Thanks for your interest!

We screen short films once a month, every third Thursday, at Gardena Cinema. Each screening ends with a Q&A and an audience vote, where one filmmaker wins our Audience Choice Award. Winners from January through November return in December to compete for Film of the Year.

2026 screening dates:

January 15

February 19

March 19

April 16

May 21

June 18

July 16

August 20

September 17

October 15

November 19

December 17

If you’d like your film considered, here’s how it works:

Submission Process

• Submissions open at the start of each month.

• When you submit, your film is considered for that month’s lineup.

• If that month fills up (we only have 2 hours in runtime per show), your film rolls over into our pool and may be considered for future months.

• Not all submitted films will screen.

• If your film is selected, we’ll contact you with details and deadlines.

Eligibility

• Short films up to 15 minutes.

• All genres and formats are welcome.

Submission Fee

$15

Submission fees are non-refundable.

Awards

• Every screening includes an audience vote.

• The top-voted filmmaker wins that month’s Audience Choice Award.

• Monthly winners from Jan–Nov return for our December finals to compete for Film of the Year.

There are no cash awards. Gardena Cinema provides an annual champion belt for the Film of the Year winner, awarded in December.

If Selected

• Selected films must provide a DCP (scope format) for theatrical exhibition. If you are unable to provide one, Gardena Cinema offers DCP conversion for a $50 fee.

• The festival is not responsible for technical or projection issues, as projection and DCP playback are handled by the venue at Gardena Cinema.

Rules are subject to change at any time, with or without notice. At the heart of this festival is community and a shared love of filmmaking. We aim to keep the screenings welcoming, and that spirit matters most to us. (: