Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival (5)

Festival start: 01 October 2026      Festival end: 06 October 2026

Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival 5th Edition (2025)

The Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival returns for its 5th edition, continuing our commitment to celebrating short films a cinematic language that often speaks the loudest in the fewest minutes.
Kaaffilm is an independent platform devoted to discovering, supporting, and showcasing filmmakers who push the boundaries of storytelling, vision, and form.

In 2025, the festival will be held entirely online, offering creators and audiences worldwide a seamless and secure digital experience. All official selections will be screened on Kaaffilm’s verified platform, ensuring both accessibility and authenticity for a truly borderless cinema.

Kaaffilm remains a vital hub for emerging voices and established creators, connecting filmmakers, critics, and audiences through curated screenings, industry talks, and collaborative panels. It stands as a global stage for independent cinema where innovation meets recognition.

Winners across competition categories will receive the Kaaffilm Trophy, while Jury Mentions will be awarded official certificates of distinction.
Beyond awards, Kaaffilm is a movement one that celebrates vision, authorship, and the power of cinema without compromise.

Join us for the 5th Edition of Kaaffilm where stories travel beyond borders, and creativity knows no limits.

Awards Categories
5th Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival – 2025

The Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival welcomes emerging, student, and independent filmmakers from across the globe.
Each category is designed to celebrate creative excellence, cultural diversity, and the power of storytelling in short form.

- Grand Prix Human Rights Award

Dedicated to filmmakers who use cinema as a voice for human rights, justice, and dignity.
Open to all genres including narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation this award honors works that provoke thought, inspire action, and give visibility to the unheard.
Maximum duration: 20 minutes.

- International Narrative Spotlight Award

A celebration of fictional storytelling in its most compelling and diverse forms.
Open to filmmakers from every country, this category highlights short films that capture universal emotion and narrative craftsmanship.
Maximum duration: 20 minutes.

- International Documentary Spotlight Award

For filmmakers who reveal truth through vision this category honors documentary shorts that bring new perspectives to real stories, issues, and lives around the world.
Maximum duration: 20 minutes.

- International Animation Spotlight Award

A showcase of animation as art and expression.
Open to all international filmmakers, this category embraces every animation style from traditional to experimental that pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling.
Maximum duration: 20 minutes.

- Children’s Rights Spotlight Award

Dedicated to films that amplify the voices of children and explore their rights, realities, and hopes.
This category is open exclusively to narrative short films addressing issues that impact young lives and their future.
Maximum duration: 20 minutes.

- Zan Spotlight Award Iranian Women Filmmakers

Honoring the creativity, resilience, and perspective of Iranian women filmmakers residing in Iran.
All genres are accepted narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation celebrating authentic voices and powerful stories from within the country.
Submissions from non-Iranian women directors should be entered through the International categories.
Maximum duration: 20 minutes.

Rules & Guidelines
5º Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival 2026 Edition

For full details, please visit:
???? www.kaaffilm.com/festival/submission

Submission Platforms

Submissions for the 5º Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival 2026 must be completed exclusively through the Festhome and FilmFreeway platforms.

Entry Requirements

• Maximum film length: 20 minutes (24 or 25 frames per second).
• Eligible completion years: 2024, 2025, or 2026.
• Subtitles: All films must include English subtitles, even if the original language is English.
• Premiere status: Not required.
• Accepted genres: All genres fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental are eligible.
• Submission limit: Each film may be submitted only once; resubmissions from previous editions will not be accepted.
• Rights & permissions: Participants must hold all necessary rights, including music, image, and third-party material clearances.
• Format: Only digital submissions are accepted. Pre-screening copies must be uploaded via Festhome or FilmFreeway.
• Ineligible works: Promotional, educational, industrial, advertising, or tourism films are not eligible.
• Technical standards: Low-resolution screeners are acceptable for selection; final screening copies must be in HD (1080p or higher) quality.

Submission Deadlines & Fees
Deadline Type Date Fee
• Opening Date January 1, 2026
• Earlybird Deadline January 10, 2026 No Fee
• Regular Deadline March 10, 2026 $10 USD
• Late Deadline July 31, 2026 $10 USD
• Notification Date August 31, 2026
Event Dates October 1–6, 2026
Please note: No waivers or refunds will be issued under any circumstances.

Selection Process
The festival’s Selection Committee, appointed by the organizers, will review all submissions.
The committee may delegate pre-selection duties to qualified professionals within the film community.

Entrants will be notified of the results by August 31, 2026.
The official screenings and events will take place October 1–6, 2026, online and worldwide.

Awards
Winners in each category will receive the Kaaffilm Trophy, and Jury Mentions will be honored with official certificates of recognition.

Festival Format
The 5º Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival will be held online, showcasing official selections to a global audience through Kaaffilm’s secure streaming platform.

Join us in celebrating short filmmaking where creativity knows no borders and cinema speaks every language.