Short Film Competition FAQ
Frequently asked questions about entering the Just 4 Shorts film competition.
If my short film wins, does it have to be added to the public Just4Shorts Showcase website?
If your short film wins but you would prefer not to have it available to the public, just let us know. When we notify you of your win, we'll be sure to check with you to make sure it's okay to make your short viewable on the Showcase.
We fully understand that many filmmakers have entered into other competitions and film festivals in addition to ours, and some of them may require that the film hasn't been shown to the public prior to their premiere. We wouldn't want to jeopardize this for you. Making it available to the public is meant only to enhance its exposure, not to hurt it in any way, so we'll always accommodate your needs.
Even if your short is not available to the public, we'll still make it available privately to industry insiders as this generally does not affect eligibility for any other festivals or contests.
My film is a winner of a Best Short Film or Best of Category award. How do I get a verified listing of this award on IMDb?
If your film has an active title page on IMDb, please contact support and we will have our partners submit the data to IMDb. (We generally do this automatically if your film already had an active title page on IMDb and we were able to find it at the time of the winner announcements but even if this did not happen, there is no time limit for this and you can still notify us any time if you want your award data added. Typically, it takes one to two weeks for the official award data to appear on IMDb after our partners submit the data.)
My film is a past winner of a Best Short Film or Best of Category award and I would like to make it public on the Just4Shorts Showcase. How do I get my film added?
If your award winning film has not already been added to the showcase (likely due to premiere requirements at the time you received your win or if there was an administrative mistake on our end), please feel free to contact support and let us know. We will add it as soon as possible at your request.
Do you accept DVDs/Blu Rays/DCPs or other physical media by mail?
No. We aim to stay GREEN and avoid the waste of traditional physical submissions. Please submit your film in digital format using a private Vimeo password-protected link. (To be clear: We are NOT asking for the password you use to log into Vimeo. We're asking you to upload your short film as a private video on Vimeo and secure that using a password. This feature is available for FREE to users of Vimeo.)
In general, we do not recommend using a public Vimeo or YouTube link unless your short film is already available to the public. (If it is, we will still accept it. Just be careful if you plan to submit to other festivals and competitions as they may not accept it.)
I already submitted my short film to other festivals and competitions. Can I still submit it to Just 4 Shorts?
Yes. We have no premiere requirements for your short film submission. We're looking for quality material that we (and our industry contacts) may not have seen yet; the premiere status is not an issue.
Can I enter more than one short film?
Yes. There is no limit to how many different films you enter. However, you may not enter the same film more than once.
Can I enter a film that's longer than 60 minutes?
No. We only accept short films, and while the definition can vary from super-short films that are a few minutes long to stories that run past the half hour mark, we only accept short films that are 60 minutes or less.
What's the minimum length?
There's no minimum. However, it's generally challenging to tell a strong story in less than a minute. If you can do it and still impress, then no one will stop you, of course. In general, most of the highly regarded short films are between 5 to 15 minutes in length so unless your particular story calls for a length much longer or shorter, then with all else being equal, it would be wise to aim for that range.
However, rest assured, as long as your film is 60 minutes or less, it will qualify and will only be judged on its own merits as a short film, not based on its length.
My short film is a language other than English. Can I still enter it?
Only if you include subtitles in English. Unfortunately, we (and our industry contacts) are generally not fluent in other languages so it wouldn't be fair to judge your work based on a limited understanding of your language. Of course, Hollywood also has a long and rich history of filmmakers from abroad who've gone on to generate some of the industry's most groundbreaking work. As long as you include English subtitles that would convey your story clearly to us, we'll be happy to accept your short film.
I'm a working industry professional. How do I gain access to the winning material that has not been made public on the Showcase?
Please contact our staff with your full name, your company name, your position and past experience, and any additional information that may help us verify your identity and position quickly. We will get in touch with you to obtain any further information if needed.
Any other questions:
If there's any issue not covered in this FAQ, feel free to contact support and we'll do our best to serve you.