Leuven International Short Film Festival

Leuven, Belgium, Europe

04 - 11 Dec, 2021

Academy Award ® Qualifying European Film Award Qualifying BAFTA Qualifying

Keywords

short, virtual reality, Short Fiction, academy award qualifying, BAFTA qualifying, EFA-qualifying, benefits

Category

Short, Virtual Reality

Genre

Documentary, Animation, Comedy, Live-Action

Leuven International Short Film Festival logo
Leuven International Short Film Festival

Leuven, Belgium, Europe

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General Information

founded

1995

edition

25th

organizers

Vincent Langouche

programmator en coördinator

Frank Moens

assistent programmator

Jonas Cantoro

assistent programmator, filmtransport

Contact details

International Short Film Festival Leuven

A Vesaliusstraat 9C

LeuvenBelgium 3000

vincent@kortfilmfestival.be

N/A

Web & social

Audience

10000 people

Benefits

Festival reimburses/covers:
- Travel expenses
- Accommodation expenses

About the festival

Leuven International Short Film Festival is the yearly place to be in December for film lovers and professionals in Belgium and abroad. As Academy Award Qualifying festival since 2012, BAFTA recognised since 2016 and European Film Award nominating since 2017, it's the main Belgian gateway to the most renowned award ceremonies worldwide.

Every year, the International Short Film Festival Leuven, founded in 1995, presents a selection of short films - fiction and animation, documentaries as well as non-narrative films.  

The Flemish and European short film competitions are an essential part of the festival. Annually, around nine jury and audience awards are handed out. In addition the festival always offers a series of retrospectives and specials. And ever since 2007 the Flemish Audiovisual Fund awards its Wildcards at the festival.  

The International Short Film Festival Leuven, which has been taking place at Art Center STUK since 2002, usually presents around 120 screenings over the course of eight days. Every year, the festival screens over 200 short films from around the world, presented in over 25 different programs. In addition, the festival also hosts fascinating masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions for film fans and professionals from here and abroad. In 2014 the festival hit a new milestone of 10.000 visitors. 

The festival has been Academy Award Qualifying since 2012, which means that the short films that are awarded the jury prizes in the European and Flemish competitions automatically end up on the Academy’s long list for Best Short Film. In 2016, the festival also became BAFTA Qualifying and in 2017 it nominated a short film for the European Film Awards for the first time.

Beside the film programme, the festival organises film concerts, live music, parties, dinners, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions, giving film professionals from Belgium and abroad inspiring moments of learning and networking possibilities.

_____Why Pay a Fee? Return for filmmakers_____

With our fee at only €7-10, its sole purpose is enabling us to treat your film fairly. Without this fee, we would have too many submissions and we would not be able to give them all our full attention.

As a festival, we're proud to say our competition is 100% selected from paying submissions. We don't go prospecting for films at other festivals and give every film the same fair chance. We don't look at the festival screening history of the submitted films or the previous works of the directors. Everyone starts with a blank slate and we only judge the films based on their own merits.
Waivers are only given to filmmakers that were previously selected at the festival.

Directors selected for competition are invited and receive travel (depending on the country of origin), three nights of hotel, meals and accreditation for the complete festival. Films outside of competition are payed a screening fee, or can request accommodation (places are limited), meals and accreditation at the festival.
All selected directors receive fee waivers for next editions of the festival.

The festival's focus on directors makes it a great place to get to know colleagues and present your film to the broad audience present in Leuven.

ALL COMPETITIONS
- One short film in competition will be nominated for the European Film Awards

EUROPEAN COMPETITION: FICTION
- Jury Award: €1.000 donated by the festival + Academy Award™ Qualifying
- Audience Award: €2.000 purchasing prize from CANVAS

FLEMISH COMPETITION: FICTION
- Jury Award: €12.500 shooting kit hire from Camalot + Academy Award™ Qualifying
- Audience Award: €2.000 purchasing prize from CANVAS + €10.000 post production support from Mikros Image and A-Sound.
- Jury Award for Best Debut: €1.500 donated by SABAM
- Jury Award for Best Actor/Actress: €1.000 donated by Playright+
- Jury Award for best Cinematography: €1.000 donated by Camalot.

