IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival (24)

Festival start: 26 June 2027      Festival end: 03 July 2027

Founded in 2003, IN THE PALACE International Film Festival is dedicated to short films and audiovisual arts. Originating as a competitive forum for student films, it is now a recognized platform for expression of both young artists and experienced professionals. Among the oldest in the Balkans, it is the only professional short film festival in Bulgaria.

IN THE PALACE ISFF is a Goya Awards qualifying festival, Student Academy Awards® qualifying festival, and an Academy Awards®/OSCAR® qualifying festival for shorts in the categories of Best Animation, Best Fiction, Best Documentary, and Best National Film. IN THE PALACE ISFF is a member of the international network of festivals and institutions serving the short film sector – the Short Film Conference.

IN THE PALACE ISFF annually launches the last weekend of June and for a week presents:

• International and national, professional and student competitive programs of fiction, documentary, animation and experimental films
• ON FOCUS film programs & screenings
• Q & A sessions
• FILMER FORGE industry program: panels, industry meetings, pitching training and sessions, an interdisciplinary conference and a range of opportunities for formal and informal networking
• THE SHORT FILM: GENRE SUI GENERIS – annual science conference on the short film genre since 2018
• Video library
• Film events and initiatives for general audience
• Parties

The festival offers a range of events, activities, and programs for both - local and international film industry and audience. IN THE PALACE ISFF is a cultural meeting point of film industry, artists, students, educational institutions, and the general public - by providing access to industry, trends and developments, and learning in the arts and culture through exhibition, training and interdisciplinary exchange.

AWARDS

Best Fiction Film
Best Animation Film
Best Documentary Film
Best National Film (fiction, animation & documentary)
Best Experimental Film
Best Student Fiction Film
Best Student Animation Film
Best Student Documentary Film
Best Student Experimental Film
Best Mid-length Film
Best Full-length Film
Best Music Video
Special Mentions

Awarded films in categories of Best Fiction Film, Best Animation Film, Best Documentary Film and Best National Film are qualified for Academy Awards®.

All awarded directors receive IN THE PALACE ISFF trophies. Authors whose films have been awarded or nominated shall not be charged a submission fee for next festival editions.

23rd IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival is taking place from June 27th to July 4th, 2026, in the Palace of Culture, town of Pernik, Bulgaria.

IN THE PALACE ISFF is a Goya Awards qualifying festival, Student Academy Awards® qualifying festival, and an Academy Awards®/OSCAR® qualifying festival for shorts in the categories of Best Animation, Best Fiction, Best Documentary, and Best National Film.

Call for submissions for the 24th edition of IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2027 is now open!

IN THE PALACE ISFF Festival Rules and Regulations

1. IN THE PALACE ISFF selects only films having their Bulgarian premiere at the Festival. Films publicly shown in Bulgaria or released online on free-access websites or platforms are not eligible for its competition programs. The Festival reserves the right to reject a film at any stage in the case of non-compliance with this rule.

2. The Festival accepts individual and institutional submissions (i.e. from production companies, distribution companies, film academies, national film centers, television networks, creative associations, etc.).

3. Eligible films for the 23rd IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2026 must be completed after 1st January 2024. Eligible films for the 24th IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2027 must be completed after 1st January 2025.

4. Entry fees and deadlines */**:

DEADLINE: 01 October 2026

FEES:

SHORT FILM COMPETITIONS – 30.00 USD

MID-LENGHT FILMS COMPETITION – 40.00 USD

FEATURE FILMS COMPETITION – 40.00 USD

MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION – 30.00 USD

* Submission fees are waived for directors whose work was featured in the previous two festivals.

** Submission fees are waived for filmmakers previously awarded or nominated by the Festival.

5. IN THE PALACE ISFF accepts film entries via:


FestHome: https://filmmakers.festhome.com/festival/in-the-palace



6. The Festival Competition Program includes:


I. SHORT FILM COMPETITION

National and international professional and student short films up to 40 min in length.

Eligible films for the 23rd IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2026 must be produced after 1st January 2024. Eligible films for 24th IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2027 must be completed after 1st January 2025.

Fiction, animation, documentary and experimental short films accepted.

Bulgarian premiere required. Films publicly shown in Bulgaria or released online on free-access websites or platforms are not eligible for its competition programs. The Festival reserves the right to reject a film at any stage in the case of non-compliance with this rule.


1. MAIN COMPETITION

OSCAR® QUALIFYING competition for national and international professional fiction, animation and documentary short films.

1.1. BEST FICTION FILM CATEGORY

1.2. BEST ANIMATION FILM CATEGORY

1.3. BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY

1.4. BEST NATIONAL FILM CATEGORY

Academy’s qualifying and eligibility rules: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility

2. EXPERIMENTAL COMPETITION

National and international professional experimental short films.

