Brussels Short Film Festival

Since 2019, the winner of the Audience Award of the National Competition is selected for the European Short Film Audience Award (ESFAA): a tour of Audience Awards from 10 European short film festivals (Brussels Short Film Festival, Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, Lviv International Short Film Festival Wiz Art, Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival Bristol, Interfilm International Film Festival Berlin, ALCINE – Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival, Short Waves Festival, Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen).

Since 2018, the Brussels Short Film Festival is an Oscars® Qualifying Film Festival.
The winners of the Great Prize of the International and the National Competitions will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/ Live Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

The festival dates: April 23 – May 2, 2026

The submission deadline: March 1, 2026.

Submission page.

FIAPF, Academy Qualified Film Festivals upcoming deadlines with short film competitions that are not on the Filmfreeway:

LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL

For eight decades, the Locarno Film Festival has been at the forefront of the international festival circuit, premiering films by ...
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VIENNA SHORTS

Vienna Shorts (until 2016: Vienna Independent Shorts) is the international short film festival in Vienna that annually in spring makes around ...
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Raindance Film Festival

Britain’s largest, most exciting independent film festival, as likely to generate hit films as any of its mainstream rivals. Raindance Film ...
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Cannes Court Metrage

At Cannes, short films feature in the Competition, at the end of which the Short Films Jury awards a Palme ...
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International Short Film Festival Oberhausen

In the course of more than five decades, the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen has become one of the world's most respected ...
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Melbourne International Film Festival

Melbourne International Film Festival is one of the oldest film festivals in the world. MIFF was founded in 1952. It is ...
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THE BERLINALE

The Berlinale is a unique place of artistic exploration and entertainment. It is one of the largest public film festivals ...
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BUSAN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Busan International Short Film Festival The Busan International Short Film Festival (BIFF, previously Pusan International Film Festival, PIFF), held annually ...
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KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL

The Krakow Film Festival is one of the oldest and the most recognised events in the world, dedicated to documentary, ...
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Brussels Short Film Festival

Since 2019, the winner of the Audience Award of the National Competition is selected for the European Short Film Audience ...
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ANIMATOR INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL

ANIMATOR is Poland’s biggest event dedicated to animated films. Each edition features more than 500 films from all over the ...
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Annecy film festival

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the ...
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ANIMAFEST ZAGREB

The World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb, established in 1972, is the second oldest film festival in the ...
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