FLEMISH COMPETITION: ANIMATION
- Audience Award: €1.000 purchasing prize from Dalton Distribution

FLEMISH COMPETITION: DOCUMENTARY
- Jury Award: €7.500 shooting kit hire from Camalot + La Guarimba 10 day residence programme in southern Italy

About

Leuven International Short Film Festival is the yearly place to be in December for film lovers and professionals in Belgium and abroad. As Academy Award Qualifying festival since 2012, BAFTA recognised since 2016 and European Film Award nominating since 2017, it's the main Belgian gateway to the most renowned award ceremonies worldwide.

Every year, the International Short Film Festival Leuven, founded in 1995, presents a selection of short films - fiction and animation, documentaries as well as non-narrative films.  

The Flemish and European short film competitions are an essential part of the festival. Annually, around nine jury and audience awards are handed out. In addition the festival always offers a series of retrospectives and specials. And ever since 2007 the Flemish Audiovisual Fund awards its Wildcards at the festival.  

The International Short Film Festival Leuven, which has been taking place at Art Center STUK since 2002, usually presents around 120 screenings over the course of eight days. Every year, the festival screens over 200 short films from around the world, presented in over 25 different programs. In addition, the festival also hosts fascinating masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions for film fans and professionals from here and abroad. In 2014 the festival hit a new milestone of 10.000 visitors. 

The festival has been Academy Award Qualifying since 2012, which means that the short films that are awarded the jury prizes in the European and Flemish competitions automatically end up on the Academy’s long list for Best Short Film. In 2016, the festival also became BAFTA Qualifying and in 2017 it nominated a short film for the European Film Awards for the first time.

Beside the film programme, the festival organises film concerts, live music, parties, dinners, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions, giving film professionals from Belgium and abroad inspiring moments of learning and networking possibilities.

_____Why Pay a Fee? Return for filmmakers_____

With our fee at only €7-10, its sole purpose is enabling us to treat your film fairly. Without this fee, we would have too many submissions and we would not be able to give them all our full attention.

As a festival, we're proud to say our competition is 100% selected from paying submissions. We don't go prospecting for films at other festivals and give every film the same fair chance. We don't look at the festival screening history of the submitted films or the previous works of the directors. Everyone starts with a blank slate and we only judge the films based on their own merits.
Waivers are only given to filmmakers that were previously selected at the festival.

Directors selected for competition are invited and receive travel (depending on the country of origin), three nights of hotel, meals and accreditation for the complete festival. Films outside of competition are payed a screening fee, or can request accommodation (places are limited), meals and accreditation at the festival.
All selected directors receive fee waivers for next editions of the festival.

The festival's focus on directors makes it a great place to get to know colleagues and present your film to the broad audience present in Leuven.

ALL COMPETITIONS
- One short film in competition will be nominated for the European Film Awards

EUROPEAN COMPETITION: FICTION
- Jury Award: €1.000 donated by the festival + Academy Award™ Qualifying
- Audience Award: €2.000 purchasing prize from CANVAS

FLEMISH COMPETITION: FICTION
- Jury Award: €12.500 shooting kit hire from Camalot + Academy Award™ Qualifying
- Audience Award: €2.000 purchasing prize from CANVAS + €10.000 post production support from Mikros Image and A-Sound.
- Jury Award for Best Debut: €1.500 donated by SABAM
- Jury Award for Best Actor/Actress: €1.000 donated by Playright+
- Jury Award for best Cinematography: €1.000 donated by Camalot.

