Cal Film Festival
SUBMIT VIA
MAX 60 MIN / 60 PAGES
NO. SP-2026
FilmFreeway
SHORTS · SCRIPTSMAX 60 MIN / 60 PAGES
NO. SP-2026
Season
Spring
2026
Where
Curated online festival
based in Los Angeles
What
22 categories · 4 seasons
shorts, scripts & screendance
Los Angeles, California ✦
International Short Films & Screenplays ✦
22 Categories, 4 Seasons a Year ✦
IMDb Award-Listing Qualifier ✦
Submit on FilmFreeway ✦
Spring 2026 — Late Deadline Apr 24 ✦
Los Angeles, California ✦
International Short Films & Screenplays ✦
22 Categories, 4 Seasons a Year ✦
IMDb Award-Listing Qualifier ✦
Submit on FilmFreeway ✦
Spring 2026 — Late Deadline Apr 24 ✦
About / 01
Cal Film Festival is a Los Angeles–based international event for short films and scripts, welcoming projects from every genre, every budget, every country.
Rather than traditional theatrical screenings, Cal runs as a curated online festival — a barometer of a project’s competitiveness on the international circuit. Rigorous selection, published reviews, and premiere status preserved.
Past winners include Academy Award nominees, BAFTA nominees, Emmy nominees, and sitting Academy members. Every nomination and award is eligible for IMDb listing through our official event page.
“We welcome fictional and non-fictional work, linear or non-linear, non-English productions, and low- or no-budget projects from underrepresented countries in the film industry.” — Cal Film Festival programming team
In
Competition
Shorts currently in competition across 22 Cal Film Festival categories. Every nomination and award is eligible for IMDb listing through the festival’s official event page.
Categories
22 competitive categories across fiction, non-fiction, experimental, scripts & emerging formats. Grand Jury Prize awarded each season in Narrative Shorts and Foreign Shorts.
01
Narrative Shorts
Grand Jury Prize
02
Foreign Shorts
Grand Jury Prize
03
Documentary Shorts
Non-fiction
04
Animation Shorts
Any technique
05
Experimental Shorts
Formal experimentation
06
Student Shorts
ID required
07
Newcomer Shorts
First-time filmmakers
08
Microfilms
Ultra-short form
09
Comedy Shorts
Genre
10
Horror Shorts
Genre
11
Thriller Shorts
Genre
12
Crime Shorts
Genre
13
Sci-Fi Shorts
Genre
14
Fantasy Shorts
Genre
15
Western Shorts
Genre
16
Children Shorts
Audience
17
Women Shorts
Audience
18
LGBTQ Shorts
Audience
19
Screendance Shorts
Dance on camera
20
Music Videos
Short-form music
21
Web Series / TV Pilots
Episodic
22
Short Scripts
Screenplay · max 60 pp
Submit
Your Work
Three entry formats. All submissions are accepted exclusively via FilmFreeway. Early-bird, regular and late windows posted each season.
Short Film
Fiction or non-fiction · max 60 min
FILM
- English dialogue or English subtitles
- Any budget, any country, any language
- Premiere status preserved on selection
- Published review for top jury picks
- Official laurels & IMDb award listing on award
Spring 2026
Season Deadline
Submissions close Apr 24, 2026
APR 24
- Spring 2026 is the current open season
- Late-window entries welcome through Apr 24
- Selection announced within weeks of close
- Winners announced alongside published reviews
- Four seasons run each calendar year
Short Script
Screenplay · max 60 pages
WRITE
- Presented in English
- Evaluated on quality & creativity
- Outstanding Achievement & Honorable Mentions
- Certificate of Achievement on award
- IMDb-listing eligible through event page
Recognized By · Partnered With
