Festival of Future Storytellers (44)

Festival start: 14 November 2025      Festival end: 22 November 2025

Festival of Future Storytellers has been one of the most important festivals for young filmmakers worldwide since 1981. Each year, it offers young filmmakers from all over the world a platform for presenting their own short films and exchanging ideas about filmmaking. Each November, Munich becomes the focal point of up-and-coming international filmmaking — a place for lively exchange, networking, and discussion.

The short fiction, documentary, and animated films screened in international competition are eligible for valuable prizes, which are awarded by an independent festival jury. In addition, Festival of Future Storytellers presents a DACH Short Film Competition, in which short films from the DACH region will be programmed. An extensive supporting programme with panels and masterclasses complements the film programme.

International Short Film Competition

Films may be submitted only by festival coordinators at the respective institutions of higher education, not by the students themselves. Each institution may submit films with a combined maximum running time of 70 minutes. Eligible are training and graduation films completed in 2024 or 2025 with a maximum running time of 30 minutes. Entries submitted in previous years are ineligible.

Films submitted to the International Short Film Competition must be accompanied by the following documents:

- Applicant’s contact information: name, telephone number, e-mail address
- Full name of the film school or institution
- List of cast and crew
- 2–3 stills or production photos (JPEG or TIFF file, 300 dpi, min. 10×15 cm)
- Photo of the director (JPEG or TIFF file)
- Screening link


DACH Short Film Competition

Films may be submitted only by festival coordinators at the respective institutions of higher education, not by the students themselves. Each institution may submit films with a combined maximum running time of 120 minutes. Eligible are training and graduation films completed in 2024 or 2025 with a maximum running time of 30 minutes. Entries submitted in previous years are ineligible.

Films submitted to the DACH Short Film Competition must be accompanied by the following documents:

- Cast and crew list
- 2–3 stills or production photos (JPEG or TIFF file, 300 dpi, min. 10×15 cm)
- 1 photo of the director (JPEG or TIFF file, 300 dpi, min. 10×15cm)
- Screening link
- Director’s contact information
- Festival coordinator’s contact information
- Full name of the institution of higher education

By submitting a film, applicants accept the guidelines and terms and conditions of Festival of Future Storytellers.