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Top 25 Short Film Festivals Worldwide in 2025
- iFilmFestival.com
- Aug 8
- 3 min read
In a cinematic era where brevity fosters experimentation and immediacy, short film festivals have become vital launchpads for emerging voices and bold storytelling. This curated selection highlights 25 of the most distinguished and dedicated short film festivals worldwide—platforms that exclusively celebrate short-form cinema in all its diversity.
1. Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France)
The undisputed heavyweight of short film, Clermont-Ferrand is the largest and most prestigious shorts-only festival globally. Oscar-qualifying and marketplace-connected, it's the industry gold standard.
2. Palm Springs International ShortFest (USA)
North America's most important short-film-only festival, ShortFest is Academy-qualifying and boasts a strong reputation for filmmaker access, professional development, and top-tier curation.
3. Flickerfest (Australia)
Australia’s premier short film competition, held annually at Bondi Beach. Flickerfest is both BAFTA and Oscar-qualifying and serves as a crucial bridge between Australian talent and the international circuit.
4. Encounters Film Festival (UK)
The UK’s leading shorts-only festival, Encounters offers Oscar, BAFTA, and European Film Award qualifying status, attracting top-tier talent across live-action and animation.
5. Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden)
Scandinavia’s most prominent short film festival, known for its smart programming, international reach, and strong ties to academic film culture.
6. Winterthur International Short Film Festival (Switzerland)
A Swiss hub for artistically bold and formally innovative shorts. Winterthur often blurs lines between narrative, documentary, and experimental.
7. Brussels Short Film Festival (Belgium)
A vital node in Europe’s short film circuit, with competitions that attract over 4,000 submissions each year. A major springboard for European filmmakers.
8. Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFFA) (Japan)
Tokyo’s Oscar-qualifying powerhouse, SSFFA is Asia’s leading short film event, known for genre diversity and a slick, international reputation.
9. Zinebi – Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Film (Spain)
Though it includes documentaries, Zinebi retains a strict short-form focus. A Class A-accredited festival, it emphasizes formally rigorous and socially charged work.
10. Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) (South Korea)
BISFF has become East Asia’s key short film event, known for bold, independent programming and global visibility.
11. Boston Short Film Festival (USA)
A U.S. East Coast gem for shorts lovers, Boston SFF offers a sharply curated selection of fiction, doc, animation, and experimental work, and is growing in international stature.
12. Ghent International Short Film Festival (Belgium)
Running in the spring within the vibrant Flemish art scene, this boutique festival offers a focused and intimate setting for discovering innovative short works.
13. Super Shorts London Film Festival (UK)
Founded in 2003, this London-based festival champions powerful storytelling under 20 minutes and fosters a dynamic, inclusive filmmaker community.
14. Leuven International Short Film Festival (Kortfilmfestival Leuven) (Belgium)
One of the most respected Benelux shorts festivals, Leuven’s tight curation and audience engagement have made it a filmmaker favorite.
15. Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen (Netherlands)
A major Dutch short film event with industry training, thematic focus areas, and stellar international competitions.
16. Aspen Shortsfest (USA)
An elite Oscar-qualifying event, Aspen Shortsfest is known for launching films that go on to win Academy Awards. It balances prestige with intimacy.
17. Minimalen Short Film Festival (Norway)
Held in Trondheim, Minimalen curates five days of international, Nordic, and experimental shorts, with a special focus on cinematic form.
18. Lanzarote International Film Festival – Short Film Competition (Spain)
Set on the Canary Islands, this festival brings together European and Latin American voices with a distinctive regional flair.
19. Tampere Film Festival (Finland)
Though it includes mid-length work, Tampere remains a pillar of Northern European short-form cinema, renowned for political and artistic urgency.
20. Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival (Greece)
A vibrant Mediterranean platform for daring and diverse short films, Thessaloniki’s shorts selection is gaining recognition for its bold curation and filmmaker-focused programming.
21. Regard – Saguenay International Short Film Festival (Canada)
A key North American francophone short film showcase, deeply tied to Quebecois identity and innovation.
22. Short Waves Festival (Poland)
Poznań’s essential shorts-only festival, emphasizing bold form and interdisciplinary thinking.
23. Bogotá Short Film Festival – Bogoshorts (Colombia)
Latin America’s best-known shorts-only festival, with industry labs and a cult following in the Spanish-speaking world.
24. Festival International du Court Métrage de Lille (France)
A strong French platform for short-form fiction and animation, with a commitment to visual storytelling.
25. Aesthetica Short Film Festival (UK)
Held in York, this BAFTA-qualifying festival bridges experimental, art house, and narrative shorts with immersive installations and VR.
These 25 festivals represent the global vanguard of short-form cinema. From Oscar-qualifiers to genre-bending experimental showcases, each champions artistic brevity, precision, and innovation—affirming the short film as a cinematic form in its own right.
