The RIGA IFF Short Film International Competition seeks to highlight new auteur films of various genres and techniques from all over the world. RIGA IFF is one of the 30 festivals that nominates one short film as a candidate for the European Film Awards.
The curator and the selection committee evaluate submissions, look for individual works at other film festivals, film and art schools, and reach out to independent short filmmakers. There are as many films as there are opinions, and as many creators as there are stories.
The only things the selected films have in common is a maximum running time of 30 minutes and a distinctive voice. Audience members are guaranteed to find reasons to laugh, quarrel, or even shed a tear or two – often together with the filmmakers themselves!
Whether they are animated, narrative, documentary, or experimental, the competition seeks out short films with a distinct voice. The festival’s curators will select up to 25 of the most interesting submissions from around the world to screen at the festival.
Entries
We welcome short films with a running time of up to 30 minutes and with a completion date of no earlier than 1 January 2023. We especially encourage Baltic filmmakers and artists to apply (both professionals and emerging artists) as we want to encourage filmmakers from the region, and promote their work internationally.
Prize
The selected short films are judged by an international jury consisting of industry experts, filmmakers, and representatives from the international film festival community. The film that generates the greatest passion and the liveliest discussions about the very essence of cinema will receive a specially designed award and a monetary prize of EUR 2,000. The Award Ceremony takes place on the second Saturday of the festival.
Candidacy for the European Short Film 2025 Award
The jury selects a single candidate for the European Short Film 2025 Award from the films screened in the RIGA IFF Short Film National and International Competitions. Eligible directors must be born in Europe or hold a passport from a European country (the European Film Academy defines Europe as both EU and non-EU countries and includes Israeli and Palestinian passport holders), the film must have been produced in 2024, and the running time cannot exceed 30 minutes.
Deadline
The call for submissions opens on 12 March 2024 and closes on 31 May 2024. The submission fee is EUR 10 per entry and all submissions are free of charge until 25 March 2024. The results will be announced by 10 September 2024.