Who decides whether or not an entry will be accepted?

The Selection Committees for the various competitions are made up of members of the Festival direction, filmmakers, cinema operators and freelance curators with long years of experience in the short film genre. There is a balanced relation of female to male committee members. The members of the Selection Committees reach their decisions independently.

Which criteria has the Festival set for the acceptance of an entry?

The question of actual criteria is difficult to answer, since the newest developments in short film each year always place high demands on the established selection criteria. On the other hand, a contribution must always be measured against its claim of representing something new - regardless of genre, production quality and budget. The decisive factor is the film’s position with regard to social reality, cultural differences and aesthetic innovation. The Selection Committees are always on the lookout for something surprising, never for works that merely fulfil certain standards.

When is the decision reached on which entries are to be admitted?

The selection decisions are reached by end of March.

How are the selected participants informed of their acceptance?

The final selection is publicized on-line by April. We cannot respond to any inquiries regarding acceptance before that time. In April all of those who habe submitted works will be informed of the results of the competiton selection via e-mail.