Film Submission for 39 FILMFEST DRESDEN 2027

Our Call for Entries for the 39 FILMFEST DRESD 2027 is open from 1 September to 1 December 2026.

• Eligible for submission are short films up to 30 minutes running time (incl. credits) - exception: Central German Competition.
• All films have to be produced after 31 December 2024.
• FILMFEST DRESDEN is not a premiere festival, therefore a film premiere is not necessary.
• The preview copy must come with English subtitles, if the original language is not English.
• Please do not send any additional materials like posters or postcards along with your submission.

For the National and International Competition, only short fiction and animation films (incl. hybrid forms such as AnimaDoc, experimental or documentary fiction) will be considered.

• For the International Competition: all production countries except Germany, German co-productions are accepted
• For the National Competition: production country Germany, German co-productions are accepted

For the Central German Competition, animation, short fiction, experimental and documentary films with a connection to the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and/or Thuringia (e.g. production location, content or biography of the filmmaker) are eligible.

• Running time max. 40 minutes (including credits). Note: please contact entry@filmfest-dresden.de if the film to be submitted is over 30 minutes long. The submission platform Shortfilmdepot only accepts films up to 30 minutes.

For the Special Programmes (e.g. Kids, Youth, Open Air) documentaries and experimental films can also be submitted.

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Submitters will be notified by email regarding the selection of films for the festival at the following times:

• Confirmations for the competitions: end of January
• Confirmations for all other official programmes (e.g. Children’s and Youth Section, Experimental Films, etc.): mid-March
• Notification of rejections: mid-March

Please note: We only accept 35mm or DCP copies for festival screenings!

Films can be submitted via the online submission platform SHORTFILMDEPOT.

1. Register: If you are not a user of SHORTFILMDEPOT, register and fill out the form for each film you would like to submit. Upload your film and test if it plays correctly!
2. Submit: Search for FILMFEST DRESDEN and submit your film. The festival charges a submission fee of 10 Euros per submission to the International Competition and 8 Euros for all other submissions. SHORTFILMDEPOT also requires one stamp per submission. Stamps are available individually or in sets of 5, 20 or 50.

DONE!

If you have any difficulties with the application or any further questions, you can contact us by phone at +49-351-82947.24 or by email at entry[at]filmfest-dresden.de.