London Short Film Festival (LSFF)

Overview

The London Short Film Festival (LSFF) is the UK's leading festival dedicated exclusively to short films. The 24th edition takes place in January 2027 across multiple London venues. The festival screens approximately 300 short films from the UK and around the world over 10 days and is both BAFTA and BIFA-affiliated, enabling accepted UK filmmakers to apply for BAFTA and BIFA awards respectively.

LSFF programs short films across all genres and forms: fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, music videos, and artists' moving image. The competitive sections provide the most targeted short film recognition available to UK filmmakers outside of BAFTA itself. The festival awards cash prizes to UK and international short films in its annual competition.

The festival's January timing places it at the start of the UK film calendar, making it the first major short film event of the year. This positioning, combined with BAFTA qualification, makes LSFF a strategic first step in UK short film awards campaigns. Films completing post-production in late autumn can premiere at LSFF before the spring festival circuit begins.

Submit via FilmFreeway. Visit the official submissions page for full details.

Submission Fees and Deadlines (2027 Edition)

Submissions are open via FilmFreeway. The festival offers reduced fees for films under 5 minutes in length.

Key rules:

• Films must be no longer than 45 minutes in length
• Films must have been made after January 1, 2025 (for the 2027 edition)
• Open to short films of every genre: fiction, comedy, horror, sci-fi, documentary, animation, music videos, and artists' moving image
• LSFF does not pay screening fees for submitted and accepted films, whether in or out of competition
• Entry fees are non-refundable; only completed entries with paid submission fees will be processed

Key Sections

• British Short Film Competition - BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying competition for UK short films
• International Short Film Competition - films from outside the UK
• Documentary Shorts - nonfiction short film competition
• Animation Shorts - animated short film program
• Late Night Programme - provocative and genre short programming
• Industry Events - professional development panels, workshops, and networking for short filmmakers

What Filmmakers Should Know

The BAFTA-qualifying British short film competition is the most strategically valuable element for UK filmmakers. A BAFTA qualification from LSFF can contribute directly to BAFTA consideration for the Best British Short Film award. The BIFA affiliation provides an additional pathway to British Independent Film Awards recognition.

For international filmmakers, LSFF offers exposure to UK audiences and programmers in a festival context that takes short form seriously. The festival's programming of international shorts alongside British films provides context for UK work within global short film culture, and international competition winners receive cash prizes.

The festival does not pay screening fees for submitted and accepted films. This is standard for short film festivals but means filmmakers should not budget for screening fee revenue when planning their festival run. The January timing means films completing post-production in late autumn can premiere at the festival before the spring festival circuit begins, giving LSFF a first-look advantage for UK-based industry.

Films under 5 minutes qualify for a significantly reduced submission fee, making LSFF one of the more affordable BAFTA-qualifying festivals for very short works.

Major Awards

• Best British Short Film - BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying jury prize, with cash award
• Best International Short Film - jury prize, with cash award
• Best Documentary Short - jury prize
• Best Animation - jury prize
• Audience Award - voted by festival attendees

Festival History

LSFF was founded in 2004, growing out of the Halloween Film Society, which had been active since the early 1990s. The festival has grown into the UK's most important dedicated short film festival, screening approximately 300 films each edition across multiple London venues.

The BAFTA and BIFA qualifications were achieved through the festival's sustained commitment to quality programming over multiple years. The festival has maintained its independence and its focus on short form even as many UK festivals have expanded their feature film programming at the expense of shorts.

See Also

For short film production planning, use the Production Budget Calculator. For BAFTA and awards strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the return on investment of your festival submission spending, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.