to share stories that transcend lingual and cultural boundaries to connect human beings through the arts.

The Third Culture Film Festival is curated into themed blocks.

TCFF 2027 will be a film festival that has approximately 25 awards for short films, but for the first time - will be showing feature films outside of competition. The festival hosts panel speakers and networking events and encourages filmmakers to come, share their films, network with others and meet this growing film-loving community.

IMDB Page: https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0073759/overview/

Awards & Prizes

The TCFF will give awards

Best Narrative
Best Animation
Best Experimental
Best Documentary
People's Choice award
Spirit of New Zealand Award
Social Impact Award
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Animated Character
Best Director of Photography
Best Director
Best Editor
Best Sound Design
Best Music
Best Action Sequence
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design
Best Film Made For Games
Best Music Video
Under 25 Award
Outliers Award
The Teo Award

UNIQUE AWARDS

People's Choice Award – This will be decided by the audience that attend the festival. Attendees of the festival will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite film.

Spirit of New Zealand Award – Given to the film that best celebrates New Zealand in its own way whether it be location, style, humour or message etc.

The Teo Award – This award is given by the festivals founder, to the film they wish to honour. It is to be decided after the other awards have been declared, this award will go to the film they feel deserves special recognition especially if it came close in several categories but yet did not win.

Best Animated Character - Not many film festivals have this category. We wish to honour the creativity of animators - they are not just technicians, but are also often the writers and directors of their movie. We are keen to celebrate originality and creativity.

Best Action Sequence - Even at the Oscars, stunt men and their choreographers are still not recognised. Especially in a city like Hong Kong, the home of Bruce Lee. With a strong background of action stars that perform their own stunts from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen. We wish to celebrate these artists with this award. This award is not limited to fight sequences, but will include nominations from dance sequences and sports.

Social Impact Award - Given to the film that best makes a comment on society or a social issue.

Outliers Award - To be awarded to a unique film that deserves recognition for its originality, its shock factor, or its ability to make a lasting impression. A film that pushes boundaries and has qualities that are hard to quantify.

Best Experimental – Given to the best film that is purely visual, devoid of any narrative and often not figurative.

The awards were designed by:
2017 by Faiyaz Jafri
2018 by Faiyaz Jafri
2024 by Team MHO
2025 by Jean Viljoen

Rules & Terms

DEADLINES

Deadlines are as follows:
Regular deadline: 23rd November 2026
Late deadline: 14th December 2026
Notifications: Jan 16th, 2027

For a greener planet, TCFF only accepts online submissions via FilmFreeway.com.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Language:
All non-English language entries must have English subtitles.

Screening or Rental Fees:
TCFF does NOT CONSIDER films that require SCREENING/RENTAL FEES.

Maximum running time, including credits: 25 minutes

Completion Date:
Projects submitted to the Festival must have been completed.
Works-In-Progress are not considered.

Film submitted to or selected at previous editions are not considered.

Premiere Status:
We would love to have TCFF NZ premieres, but it is not a requirement.

Independent Production:
Films produced, financed, or initiated by a non-major motion picture studio

Other screenings:
By submitting to the festival, you are automatically considered for any of our additional screenings.

Rights and liability:
All entered films must be the original work of the author or authors. Multiple authorship allowed. TCFF and its organisers shall not be responsible directly or indirectly for any liability arising from any violation of any copyright laws.

TCFF is granted the right to use the submitted films and film stills for promotional purposes on the internet, television and other media. An excerpt of max. 10% of the length of each submitted film may be used for that purpose.

28 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Matthew Viljoen

    Thank you for having me! Absolutely delightful! Hope you enjoyed my short!

    April 2026
    Helpful
  • Kā'eo Luke

    Such a lovely festival with a lot of time and effort dedicated to its running. I feel really honored that my film was a part of this event. I would absolutely love to participate again in the future and would recommend others submit their works.

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Jorge Morais

    I had a really positive experience with the Third Culture Film Festival.
    Even though I couldn’t attend in person due to the distance, I truly felt connected to the festival. It stands out as a great platform for emerging voices in cinema, and having my animated short film In Half included in the program was incredibly rewarding.
    What I appreciated the most was their communication. The team was active, consistent, and genuinely engaged on social media, creating a real sense of connection with filmmakers. They didn’t just showcase the films, they created interaction around them, which is something very valuable today.
    To me, festivals are about visibility and exchange, and Third Culture Film Festival really understands that.
    I definitely encourage them to keep growing, and I highly recommend it to filmmakers who want their work to be seen, supported, and appreciated.

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Matthew Sheard

    We had a phenomenal experience at TCFF. It was well organized and there was a wide range of ways that audiences and filmmakers could engage with each other and the work.

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Warren Workman

    Thank you for accepting our film into the festival. Our team was thrilled to be accepted!

    March 2026
    Helpful