Where to submit your film?

First of all, check Academy Awards Short Films Qualifying Festival List. But if your hopes are not so high, there is the TOP5 fests for shorts - according to Elliot Grove
• Sundance Film Festival (USA)
• Cannes Film Festival (France) – for shorts under 15 minutes only
• Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films (USA)
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France)
• Aspen Shortsfest (USA)
more fests - World’s Top Short Film Festivals
and the TOP 100 - Essential 100 Film Festivals



You can use the following submission platforms to send your film (or to find some less known events):
https://filmfreeway.com/
http://www.filmfestivallife.com/
http://www.shortfilmdepot.com/
http://www.reelport.com/
https://www.withoutabox.com
If your budget is rather no- than lo-, than you should try the No-Fee Film Festivals

Does it make a sense to send your film anyway? According to Stephen Follows:

• There are around 3,000 film festivals currently active (i.e. ran in the past two years)
• 75% of all film festivals were created in the last ten years
• 39% of film festivals only ever run once
• North America hosts 70% of the world’s film festivals
• 65% of festivals charge for submissions
• Average submission fee is $27 for short films and $40 for feature films
• 77% of festivals allow your film to be online publicly when submitting

Take a look at his research called The Truths Behind Film Festivals. Moreover you can watch the "Official Rejection, a documentary film about recent issues (Amazon Instant Video).

Please make shorter films!!! That's the most frequent request from programmers.

Why to attend film festivals at all? Well, there are 4 reasons: 

1. Do a deal

2. Win awards

3. Sit on a panel / do Q&As

4. Getting reviewed.