Shorts México - Festival Internacional De Cortometrajes De México (20)

Festival start: 01 September 2025      Festival end: 30 September 2025

ENGLISH: SHORTS MÉXICO 20TH EDITION

CALL FOR ENTRIES – SUBMIT YOUR FILM

SHORTS MEXICO has become the largest International short film festival in Latin America. Do not miss the chance to be part of its 20th celebration.

FILM SUBMISSION REGULATIONS

SHORTS MEXICO - Mexico International Short Film Festival call for entries begins February 17th through May 31st, 2025 at 23:59 (CST) Mexico City. We are open to receive Short Films from all over the world inviting all production genres.

SHORTS MEXICO is recognized as the biggest International short film festival in Iberoamerica. An international exhibition platform specialized in short films. It promotes cinema creative expressions, diverse voices, distinctive and innovative visions, bold quality films from filmmakers from all over the world. At SHORTS MEXICO we encourage the growth and development of short films as well as the filmmakers.

The 20th Edition of SHORTS MEXICO will be held from September 1st through the 30th 2025 in Mexico City. The National Cinematheque of Mexico is the main venue of the festival, and the most prestigious cinema venue in the country. The festival amounts other important venues as CINEMEX Theaters, one of the largest cinema chains in the world, famous Vasconcelo´s Library, Centro Cultural Universitario de la UNAM, CDMX´s Cultural Centers, etc. The festival amounts over 70 venues in Mexico, and holds exhibitions in every one of the 32 States of the Mexican Republic, so the event truly occurs throughout the entire country of Mexico. Since the pandemic, SHORTS MÉXICO is presented in a hybrid format, holding virtual and televised exhibitions as well, having over 1 million spectators per edition.

Throughout the year the festival features previews, exhibitions, retrospectives and master classes. The Shorts Mexico Tour includes cities, towns and villages of Mexico, as well as exhibitions in various countries around the world. Shorts Mexico Academy, consists in master classes and conferences, an academic offer aimed at developing professionalization in various specialized areas of filmmaking. The festival will also present Shorts México Pitching Competition, Work In Progress Contest, and its Screenplay Short Film Competition, with the goal of encouraging and promoting the creation and production of quality films.

FESTIVAL SECTIONS

COMPETITIVE SECTIONS
INTERNATIONAL Competition (Live Action, Animation and Documentary)
IBEROAMERICAN Competition (Live Action, Animation and Documentary)
MEXICAN Competition (Live Action, Animation, Documentary, NeoMex)

Once your short film is registered, you are eligible to participate in all the festival sections, either competitive, showcase, or special programes.

SHORTS MEXICO’S SHOWCASE - FESTIVAL´S FAVORITES / OUT OF COMPETITION

International - Iberoamerican
- World Cinema
- Queer Shorts (LGBTTTQ+)
- Fantascorto (Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror)
- Ecoshorts (Environmental Conservation)
- Kids
- Indigenous Peoples
- Afro Shorts (African diaspora and culture)
- Fun Shorts (Comedy)
- Experimental
- International (Live Action, Animation, Documentary, Experimental)
- AI Shorts (Artificial Intelligence)

Mexican
- Mexican (Live Action, Documentary)
- Pueblos Indígenas y Originarios
- Infantil – Kids
- Mujeres Mexicanas en el Cine
- Queer Shorts (LGBTTTQ+)
- Afro Shorts (Cultura y Diáspora Africana)
- Fantascorto (Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror)
- Experimental
- Ecoshorts (conservación ambiental)
- Funshorts (Cine de Comedia)
- AI Shorts (Inteligencia Artificial)

Cash Prizes: 85,000€

AWARDS

SHORTS MÉXICO bestow awards in all categories.

Awards in Mexican Live Action and Pitching Competitions, consists in the production of the next short films for the winning directors. A new short film will be carried out, with an approximate value of $50,000.00 US dollars.

All the selected films will be given a certificate of participation in México International Short Film Festival - Shorts México.

Best International Live Action Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best International Animation Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best International Documentary Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best Ibero American Live Action Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best Ibero American Animation Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best Ibero American Documentary Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

World Award - Shorts Mexico
Best short film in all categories for International and Ibero-American sections.
Cash Prize 200.00 €
Statuette and Diploma.


MEXICAN COMPETITIONS
Best Live Action Mexican Short Film.

Best Live Action Mexican Short Film, the awards consists in the production of the next shorts film for the winning director. A new short film will be carried out, with an approximate value of $800,000.00 MXN. The prize includes: 3 days of filming package, Mini Mobile, power plan, camera and high speed lenses - optics set, awarded by CTT Exp & Rentals; image post-production - color correction and DCP by Cinecolor México, 100% discount on the cost of acquiring filming insurance by LCI Seguros. ESTUDIOS CHURUBUSCO grants the equivalent of $250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pesos 00/100 M.N.) in production, audio post-production and THX sound services. SHALALA Studios awards audio post-production - sound design, LA FACULTAD DE CINE $15,000.00 (Fifteen thousand pesos 00/100 MXN) in cash, MAXY'S Catering 3 days of catering for 30 people, RETROBYTE vfx services, PIXEL provide Trailer and Poster, IP9 STUDIOS rewards 2 days use of studios and Alonso Alaman original music.

