About

IMDb-Qualifying Cal Film Festival is a Los Angeles–based international event dedicated to short films and scripts. We welcome projects across all genres—fiction or nonfiction, linear or nonlinear—including non-English language works, low- or no-budget productions, and films from countries traditionally underrepresented in the global film industry.

Committed to diversity and inclusion, Cal Film Festival is proud to have recognized outstanding talents such as Academy Award nominee Paul Raci, BAFTA Award nominees Bella Ramsey and Logan Marshall Green, Primetime Emmy award nominee Brendan Scannell, Daytime Emmy Award nominee Bret Green, Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee Vinny O’Brien, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Arthur Roberts, among others.

Competition

Each quarter, Cal Film Festival celebrates the best independent short films from around the world, selected through a highly competitive process and judged by a high standard of artistic and technical merit.

There are no additional fees for consideration in technical or performance awards. Just submit your project to the main genre category that best fits your work—we’ll handle the rest.

Awards

Our Los Angeles–based team, composed of individuals with diverse international backgrounds and a keen eye for global indie filmmaking, carefully evaluates all entries based on their creativity, execution, and overall quality.

All officially selected projects each quarter receive the Cal Film Festival official laurel and a custom certificate of achievement, reflecting their final status in the competition.

Top-rated submissions are nominated for awards in their respective categories. In addition to the main category prizes, we may also present Outstanding Achievement Awards (for runners-up) and Honorable Mentions.

Each quarter, special technical and performance awards may also be granted, such as Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and more.

All nominations and awards are eligible for listing on IMDb via our official event page.

Before submit, please see the Rules & Terms.

For any questions, email us to info@calfilmfestival.com.

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