The SHORT RIGA International Competition looks for new auteur films of various genres and techniques from all over the world. This is one of 24 international short film competitions that presents a selected film with a candidacy in the short film category of the European Film Awards.

The curator and selection committee evaluate submissions, individually look for works in the programmes of other film festivals as well as film and art schools, and reach out to independent makers of short films. There are as many films as there are opinions, and as many authors as there are stories. The only things the selected films have in common is a maximum running time of 30 minutes and the presence of a strong personality. Audience members are guaranteed to quarrel, laugh, or even shed a tear or two – often in the presence of the filmmakers themselves!