The Short Com
International
Film and animation Festival
submission Rules
History
Submissions for 2024 festival are now open. Submit via Filmfreeway. Link at the bottom.
We are looking for the very best funny sketches and narrative short films, whether they have been online or not..
Films must be no older than February 2023 and the final deadline is late September. Though may be subject to change
Non-English language films must have English subtitles
All footage and music must be original content unless copyright has been obtained. Including music licensing Material deemed to be racist, sexist and harmful will be immediately disqualified.
To submit and find out more information. Visit our page on Filmfreeway by clicking on the logo below.
Award Categories
Grand Jury Prize
Recognising the best overall film from the festival by our special select jury.
Funniest Film
The reason what separates Short Com from any other film festival. Celebrating the film that makes audiences laugh no end.
Best Animation
Recognising the best comedy animation short film.
Best British Film
Recognising the best film from domestic filmmaking talent.
BEST SCRIPT
Recognising the best film with the best script. This year sponsored by Final Draft.
Short Com has a solid track record over the years for showcasing talent, Ben Mallaby, Tea&Cheese, Big Red Button to name a few have been previous winners of prizes from Blackmagic Design and Final Draft.
In the past, Short Com has screened programmes in some of the UK’s major cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, London and in Glasgow as part of the Glasgow Short Film Festival, presented by Josie Long and local legend Greg Hemphil from Still Game fame.
In 2022, we were delighted to have screened An Irish Goodbye that went on to win both a BAFTA and Oscar for best live action film.
A keen advocate for suicide prevention charities, Short Com has raised over a thousand pounds for charities such as CALM (Calmpaign Against Living Miserably) and Scottish Association for Mental Health.
The underlying belief of Short Com is that there is a wealth of comedic film-making talent out there under appreciated by the industry and also the best way to watch short films is in front of a live audience.
So what sort of films make it into Short Com?
We place a great deal of emphasis on films likely to make audiences laugh. And we've consistently done that by the reaction of our audiences.
We welcome films from all backgrounds. Our programme decision making is purely based on whether we think audiences will laugh at a film.
Short Com is pleased to be a BIFA qualifying film festival.
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Testimonials
Liam Tate from Tea&Cheese
Ben Mallaby
Johnny Burns from Big Red Button
Karel Šindelář
“Short Com was one of the first festivals to lend their support to my films and I’ve always been appreciative of the work they do to raise awareness of emerging filmmakers".
“Winning an award at Short Com felt like the validation that we never got from our parents”.
“Sometimes short comedy films get lost in other festival programmes but with Short Com it feels like a perfect home that gives you a feeling of recognition”
“I hope, that our next projects will make the audience laugh as much as this one has, because a good laugh is one of the best appreciation I know. And I also hope, that this was not our last participation in the Short Com festival“. Karel Šindelář winner of Funniest Film and Best Directed for Why So Sirius 2019
Sam Bailey
Tia Salisbury
Nitzan Mager
Varun Raman
Screened our new short 'Not Surgery Hours' and what an amazing premiere for our awkward British comedy. This is a festival priding itself not only with curating the best UK and international comedy shorts, but championing the teams behind them. Had a very warm reception at the buzzing London screening and was a proper privilege to make the grade in amongst a quality line-up of films. Cheers Short Com!
What a great festival to be a part of. A stellar line up, a passionate and welcoming team, and a great venue. Even with rail strikes threatening the London screening, they still had a great crowd show up to support. It's clear this is run by movie-lovers.
"Though we were not able to attend the festival in person, the communication was fantastic, and the online marketing and engagement around the festival were great - we were thrilled to have our International premiere at Short Com. We're so honored to be part of a festival that recognizes the very specific, yet wide ranging, art form that is comedy. From a dark, political satire like our own-- to lighter, more personal fare-- the festival really highlights the ways in which comedic filmmaking can have a tremendous impact.”
We had a blast playing MAN OR TREE at the festival in a strongly curated comedy programme at a great venue in the Peckhamplex. Would love to return to the festival again!
John F. Beach
Allison Marie Volk
Benjamin Hackman
Megan Dahl
The Short Com team was professional and enthusiastic, and the films were presented very well via a private online link. Had a great experience!
“As a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, I had not heard about Short Com when Chris first reached out to me about viewing our short film, “They Grow Up So Fast”. After my experience working with Chris, and based on the quality of the comedy programming, I wouldn’t want to miss this festival with a future project. When I saw the list of official selections, it was a who’s who of the best comedy films I’d encountered up to that point on our festival run. And it’s rare that you get to play a festival that programs multiple cities. We will have Short Com at the top of our list for any future submissions!”
Since the dawn of recorded history, storytellers across every culture and region have gathered--whether around campfires or in cinemas--to laugh at the peculiar misfortunes of human existence. It is a sad reality that comedy is seldom venerated in the ways that dramatic and tragic works tend to be, but there are few people who do not derive joy and pleasure from a heartfelt belly laugh, and there is virtually no one who does not benefit from a bit of cheering up some of the time. Comedy-centric international film festivals such as Short Com provide a meeting place for people around the world to return to that proverbial campfire, to unburden themselves from the agonies of existence, and to enjoy the simple pleasures of a man slipping on a banana peel, and a hungry cat flustered by its inability to catch a precocious mouse.
We were so honored for Lily's Mirror to be included in this year's festival and nominated for Best Comedy, wish we could have attended in person! The communication, other films, and press materials were top notch.