Berlin Indie Shorts Festival

About

SEASON 3

Welcome to the Berlin Indie Shorts Festival — a truly independent international short film festival which takes place in the cinematic capital of Europe. Berlin is a city where different cultures and nationalities meet, a city where the spirit of freedom and creativity reigns.

Our festival was created by directors for directors. There are no formalities, only fair professional evaluation by an international jury and inspiring interaction with colleagues. We have no dress code or red carpet; the focus here is not on the beauty of the celebrity guests' outfits, but on your film. Our festival is a platform for discussion and collaboration, an opportunity to feel part of the process, regardless of status or fame.

The Berlin Indie Shorts Festival strives to present the most daring, innovative, and inspiring films from around the world, striking in their originality and unique approach to storytelling. Short films are the art of telling great stories with minimal resources, capturing a spirit in a matter of minutes and leaving a lasting impression on viewers. Here, short films cease being the "little brother" of feature films and acquire their own uniqueness and value.

Since we strive to preserve Berlin’s free-spirited nature and remain truly independent, our jury panel changes every season. Consequently, a film that might not have been fully appreciated by one team of judges could well be viewed differently in the next season.

Our festival is held four times a year at the legendary Heckmann-Höfe - our Berlin's Montmartre. Summer, fall, winter, and spring—each season is beautiful in its own way and brings its own unique inspiration. A fitting conclusion to each season is the live screening of the winning films and the award ceremony for their creators.

Welcome to Berlin!

NO CLICHÉS. NO LIMITS. JUST PURE ART.

Awards

⭐Best Short Film - all categories
⭐Best Feature Short Film
⭐Best Documentary Short Film
⭐Best Animated Short Film
⭐Best Experimental Short Film
⭐Best Debut Short Film
⭐Best Super Short Film (under 10 minutes)
⭐Best Black-and-white Short Film
⭐Best AI Short Film
⭐Best Musical Short Film
⭐Best Drama Short Film
⭐Best Comedy Short Film
⭐Best Romantic Short Film
⭐Best Horror Short Film
⭐Best Thriller Short Film
⭐Best Silent Short Film
⭐Best Music Video
⭐Best Director
⭐Best Cinematography
⭐Best Screenwriter
⭐Best Casting
⭐Best Original Music
⭐Best Sound Design
⭐Best Production Design

Rules

1. The festival takes place four times a year. We accept short films up to 30 minutes, fiction, documentary, or other narrative forms, depending on the category.

2. Films in all languages are welcome. Non-English should include subtitles.
Subtitles must be clear, accurate, and appropriately timed to ensure accessibility for the audience.

3. Filmmakers must ensure they hold the necessary rights to all material submitted, including music, visuals, and any third-party content used in the film.
Any submissions found to violate copyright laws may be disqualified.

4. Filmmakers may submit multiple films for consideration.
Each film can be entered in multiple categories, provided it meets the specific criteria for each category.

5. By submitting a film, filmmakers grant the festival permission to use clips, trailers, and stills for promotional purposes.

6. All submitted films are judged online by an independent jury. Competition results for the season are also announced online.

All films awarded NOMINEE, HONORABLE MENTION, and WINNER status will be screened at a live screening and awards ceremony.

Part of our festival strategy is film promotion, so winners and official selection films will also be featured in promotional events, retrospectives, or encore screenings organized by the festival.

7. All submitted films must have a fully completed FilmFreeway page, including:
- Film in a high-quality digital format (e.g., MP4, MOV) suitable for large-scale projection with download support;
- film trailer;
- still photos;
- synopsis;
- photo and biography of the director;
- links to the director's (film's, production company's) pages on social networks.

Films with incomplete files, low resolution, or technical errors may not be considered.

8. Films must adhere to legal and ethical standards and should avoid content that violates age restriction guidelines applicable in the festival's location.

9. Films will be judged based on creativity, storytelling, technical execution, and originality.
Filmmakers will be notified of selection status via email within the timeline specified on the festival page on FilmFreeway.

10. All fees are non-refundable.

11. All stated information, eligibility and submission guidelines, terms and conditions of entry, and entry information is subject to change by Berlin Indie Shorts Festival, without notice.

12. Berlin Indie Shorts Festival accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury, or disappointment incurred or suffered by any person as a result of submitting a film to Berlin Indie Shorts Festival and its curation and all related events.

Premiere Requirements

No premiere requirement

Jury and Organizers

Yuri Maslak

Olga Tugaeva

Elias di Valterega

Roman Sova

Leri Mikeladze