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General Entry Requirements Sofia Short Fest 2026 accepts Bulgarian short film productions and co-productions under 35 minutes in length with a completion date after January 1, 2022. In 2027, SSF will accept both Bulgarian and international submissions. |
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Competition Categories Films are accepted in the following competition categories: ◼ Professional Live-Action ◼ Professional Documentary ◼ Professional Animation ◼ Student Live-Action ◼ Student Documentary ◼ Student Animation |
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Accepted Topics and Content Extremist and political propaganda content, as well as films promoting hate speech or discrimination, are not accepted. |
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Accepted Languages and Subtitles Bulgarian films must have English subtitling, provided in a separate (.srt) file. Parts with non-Bulgarian speech must have burnt-in Bulgarian subtitling. |
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Formats, Review and Quality For the preview purposes films may be provided via Vimeo, YouTube or FilmFreeway. If selected, movies must be provided in high-resolution files, such as DCP, ProRes 422 HQ MOV, including additional MP4 h.264 file. Films must be of sufficient production quality (good sound, clear visuals, properly formatted subtitles). Poor production quality (e.g., bad sound, low resolution) may lead to disqualification. |
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Works-in-Progress and Rough Cuts Works-in-progress and rough cuts are allowed, but final versions are required if selected for the festival screening. |
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Submission Fees Submissions to Sofia Short Fest 2025 are free of charge. |
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Multiple Entries A separate submission is required for each film. |
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Premiere Rule Sofia Short Fest has no premiere status requirements. |
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Rights and Permissions The Entrant/s submitting the film must hold all legal rights for the submission, as well as all necessary clearances for public exhibition. The Filmmaker/s retain/s all submission and intellectual property rights. ◼ Filmmakers grant permission for the use of clips, posters, or trailers for festival promotion (e.g. on TV, radio, and the internet). ◼ Agreement to Screening: By submitting, filmmakers agree that their film may be shown during the festival with no screening fee paid. |
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Producer Consent By submitting, the Filmmaker/s give confirmation that the film has been entered with the knowledge and consent of the producer/s. Inability to comply with any of the rules under “Rights and Permissions” might lead to disqualification. |
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Additional Materials All film submissions must include: ◼ Film poster in high-resolution format. ◼ Short film description of 15-50 words. ◼ Film synopsis of 50-300 words for promotional purposes. ◼ Complete credits for the film. ◼ Short bio of the director. |
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Agreement to Terms and Conditions Participation implies acceptance of the festival's rules and regulations. This includes allowing the festival to use parts of the film for promotional purposes and agreeing to the festival's decisions regarding selection. |
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Personal Information Festivals collect personal information only to facilitate their administration and to manage the film submission. Permission granted for clips not exceeding three minutes to be used in promotional materials for television, radio, and online. |
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Publicity and Festival Use Filmmakers agree to allow their films to be used for promotional purposes, including the film's trailer, poster, and other promotional materials. |
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Inbound and Outbound Shipping The filmmaker/producer/agent is responsible for the shipping costs related to sending films to and from the festival, if applicable. |
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Film Selection Notification Filmmakers will be notified whether their film has been selected for the live screening between submission and the official notification date. |