Shorts International

Overview

Shorts International is a London-based short film distribution company founded in 2003. The company is the world's leading distributor of short films to digital platforms, airlines, and broadcast networks globally. Shorts International holds a large catalog of short films and delivers them to platforms including iTunes (where it operates a dedicated short film category), Amazon Prime Video, and airlines including British Airways, Delta, and Emirates as part of their in-flight entertainment programming.

The company also operates the Oscar Shorts theatrical program in partnership with ShortsTV, releasing the Academy Award-nominated short films theatrically in the US and UK each year during awards season. This program provides nominated short films with rare commercial theatrical exposure, connecting Oscar-season audiences with the nominated shorts in the weeks before the Academy Awards ceremony.

Platform Distribution

Shorts International's most significant distribution relationship is with iTunes/Apple TV, where it operates as the primary short film content provider. The company's short film category on iTunes is one of the few commercial digital distribution channels specifically designed for short content, providing TVOD (transactional) access to a large catalog of short films from around the world.

For short filmmakers, Shorts International's iTunes relationship provides commercial TVOD distribution that is otherwise extremely difficult to access independently. Short films are a challenging category for most digital platforms, which are designed around feature-length content, making dedicated short film distributors like Shorts International and ShortsTV essential infrastructure for short filmmakers seeking commercial digital distribution.

Airline In-Flight Entertainment

Airline in-flight entertainment is one of the more consistent revenue streams for short film content. Airlines program short films to fill the gaps between features in their entertainment systems, providing captive audiences for short content that would be harder to reach through voluntary viewing on streaming platforms. Shorts International's airline relationships provide access to this distribution channel for qualifying short films.

In-flight licensing generates modest per-film fees but provides exposure to large audiences -- international long-haul flights carry millions of passengers annually, each with access to the entertainment system. For short filmmakers, airline licensing is a legitimate commercial revenue stream worth pursuing alongside festival and digital distribution.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For short filmmakers seeking commercial digital distribution, Shorts International is one of the primary specialist contacts for iTunes, airline, and streaming placement. The company acquires short films through festival relationships and direct submissions, with a focus on award-winning, critically recognised, and commercially viable short content.

The Oscar Shorts theatrical program is open only to Academy Award nominees. Short filmmakers with Oscar nominations should contact Shorts International about the theatrical program as part of their awards season distribution strategy.

For international short filmmakers, Shorts International's global reach -- covering iTunes markets in dozens of countries alongside airline networks and streaming platforms -- provides meaningful international commercial distribution for short content that most other distributors cannot deliver at this scale.

See Also

For short film festival strategy and how festival exposure leads to commercial distribution, see the Film Festivals Directory. For the ShortsTV channel as a broadcast destination for short content, see the ShortsTV entry in this directory.