The Palm Springs International ShortFest is one of the largest showcases of short-form cinema in North America. The seven-day competitive festival is Academy Award, BAFTA and Goya-qualifying, screening annually more than 330 shorts from approximately 60 countries in series of 90-minute programs. ShortFest accepts submissions up to 40 minutes in duration, in the form of both fiction and non-fiction shorts. Categories include Animation, Documentary, Episodic Pilots, Live Action and Music Video.
The ShortFest Official Selection comprises the 330+ shorts—selected from the thousands of submissions received—projected theatrically in front of public audiences during the festival. The shorts are curated thematically into programs of approximately 90 minutes in duration, which aim to bring together a diverse cross-section of contemporary cinema. Distinct works from filmmakers of various international backgrounds come into conversation with one another in unexpected and exciting ways. ShortFest maintains an inclusive attitude toward presenting short-form moving image work, with a variety of genres and forms converging throughout the Official Selection.
Running concurrent to the festival, the ShortFest Film Market provides accredited industry, media and filmmakers with the opportunity to watch, learn and collaborate at our Forum, Marketplace and Video Library.