2026 Shortsfest

SUBMISSIONS 

1) Where do I submit my film?

All submissions must be made through our FilmFreeway platform: 

https://filmfreeway.com/AspenShortsfest 

2) When do submissions open? 

Submissions open July 1, 2025. 

Please refer to our FilmFreeway page for more information: https://filmfreeway.com/AspenShortsfest 

3) What are your submission deadlines? 

• Opening Date: July 1, 2025 
• Earlybird Deadline: August 1, 2025 
• Regular Deadline: September 26, 2025 
• Late Deadline: November 7, 2025 
• Extended Deadline: November 14, 2025 

4) When will I be notified of the decision regarding my film? 

You will receive a notification by March 2026 to the email address associated with the Submitting Party on your project listing. Please provide an email address that is checked frequently. 

5) What are your categories, and how much does it cost to submit? 

You can submit your film to one or multiple of the following categories: 

• Animation 
• Comedy 
• Drama 
• Documentary
• Student 

The cost for submissions varies by deadline and Filmfreeway membership status 

*All fees are denoted in USD

2026 Festival Submissions 

6) Are submission fees refundable? 

Submission fees are not refundable under any circumstances. Please carefully review our terms & conditions: https://filmfreeway.com/AspenShortsfest. 

7) Am I eligible for discounts or fee waivers? 

We grant fee waivers in strict adherence to our Terms & Conditions. 

If you are a student, a festival alumnus, or a person with exigent geopolitical circumstances, you may be eligible for a discount. Please email shortsfest@aspenfilm.org to request a Fee Waiver Request Form. 

Due to the limited number of fee waivers, we cannot guarantee that you will receive one, even if you meet the criteria outlined in our Terms & Conditions. 

8) What prizes do you offer? 

• Jury Award for Animation* – $2,500 Cash Prize
• Jury Award for Comedy* – $2,500 Cash Prize
• Jury Award for Drama* – $2,500 Cash Prize
• Jury Award for Documentary* – $2,500 Cash Prize
• Jury Award for Short Short* – $1,250 Cash Prize
• Jury Award for Student Short – $1,250 Cash Prize
• The Ellen Award – $2,500 Cash Prize
• Audience Choice Award – $1,250 Cash Prize
• Youth Jury Award – $1,250 Cash Prize

*Oscar®-Qualifying Award

9) Have a question about your submission? 

Please contact shortsfest@aspenfilm.org 

ELIGIBILITY

1) What is considered a “Short” film? 

As an Oscar®-qualifying festival for Animated, Narrative, Comedy, Short Short and Documentary Short Films, ASF follows the same guidelines as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. They define a short film as any film that has a runtime of 40 minutes or less, including all credits. Additionally, ASF considers a Short Short to be a film with a runtime of 10 minutes or less, including credits.

Programmer hint: Films screened during Aspen Shortsfest are programmed into 90-minute blocks, which means that screen time is limited. The tighter your short is, the easier it is for us to fit it into a program, and the longer it is, the more outstanding and unique it has to be for us to find space.

2) Do you require my film to be a World Premiere? 

No. 

3) Do you accept works-in-progress? 

Yes, we do! Before submitting a work-in-progress copy of your film, please know that: 

• Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we can only view one version of your screener. If you update your screener throughout the submissions season, we cannot guarantee the newest version of your screener will be watched. 
• Should your film get invited to our Festival, the final version of your film would need to be completed and delivered to ASF by March 1, 2026 

4) Do you accept screenplay or script submissions? 

No. 

5) Do you accept virtual-reality submissions? 

No. 

6) What makes my film eligible for submission?

A film is eligible for submission if ALL of these criteria are met:

1. It is submitted under one (or more) of the following categories: Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Student or Drama. We do not have categories for Music Video, XR/VR, or TV Pilots. 
2. It has a run time (including credits) of under 40 minutes
3. It was (or will be) completed between Dec 2024 – March 2026
4. As of March 2026, it will NOT have:
   1. Premiered publicly (outside of a festival)
   2. Had a theatrical release in the United States 
   3. Aired on television in the United States 
   4. Been widely available on a public streaming platform [see below for exceptions for online festival selections] 
   5. Been for sale on DVD/Blu-ray/VOD

A film is NOT eligible for consideration if: 

1. It does not meet ALL of the above criteria
2. The Film was previously submitted to ASF for festival consideration (unless it is a “new cut” of the film that was previously submitted and still meets our eligibility requirements). Refer to our answer on resubmissions to determine whether or not your film constitutes a “new cut”.

