The festival goes on all the time. We show your movies in multiple boxes around the world. The screenings are divided into a “Winter”, “Spring”, “Summer”, and “Fall” program where the shorts loop 24/7, all around the clock, on the built-in LCD screens. In addition to the boxes, an annual event in December will announce and honor the finalists and winners. Here’s the schedule:

- Winter program, starts in January
- Spring program, starts in April
- Summer program, starts in July
- Fall program, starts in October

how many locations are there?

box[ur]shorts Film Festival has six locations, three in Los Angeles, one in New York City, one in Basel (Switzerland), and one in Hiroshima (Japan).

what kind of movies are we looking for?

Short films, music videos, commercials… memorable movies that are ambitious and perhaps also somewhat cutting-edge. Bad scripts, bad acting, bad editing or bad music will lower your chances to get accepted. Films must not be technically perfect, however. We like to see movies that have a strong message.

submissions from abroad – foreign films?

We highly encourage submitting films from all over the world. box[ur]shorts™ Film Festival has made it one of the main goals to be an international venue for filmmakers from all over the world to showcase their films all over the world. With a concentration of movie juke boxes in Los Angeles we believe that it is an opportunity for filmmakers abroad to get broad exposure in Hollywood.

when are the submission deadlines and what are the fees?

Submission are listed above. The festival uses a rolling deadline that allows you to submit your works at any time. You may donate $10 if you would like to support the festival financially.

what movie formats are accepted to submit?

box[ur]shorts Film Festival can view the following formats: No region-code DVD (both PAL and NTSC), VHS and MiniDV (both PAL and NTSC), and Quicktime (.mov) burnt on DVD-/+R.

what movie formats are used for exhibition?

Your exhibition copy can be any format. We use anamorphic quicktime (.mov) format with 16:9 aspect ratio to play in the boxes.

how many films can I submit?

Submit as many movies as you’d like, as long as they meet the submission requirements.

how old can the films be?

There is no restriction to when the movies need to be released. Send us your grandma’s film :-)

can I submit my film as a rough cut with temp music?

No. box[ur]shorts Film Festival will not consider rough cuts or films with temp music. We will treat all submitted films as final versions.

do I need to own all music rights?

It’s up to you to secure all rights to exhibit your film at box[ur]shorts Film Festival. With a little effort it is easy for short films to obtain limited rights to screen at film festivals. Visit our myspace page for links that help with licensing music: www.myspace.com/boxurshorts

what is a “quick pitch”?

Think of the “quick pitch” as a statement that, upon reading, catches the interest to watch your film. Keep it at three sentence maximum – pitch your film!

how can I find out if my film was selected?

box[ur]shorts Film Festival will notify all filmmakers by email, both if the films are accepted or rejected. Not getting a rejection means that your film is still being considered.

can i choose not to stream my film on the website?

Yes. You have the choice of either choosing a specific date for the online launch or never show it on the website. However, the festival will show a short teaser/trailer on the website at all times.

what is the podcast function?

As of January 2007 we have added a podcast option for the films in competition. it is an important step to get short films out there and make them available for sharing. The viewer can make a donation for your film which will be split 50/50 with the festival. You may choose not to use this option by indicating your preference on the submission form.

what awards can I win?

• Golden box[ur]shorts™ Award (1st place)
• Silver box[ur]shorts™ Award (2nd place)
• Bronze box[ur]shorts™ Award (3rd place)
• box[ur]shorts™ Best Student Film Award
• box[ur]shorts™ Audience Choice Award
• View the awards/prizes >>>