2.1. BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM CATEGORY (experimental films, hybrid forms and formats, digital art works, video art)

3. STUDENT COMPETITION (Student Academy Awards® qualifying)

National and international student films. All genres accepted - fiction, animation, documentary and experimental (experimental films, hybrid forms and formats, digital art works, video art).

Eligible are only films that have been completed during the study years of their directors.

3.1. BEST STUDENT FICTION FILM CATEGORY

3.2. BEST STUDENT ANIMATION FILM CATEGORY

3.3. BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY

3.4. BEST STUDENT EXPERIMENTAL FILM CATEGORY



II. NOT SHORT AT ALL FILM COMPETITION

National and international films over 40 min in length.

Eligible films for the 23rd IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2026 must be produced after 1st January 2024. Eligible films for the 24th IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2027 must be completed after 1st January 2025.

All genres accepted.

Bulgarian premiere required. Films publicly shown in Bulgaria or released online on free-access websites or platforms are not eligible for its competition programs. The Festival reserves the right to reject a film at any stage in the case of non-compliance with this rule.

1. MID-LENGTH FILM CATEGORY (over 40 min and up to 60 min in length)

2. FULL-LENGTH FILM CATEGORY (over 60 min in length)


III. MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION

Eligible for the 23rd IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2026 must be national and international music videos, produced after 1st January 2023. Eligible for the 24th IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2027 must be national and international music videos, produced after 1st January 2024.

1. BEST MUSIC VIDEO CATEGORY

7. The Festival appoints a Selection Committee and a professional International Jury to assess the films to be screened at the Festival.

8. List of selected films will be published on the Festival`s official web site.

9. The Festival shall not give feedback about the Selection Committee`s decisions.

10. Representatives of selected films will be notified by email.

11. All technical specifications for the screening of selected films will be sent to the email address provided in the application. Please make sure that the address you provide is correct. If you have not received any communication after the notification date, please contact us asap on films@inthepalace.com to check the status of your film. Submitters of selected films will be sent a catalogue form to fill in and should be prepared to provide: a screening copy of the film in popular digital format, English subtitles burned in the file (including for the ones with English dialogue), a dialogue list and a .TXT/.SRT with time code English subtitle file, a poster, a trailer, 3 stills in 300 ppi print size quality min. 1300px – width, a photo of the Director in 300 ppi print size quality min. 1300px – width, film synopsis and logline.

12. Selected authors and film teams will be invited to obtain accreditation by a given deadline via guests@inthepalace.com. The Festival has the right to decline accreditation.

13. Once a film is selected and screening copy is provided, it cannot be withdrawn from the competitive programs of the Festival.

14. The deadline for receiving screening copies of selected films for the 23rd edition of IN THE PALACE ISFF is April 30th, 2026, and for the 24th edition - April 30th, 2027.

15. The Festival reserves the right to screen the preview copies of the films provided for selection, if the screening copy is late and/or is different from the one selected, and/or in case the technical characteristics of the screening copy are different from the ones accepted by the Festival.

16. The Festival does not pay any screening fees.

17. The Festival covers the accommodation of one film representative per film of those selected for the competition program. The accommodation provided by the Festival is linked to competition category and screening program and will be arranged based on preliminary accreditation and on a first come, first served basis.

18. The Festival reserves the right to include films that have not accumulated enough selection points for the competition programs, in thematic non-competitive festival programs.

19. By submitting a film to IN THE PALACE ISFF, the submitter declares that they carry the right to manage the authors’ and related rights for the film and all property relationships with the rights’ owners have been cleared and paid for. The submitter agrees for the film to be included in the festival program and other screenings related to the Festival. The submitter agrees for screenshots, trailers and parts of the film to be shown (online and in other types of media) to the purpose of promoting the film’s participation in the Festival.

20. Further to the Festival’s mission to preserve and protect short filmmaking as part of contemporary cultural heritage, all submitted films will be automatically included in IN THE PALACE ISFF Video Library for a period of 10 years, and will be accessible for non-commercial and professional viewing. In the absence of an explicit written request on behalf of the rights’ owners at least 2 months before the expiry of the above 10-year period, the permanence of the movie in the Festival Video Library will be automatically renewed for another period of the same duration (10 years).

21. The Festival Director has the right to personally appoint any exceptions and resolve any cases not covered by the present rules and regulations.

22. The submission for participation in the Festival constitutes acceptance of all the present Rules and Regulations.

The Festival reserves the right to cancel an application for participation and undertake action in case of breach of the present Rules and Regulations and/or indecent behavior, acts of aggression and arrogance, intolerance towards difference, etc. that undermine the Festival`s name or impede its normal proceedings.

Any legal disputes shall be resolved by the courts of the Republic of Bulgaria.