Genre Filmmakers of the Future

Submit your short films!

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Forbidden Worlds Film Festival is looking to find the Genre Film-Makers of the Future!

During the festival next May, Forbidden Worlds will once again host an epic showcase of the latest short genre films (sci-fi, action, horror and fantasy) from around the world.

The Short of the Year winner is selected by a panel of judges made up of film professionals while there is also an Forbidden Worlds Audience Choice Award which will be selected by the audience who watch the shorts on a massive 18m x 15m IMAX screen.

Please read all rules and requirements for submitting your project:

If your film is shortlisted, it will be screened at the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival on the former Bristol IMAX screen in front of a live audience.

• To submit a film, you must have the rights or have permission from the owner to submit the film on their behalf.

• All films must have an English subtitle track included, otherwise they will not be selected for screening.

• Forbidden Worlds will not pay any fee to screen short films and due to limited budget, we cannot pay for travel or accommodation for any film-makers who wish to attend the festival.

RULES AND TERMS

1. The film must have been made within the past two years. We do not accept any films completed before January 2023.

2. Your short can be live action or animated, documentary or fiction, however it must belong to either the action, horror, science-fiction or fantasy genre. Festival organisers might determine which genre the film best belongs to if it spans multiple genres or isn't overly clear.

3. All films must include English subtitles, especially if the film is not shot in English. This is to make the screenings more inclusive for those with hearing needs.

4. To be eligible for awards, short films must not be available for public viewing on any video hosting sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo, etc.

5. Short films should ideally be around 10 mins long, but anything up to 15 minutes may be considered subject to our panel. Please note that 15 min long films will be the exception rather than the rule!

6. Forbidden Worlds is a competitive event and unless notified otherwise, all shorts officially selected are eligible for competition. Not all submissions received will be selected for the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival

7. While submissions will be shortlisted by the festival organisers, all officially selected films will be voted upon by a panel of judges made up of film professionals. The judges will be announced closer to the festival.

8. Forbidden Worlds reserve the right to refuse to accept any submission deemed by the Festival to be inappropriate, or not fitting in with our values. Should you have any queries, you can contact us by email on team@forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk

9. Films must be submitted via the FilmFreeway platform only. We do not accept submissions through our website or email address.

10. Films made using AI video generators or similar technology will not be accepted.