The produced short film must be showcased in the next edition of SHORTS MEXICO.

SHORTS MEXICO awards the following ten categories in the Live Action Mexican Competition:

Best Director - Best Actress - Best Actor - Best Cinematography - Best Screenplay - Best Editing - Best Art Direction - Best Sound Design - Best Original Music - Best Costume Design

Best Mexican Animated Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best NeoMex Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Best Mexican Documentary Short Film
Trophy and Diploma.

Jury Mentions
The jury will be free to grant mentions deemed appropriate.

Certificates
All the selected films will be given a certificate of participation in México International Short Film Festival - Shorts México. The Mexican short films selected in any competition of the festival will be able to submit their short film to the Ariel prize of the AMACC (Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences).

JURY

Competitive sections of the festival will be awarded by a jury chosen by the festival´s committee that will be composed of renowned personalities and professionals of the film industry and juries from different artistic disciplines.
Jury's decisions are final.

SHORTS MÉXICO
México International Shorts Film Festival.

ELIGIBILITY

Short films produced between 2023 and 2025 may participate. The programming committee may make exceptions in the year of production.

For all sections, short films digitally recorded or filmed in 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, or short films recorded in mobile devices, and generated with AI (artifical Intelligence) will be accepted, the exhibition format is DCP, HD Video File, with on-screen spanish subtitles embedded.

Eligible short films must have a maximum duration of 30 minutes (The selection committee may make exceptions).

Short films that have been screened at any other international film festival can participate.

The publication of SHORTS MEXICO 2025 Official Selection will be held August 1st 2025, on social networks, fan pages of SHORTS MEXICO and the official website of the festival www.shortsmexico.com

All information required for selected participants, as for the catalog, press kits, and promotional material of selected short films, must be sent to: programacionshortsmexico@gmail.com

Participants can register an unlimited number of works. Short films may not be withdrawn from competition under any circumstances, once their participation is accepted.

It is mandatory to all the selected works to sign the authorization letter for exhibitions and approval of the festival’s rules, by the legal representative of the audiovisual production, the failure to do so implies immediate disqualification.
The selection committee's decision is final.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Short films made in any video format are accepted and can be produced anywhere in the world.

Iberoamerican Competition
Short films made in any video format are accepted. The production must be Iberoamerican, regardless of the nationality of the director and the place or country of filming.

Short films must have spanish subtitles. Short film productions from Spain, Portugal and any Latin American country are part of the Iberoamerican category.

Mexican competition
Short films made in any video format are accepted. The production must be Mexican, regardless of the nationality of the director and the place or country of filming. Short films must be subtitled in spanish.

SELECTED FILMS

Selected works will be required to sent in, a DCP, HD video file, with on-screen spanish subtitles embedded, a .srt file and the list of dialogues of the production in spanish or english.
By submitting a short film to the festival, the people owning the rights of the film accept the rules and regulations thoroughly expressed in this document, consequently, authorize them to exhibit the film during the dates and venues determined by SHORTS MEXICO.

People owning the rights of the film, must assure having the rights to exhibit the film.
People owning the rights of the film, release SHORTS MEXICO, and any of their representatives, affiliates, coordinators, operators, programmers, directors, clerks,
from any claim or legal issue that arises from the exhibition of the film at SHORTS MEXICO film festival´s venues and Tour.

If the owner of the short film does not deliver the material required by the SHORTS MEXICO´S committee, in the dates and deadlines provided, they will be disqualified.

All the selected films will be given a certificate of participation in México International Short Film Festival - Shorts México. The Mexican short films selected in any competition of the festival will be able to submit their short film to the Ariel prize of the AMACC (Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences).

All registered short films have the exact same process, regardless of the stage of registration that is chosen, late registrations are processed and watched exactly the same way as the early and intermediate ones, the only difference is the fee.

We suggest you register your short film as soon as possible to take advantage of the most affordable fees.

- EARLY REGISTRATION

Mexican short films - February 17th to February 28th, €22
Foreign short films - International, Iberoamerican - February 17th to February 28th, €27

- REGULAR - INTERMEDIATE REGISTRATION:

Mexican short films - March 1st to April 10th, €27
Foreign short films - International, Iberoamerican - March 1st to April 10th, €32

- LATE REGISTRATION:

Mexican short films - April 11th to May 31st, €32
Foreign short films - International, Iberoamerican - April 11th to May 31st, €37

REGISTRATION

Entries are open from February 17th through May 31st ,2025 at 23:59 (CST) Mexico City