New extended deadline Saturday 10th October 2020.
Southampton Film Week, now in its 13th year, is a festival at the heart of the developing film hub on the South Coast of England. The festival is focused on providing opportunities for filmmakers to showcase their work and to develop their knowledge and skill through a range of events from workshops to masterclasses.
Alongside its showcase screenings Southampton Film Week seeks to exhibit a wide selection of films, classic and new, to broaden opportunities for film fans and filmmakers to experience the best of UK and International cinema, focusing particularly on films and film-works which are generally less accessible to audiences. The Festival has developed a regular strand of Music and Film events, Artists’ Moving Image work and a Youth Film Festival.
SFW: Shorts our short film competition was launched in 2012 and attracts films from across the globe. The competition is open to all and offers freedom in theme and genre. The only limitations set are the length of 10 minutes (including titles and credits), that the film must have been made no earlier than January 2019 and that in the organisers’ opinion it is appropriate for a public audience.
Filmmakers can submit their short films to any of the following categories, Best Fiction, Best Documentary and Best Artist Film. All shortlisted films will be eligible for the Michael Fuller Award for Best Film selected by our panel of judges, and the Audience Award voted for at the screening and awards ceremony during the festival. Filmmakers from Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, West Sussex and Isle of Wight will also be in contention for the Regional Filmmaker Award.
Southampton Film Week is led by City Eye, a film charity which supports the development of filmmakers and film culture through its programme of education and training events, its own production work and its screening programme, which includes Southampton Film Week. Established in 1986, City Eye has recently relocated to new purpose-built filmmaking and screening facilities at the heart of Southampton’s Cultural Quarter. The fit-out and equipping of these spaces is underway and a full programme of events, activities and training, alongside access for emerging and established talent to our new facilities, will soon be announced.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic physical access to our centre and engagement with our activities has been restricted. We will continue to monitor the situation taking account of the latest Government, Public Health England and sector guidance in planning our forthcoming activities, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our participants, audiences and staff at all times.
The SFW: Shorts film competition is run and organised by City Eye. The competition screening and awards event will take place in Southampton Film Week (SFW) between 6 - 15 November 2020. At this stage (July 2020) we have not concluded whether it will be possible for filmmakers and audience to attend this live and in person or whether it will be accessible online. We will continue to make announcements through our website and social media channels and all submitting filmmakers will be contacted as decisions are made.
The final selection of all films presented at the competition screening is the responsibility of City Eye. www.city-eye.co.uk
Please read through the Rules & Terms below before submitting your film.
Best Artist Film – for experimental and artist films, can be narrative or non-narrative. Any style accepted including animation, live action, music.
Best Documentary – for non-fictional short films, any theme or style accepted including animation, live action, talking heads,
Best Fiction – for narrative based fictional short films, any theme, style or genre accepted including animation, drama, horror, comedy, etc
Michael Fuller Award for Best Film – eligible for all shortlisted films, awarded by a panel of Judges.
Regional Filmmaker Award – eligible for all shortlisted films made by Filmmakers from Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, West Sussex and Isle of Wight and awarded by a panel of Judges.
Audience Award - eligible for all shortlisted films, voted for by the audience during the festival.