FAQ

Q: WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM RUNTIME YOU ACCEPT FOR SHORT FILMS?

A: The maximum runtime we accept is 50 minutes.

Q: WHO ARE THE JUDGES?

A: Judging is done by in house staff and industry professionals. Names of judges are withheld for privacy. If you have questions about our current judge’s credentials, please contact our Organizer at jeff@global-shorts.net and we will provide you with more information.

Q: DO YOU ACCEPT ANIMATED, DOCUMENTARY, AND EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS?

A: Yes. We seekout judges with backgrounds in all these genres.

Q: DO YOU ACCEPT SPEC COMMERCIALS AND MUSIC VIDEOS?

A: Yes! We consider them to be narrative film. If it tells a story or expresses an idea, it qualifies for submission to Global Shorts. If any doubt, please don’t hesitate to contact our Organizer at jeff@global-shorts.net.

Q: MY FILM IS LESS THAN 12 MINUTES. CAN I SUBMIT TO BOTH GLOBAL SHORTS AND ONE-REELER?

A: Yes. Each competition has different judges so it possible for your film to place in one or both competitions.

Q: HOW ARE WINNERS NOTIFIED?

A: All winners are notified via electronic mail a few weeks after the current deadline. You can also opt to be notified sooner via standard mail for a $5 fee. Submitters who opt for Mail Notification will also be notified of next round advancement. *Mailing address required.

Q: HOW MANY ROUNDS OF JUDGING ARE THERE?

A: There are three rounds of judging. If a film does not advance to the next round of judging, the submitter is notified via electronic mail or standard mail, if selected.

Q: CAN I RECEIVE MY FILM’S SCORECARD?

A: Yes. Scorecards are available for a $20 fee and are mailed out at the end of each month.

Q: I DON’T HAVE THE FUNDS TO SUBMIT. CAN I REQUEST A WAIVER?

A: Unfortunately we do not provide waivers for the competition. You may, however, qualify for a discounted submission fee depending on your circumstances. Please contact our Organizer at jeff@global-shorts.net for more information. Generally, the best time to submit is within the first few months of a new competition, when Early Bird pricing is available.

Q: MY FILM IS NOT IN ENGLISH. DOES IT HAVE TO HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES?

A: Yes. All submissions not in the English language must have English subtitles.

Q: DO YOU ACCEPT DVDS OR OTHER HARDCOPIES OF MY FILM? 

A: No. All submissions must be submitted online. We require a link to where your film can be viewed or downloaded, as well as a password for the link if applicable. We typically receive links from YouTube, Vimeo, DropBox, IMDb, and FilmFreeway.

Q: I’M SUBMITTING TO FESTIVALS WHICH REQUIRE MY FILM NOT BE SCREENED ELSEWHERE. IF MY FILM PLACES IN YOUR COMPETITION, DO YOU MAKE MY FILM AVAILABLE FOR ONLINE OR PUBLIC VIEWING?

A: No! We are an online competition and do not make your film available for public viewing. Judging is done privately by in house staff and industry professionals. Your film’s Winner listing will include a still image from your film as well as an optional Director Q&A. We do not share your film with anyone.

Q: I’M HAVING ISSUES SUBMITTING ONLINE AND I KEEP GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

A: If you are having difficulties with our online submission form, please contact our Organizer at jeff@global-shorts.net.

Q: DID YOU RECEIVE MY SUBMISSION?

A: As long as you paid through PayPal and have a receipt, then we have received your submission. An official e-mail confirmation from Global-Shorts is sent out within 3 business days. If you do not receive this confirmation, please contact our Organizer at jeff@global-shorts.net.

Q: CAN I SUBMIT MY FILM THROUGH WITHOUTABOX? 

A: Currently the only online film portal we are affiliated with is FilmFreeway. This may change in the future.

Q: WHEN ARE THE DEADLINES?

A: Global Shorts is a bi-annual competition and submissions are accepted year-round. Winners are announced within a few weeks after the official deadlines, which are September 31st and March 31st of each year. (If you submit your film on October 1st, for instance, you will be submitting for the March 31st announcements.)

Q: IS YOUR COMPETITION RECOGNIZED BY IMDB?

A: Yes! We have been officially accepted by IMDb Awards. We are currently waiting for our event page to go live. Once it does, we will provide a link to it on our homepage.

Q: DO ALL WINNERS RECEIVE AN AWARD?

A: The winner of our Best Short Film category will receive our custom Global Shorts statuette at no cost to them. All winners will have the option to acquire this award and other keepsakes to commemorate their achievement. All winners will receive Winner laurels and a permanent listing on the Global Shorts website. Other Awards and Prizes are forthcoming. For updates, please consider joining our e-mail list or following us on social media.