Distribution

Submitting short films to festivals: platforms, the files you need and planning deadlines

The short is shot and cut; the next step is festivals. On a first run, a lot of time goes on preparing materials: running time, subtitles, poster, director's bio, stills, and every festival wants something different. Build one complete package first, and each festival after that is just a matter of choosing and filling in the form.

GET SHOTS DONE EditorsAbout 3 min read

How submission platforms work

Many festivals take entries through online platforms. Take Hong Kong's ifva Awards: the Hong Kong Arts Centre's event page shows that entries for the 30th ifva Awards ran from 2 March to 21 June 2026, the short film categories were the Open Category, Youth Category, Hong Kong / International Tertiary Student Category and Asian New Force, and entries were submitted through FilmFreeway.

The usual process on a platform is:

  1. Open an account and build the film's page (title, running time, synopsis, credits, screenshots).
  2. Upload a viewing file, or provide a private link such as Vimeo.
  3. Find the festivals you want, read the rules, and pay and submit by the deadline.
  4. The festival tells you through the platform whether you are selected.

You build the film's page once and reuse it for every festival; that is where the platform saves the most time.

Read the rules before paying the entry fee

Read every festival's rules line by line, focusing on:

  • Completion date: the date after which the film must have been completed.
  • Maximum running time: whether it includes the end credits.
  • Premiere requirements: whether the film must not have screened publicly in a given region. Check before submitting, so an earlier festival does not rule out a later one.
  • Eligibility: the director's nationality or residency, age, whether they are a student.
  • Subtitle language: which language the subtitles must be in.
  • Resubmission: whether a film previously submitted to the same festival can be entered again.

If a rule is unclear, email the organiser first. That beats discovering you are ineligible after paying the fee.

What goes in the submission package

Before you start submitting, put these files in one folder:

Video

  • A viewing file (for example a 1080p MP4), with the title and version in the file name.
  • A private viewing link with a password.
  • Subtitle files (for example SRT), one Chinese and one English.

Text

  • Title (Chinese and English), running time, year of production, country of production, language.
  • A one-line logline, a short synopsis of up to 50 words and a long synopsis of up to 150 words.
  • Director's bio and director's statement.
  • Main cast and crew list.

Images

  • Poster, three to five stills, and a photo of the director.

Rights documents

  • Records of licences for music and footage. Sorting these out only after selection leaves very little time.

Once selected, the festival will ask for a screening format. The English Wikipedia article "Digital Cinema Package" explains that a DCP is a set of files used to store and deliver digital cinema picture, sound and data; the article also notes that DCPs are delivered to cinemas and loaded onto digital cinema servers for playback. If you only make one once selected, allow time to make and test it.

How to plan deadlines

List the festivals you want in a table, with columns for festival, deadline, entry fee, maximum running time, premiere requirements, notification date and festival dates. Then:

  1. Order by premiere requirements. Submit to festivals that require a premiere first, and wait for their results before entering others.
  2. Work back from the deadline. If a festival has several deadlines with different fees, put the cheapest deadline in your calendar and start preparing a week before.
  3. Set a budget cap. Entry fees add up to a sizeable sum. Decide the total budget first, then choose the festivals that best fit the film.
  4. Record the results. Selected, not selected, no result yet: log them all, so the next film's festival run has something to go on.

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to submit through an online platform?

It depends on the festival. Some take entries only through a platform, others through their own entry system. Follow the method published on the festival's official website.

Do we need both Chinese and English subtitles?

We recommend making both. Chinese subtitles for local festivals and English for international ones, chosen according to each festival's rules.

Can we submit without a DCP?

Check what the festival's rules ask for at the submission stage. If they only want a viewing file or link, make the screening format once selected, as required.

References

  1. Hong Kong Arts Centre, 30th ifva Awards call for entries: hkac.org.hk/calendar_detail/?u=ifva30
  2. Wikipedia, Digital Cinema Package: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Cinema_Package

The pages above were accessed on 1 November 2026.

This article is general information compiled from the references above, accessed on 1 November 2026, and is not legal advice. Check the latest notices from each authority or organisation before you apply or make arrangements.

Published 1 November 2026.

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