7) My film has been presented at an online festival. Is it still eligible? 

Per our Terms and Conditions, entries that have been publicly broadcast, screened, or made widely available online in the US are ineligible. However, films that have been digitally screened ONLY as part of an online festival selection are still eligible IF:

• The film was only made available during a limited time period, in private/ticketed screenings on the festival’s platform, and with regional geoblocking. 

8) What is considered a public screening? 

We consider a public screening to be one (outside of a festival) where people attended and the event was advertised and/or ticketed. 

Possible exceptions include: if there was a non-disclosure agreement and no advertising, and/or a private, friends-and-family/cast/crew screening, or for education/school showcases. 

9) Can a trailer, clip, and/or actor reel be publicly posted online? 

Yes, posting a trailer, clip, and/or actor reel from your film online is allowed. 

10) Do you accept resubmissions? 

If the film was previously submitted to ASF for festival consideration, the film will not be eligible. However, we will accept a “new cut” of a film that was previously submitted to ASF, provided that the film still meets our eligibility requirements. 

We define a “new cut” as a film that has undergone substantial changes, including but not limited to editing, reshoots, or a new run time. Please submit a brief statement with your submission, with reference to the new cut.

SUBMITTING YOUR FILM

1) How do I submit? 

In order to submit your film, you must register and submit your film using FilmFreeway. Visit our page here: https://filmfreeway.com/AspenShortsfest. 

2) Can I submit more than one film project? 

Yes, you can submit more than one film project. You must complete separate applications for each project and pay a separate submission fee, but you can do so under the same FilmFreeway account. 

3) Can I submit my film to more than one category? 

Yes. You can submit your film to multiple categories. 

4) What is meant by the Date of Completion? 

The Date of Completion is the date when the film was completed. If your film is a work-in-progress, please note the approximate future date by which the film will be completed. 

5) What film formats do you accept? 

To ensure the consistency and quality of the festival-going experience for all parties, Aspen Shortsfest is a DCP-only festival. In addition, ASF is committed to accessibility for all attendees and requires all films with dialogue (including those natively in English) to have Open Captions in English. We also do not accept physical media screeners such as DVDs, PAL, or Blu-ray. All submission content must be digitally uploaded.

NOTE – You do NOT have to have DCP files complete at the time of submitting your film via FilmFreeway! These requirements only apply to films accepted into the festival and will not be due until early in 2026.

6) How can I tell when you’ve received my film submission? 

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to confirm receipt of your film on an individual basis.

8) Can I update my screener? 

Yes, updating your screeners throughout the submissions season is allowed, but we cannot guarantee that the newest version of your screener will be watched. 

You need to be prepared for the first screener uploaded to FilmFreeway to be watched. If you are not prepared for the first upload to be watched, please do not submit until you are ready. 

MISCELLANEOUS

1) Do you provide invoices for submissions? 

No, ASF does not provide invoices for submissions. 

However, you can access a receipt for your submission directly from FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/help/article/16048/how-do-i access-a-receipt-for-my-submissions. 

2) Am I allowed to submit to other festivals? 

Absolutely. We just ask that you keep us informed of any official selections.

3) I have been accepted to another festival and haven’t received a decision from ASF. Can I email you about this? 

Yes, you can email shortsfest@aspenfilm.org to inform us, but unfortunately, we are not able to help you make a decision about participating in other festivals and cannot consider your film early. Since premieres are not required for selection, prior festival selections will not affect decisions regarding submissions that otherwise meet the other eligibility criteria.

4) Will I receive notes or feedback on my submission? 

Due to the large volume of films we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback regarding your film submission.