Yule Film Fest
There are multiple competition categories of the event:
Best Holiday Short Film
Between 1-12 minutes long
Must incorporate any November-December holiday (including New Year’s Eve) or winter season. It can be dark, heartwarming, comedic, serious, or any type of film that you have as long as it conveys the element of a seasonal holiday (specific to Nov-Dec).
Best Animated/Stopmotion Short Film (any genre)
Between 1-11 minutes long
Must be fully animated. Artificial Intelligence (AI) films should not be submitted, we will be evaluating if a film contains a strong level of AI generation.
Best Student Short Film (any genre)
Between 1-11 minutes long
Please include your name, school, and expected graduation year in credits at the end of your short film for recognition. Undergraduate or Graduate programs qualify.
Best Trailer (any genre)
Between 30 second and 4 minutes long
If known, please include the expected title and release date in credits at the end of the trailer.
Best International Short Film (any genre)
Between 1-11 minutes long
Films can be any type, but must include English subtitles and be under 11 minutes long.
Best Female-Directed Short Film (any genre)
Between 1-11 minutes long
Must be directed by a female director.
Best LBGTQ+ Short Film
Between 1-11 minutes long
Must cover LBGTQ+ subject matter or issues, OR be directed by an individual in the LBGTQ+ community.
Best BIPOC Short Film
Between 1-11 minutes long
Must be directed by an individual in the Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color community.
Best Documentary Short Film
Between 1-11 minutes long
Must be truly non-fiction. Mockumentaries will not be considered under the Best Documentary category.
Best Connecticut-based Filmmaker Short (any genre)
Between 1-11 minutes long
Must be produced in Connecticut or by a Connecticut-based filmmaker.
Best Holiday Feature
Between 50-120 minutes long
Must incorporate any November-December holiday (including New Year’s Eve) or winter season.
Rules & Terms
-All films must be submitted in English or with English subtitles.
-All films must have been made in or after 2022.
-Any film in either Best Holiday Short or Best Holiday Feature category must incorporate winter or a holiday from November-December in it. It does not need to be the primary focal point, but does need to be present. It also absolutely does not need to be Christmas.
-Reasonable violence is acceptable, but excessive or sexual violence and/or pornography is not allowed.
-Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.
-By submitting to us, you give us the right to screen your film in an online festival video. The showcase is truly a film compilation showcase and will premiere over a streaming service.
-Films selected for screening will be notified via email. If you do not receive an email stating that your film has been selected for screening, it will not screen. Please also follow our site to follow our updates.
-We may promote clips from your film on social media, based on the press kits you provide us with. Primary item to include is a film poster. Film trailer (excluding the Best Trailer Competition) is optional.
-We retain the right to change the date and streaming service of the festival under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes through our online platforms.
-We place no restrictions on your work in terms of premiere status or whether your work has been made available online. In fact, we strongly encourage you to submit your works all over! This is YOUR project, our festival is just one opportunity to promote and premiere your work, please be encouraged to continue submitting and advertising your short film or trailer.
-Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. If, at the time of judging, your video file does not work or does not have English subtitles (if in a language not English), it will be automatically rejected, without a refund. Please contact the festival team ASAP if there are any issues with the submission process, and a solution will be found.
-We cannot provide refunds. Unless of course we have our own technical issues, in which we will refund.
-By submitting to us you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.
-Best Student Short Films must be done by a current student or filmmaker that has graduated within two (2) years of 12/1/2025. You can be an undergrad or a grad student, but you must be an actual student.
-We reserve the right to update our terms and conditions.
-Yule Film Fest will have an in-person and online screening. At this time, we plan on screening at Sea Tea Improv Theater in Hartford, CT in December 2025 and the online screening will follow after that. This location and date is subject to change due to availability.
Method of Submission
All films must be submitted through FilmFreeway.