FLEMISH COMPETITION: ANIMATION
- Audience Award: €1.000 purchasing prize from Dalton Distribution

FLEMISH COMPETITION: DOCUMENTARY
- Jury Award: €7.500 shooting kit hire from Camalot + La Guarimba 10 day residence programme in southern Italy

Gallery

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

- Follow category guidelines
- Live action fiction (European* Competition)
- Other types of short film (International non-competitive programmes**)
- Duration: max. 35 min.
- Finished after January 1st, 2020
- English subtitled (recommended even when dialogue is English)
- International entry deadline: August 15, 2021
- Flemish entry deadline: September 15, 2021
- No premiere requirements
- No online restrictions

We strongly advice to submit your film earlier than the official deadline.

The festival will not confirm the receipt of submissions. We kindly ask you to refrain from calling or emailing us to confirm the receipt of your material. All applicants will be notified via e-mail about the selection or rejection of their film at the end of October. No earlier feedback is given.

If the original language of the submitted film is other than English, the film must be subtitled in English. We also require English subtitles for Dutch language films. Your film will not be considered if not subtitled in English (if not English spoken)., but even English spoken films are encouraged to provide English subtitles.

The selection committee’s decision to select or reject a film is final. No correspondence will be held in regards to this decision. If a film is selected for one of the competition programmes of Leuven International Short Film Festival, it can no longer be withdrawn.

* Geographical Europe excluding transcontinental countries such as Russia or Turkey.

** The international non-competitive programmes consist of:
- animation
- short films for children (without dialogue)
- non-narrative short films
- VR
- comedy shorts
- thematic programme: TBA
- other thematic programmes TBA

We strongly advice to submit your film earlier than the official deadline.

The festival will not confirm the receipt of submissions. We kindly ask you to refrain from calling or emailing us to confirm the receipt of your material. All applicants will be notified via e-mail about the selection or rejection of their film at the end of October. No earlier feedback is given.

If the original language of the submitted film is other than English, the film must be subtitled in English. We also require English subtitles for Dutch language films. Your film will not be considered if not subtitled in English (if not English spoken)., but even English spoken films are encouraged to provide English subtitles.

The selection committee’s decision to select or reject a film is final. No correspondence will be held in regards to this decision. If a film is selected for one of the competition programmes of Leuven International Short Film Festival, it can no longer be withdrawn.

* Geographical Europe excluding transcontinental countries such as Russia or Turkey.

** The international non-competitive programmes consist of:
- animation
- short films for children (without dialogue)
- non-narrative short films
- VR
- comedy shorts
- thematic programme: TBA
- other thematic programmes TBA

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

European Competition (LIVE ACTION FICTION)
Early Bird (15th April, 2021) €7
Regular (15th August, 2021) €9
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Only European live action fiction films are eligible. No animated films or documentaries. Exclusively for in majority European productions (director and (majority of) production are European). Non-European International submission will be considered void if submitted here. Check with the festival first if in doubt. Exclusively for in majority European productions (director and (majority of) production are European). Non-European International submission will be considered void if submitted here. Check with the festival first if in doubt. Exclusively for in majority European productions (director and (majority of) production are European). Non-European International submission will be considered void if submitted here. Check with the festival first if in doubt.

International Non-Competitive Programmes (PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION)
Early Bird (15th April, 2021) €7
Regular (15th August, 2021) €9
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

From all over the world: - Animation Nations: best of international animation - Short films for children (without dialogue) - Labo: non-narrative / experimental short films - Comedy Shorts - Thematic programmes: One Shot Shorts, Simulations, Special Effects, Science Fiction - Other thematic programmes: TBA

Flemish Competition
Early Bird (15th April, 2021) €0
Regular (15th September, 2021) €0
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

The Extended deadline is only for film students in Flanders graduating later than usual as a result of the corona measures.

Virtual Reality (non-competitive)
Early Bird (15th April, 2021) €3
Regular (15th August, 2021) €5
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

360° (2D/3D) video short films. Live-action, animation, fiction or documentary. Oculus Go compatible films only.

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