The Very Short Film Festival is a free Australian competition for Australian residents. Open to anyone who’s ready to tell a story.

Get creative in a short 2–5 minute film relating to our 2023 signature theme ‘CHIP’ for your chance to win from a range of cash prizes and much more.

Your short film can be about anything – let your imagination run wild! You might be into satire or animation - or you can do something else entirely, it’s up to you. We don’t want to influence your storytelling, but just ask that there’s a reference to 'CHIP' somewhere in your film – how you choose to do that is totally your call.
Submission deadline Monday 17 April 2023 (midnight).

The mentors and judges are academic leader, screenwriter and creativity advocate Nell Greenwood; artist Rocco Fazzari, well-known for his cartoons and illustrations in the Fairfax press; writer and editor Leta Keens; Australian director, writer and editor Justin Kurzel; award winning actor Essie Davis, Leah Purcell, one of Australia’s most eminent cultural figures; and Independent producer Bain Stewart.

The shortlisted films will be screened on Guardian Australia website on the 20 May 2023. Join us on the red carpet to announce the winning films on Friday 26 May 2023 at Spring Bay Mill, Triabunna, Tasmania.

The festival is brought to you by Artology, famous for inspiring creativity, and Spring Bay Mill, Tassie's hottest events venue on the east coast of Tasmania. Thank you for the support of our media partner at Guardian Australia

National call for submissions key dates:

Entries NOW open from 2 November 2022
Q&A Session for Applicants: 10am, Saturday 8 April 2023
Deadline for submissions: Monday 17 April 2023 (midnight)
Shortlist announced Friday 12 May 2023
2023 Premiere Screening Event: 5.30pm, Friday 26 May 2023

Awards & Prizes

Cash prizes up to $5,000 are awarded in two categories. Junior Category - 21 years of age and under and Open Category - 22 years and over.

Shortlisted films receive a masterclass with leading industry professionals and are screened on Guardian Australia website.

- Three (3) prizes awarded in each category.
- Cash prizes $500 to $5K per category.
- Free travel and accommodation to attend the Premier Event at Spring Bay Mill.
- Masterclass
- Guardian Australia screening

Eligibility
• Australian Residents Only
• Films must be between 2–5mins in duration.
• Films must include the annual VSFF Competition signature ‘CHIP’ in some way.
• Films must be original and created after the announcement of the Competition Signature.
• Films cannot have previously received a professional screening.
• Films submitted in languages other than English must include English subtitles.
• Filmmakers are responsible for ensuring all copyright on their materials is cleared for all the uses described in these Terms and Conditions.
• Films can be created on any device and must be submitted 16:9 as MP4.
• Filmmakers provide the non-exclusive rights to VSFF to screen their films in front of a live audience at Spring Bay Mill, Tasmania, which will be live streamed through the Artology website.
• Filmmakers provide the non-exclusive rights to VSFF to screen their films on the Artology website, through social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Google and Guardian Australia website.
• Filmmakers provide the non-exclusive rights to VSFF to include clips of their films in a promotional trailer to promote the festival, with chosen clips to be approved by the filmmakers before release of the trailer.

Films can be created on any device and must be submitted 16:9 as MP4
By submitting to us, you give us the right to screen your film in front of a live audience at Spring Bay Mill and online on the VSFF website and its social media platforms.

Award-winning nominations will be notified via email and phone and will receive travel and accommodation to attend the screening event at Spring Bay Mill in Tasmania.
We may promote your film on social media using clips and in the press kits, using the bio, description and image you provide.

We retain the right to change the date and venue of the screening event under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes.

Films must be original works and not previously screened or broadcast online.
Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. Please contact the festival team ASAP if there are any issues with the submission process, and a solution will be found.

Acceptance Criteria
Very Short Film Festival is looking for masterful, creative and impactful original storytelling that incorporates the key 2023 signature theme ‘CHIP’.

The Very Short Film Festival Ambassadors comprise:
Marta Dusseldorp
Justin Kurzel

The Very Short Film Festival judges comprise:
Essie Davis
Rocco Fazzari
Nell Greenwood
Leta Keens
Leah Purcell
Bain Stewart

The judging panels decisions are final. Very Short Film Festival’s determination is final and is not subject to appeal in any way. Very Short Film Festival reserves the right to change or amend the structure of the workshop at its own discretion.

Other
By applying to Very Short Film Festival you warrant and represent that:
You have the unencumbered right to grant Artology the usage rights required as stated in these Terms and Conditions in the submitted film and in the associated materials for publicity. All rights not granted are retained by the applicant.

Artology Ltd accept no responsibility for late, lost, incomplete, incorrectly submitted, delayed, illegible, corrupted or misdirected entries, nor for claims due to error, omission, alteration, tampering, deletion, theft, destruction, transmission interruption, communications failure or otherwise.

Artology Ltd have no control over communications networks or services, the internet, or computer or telephone networks or lines and accepts no responsibility for any problems associated with them, whether due to traffic congestion, technical malfunction or otherwise.

Artology Ltd are not liable for any consequences of user error including (without limitation) costs incurred. Entries via email or other electronic transmission are deemed to be received at the time of receipt by Artology Ltd and not at the time of transmission by the entrant. All entries will be acknowledged by return email to the email address provided by the entrant.

Each winner will be notified by email to the nominated email address provided by the entrant. If required by law or other relevant authority, Artology Ltd may publish the name and state of residence of the selected entrant. Artology Ltd will not publish the full address of any entrant.

If unclaimed by the entrant, Artology Ltd reserve the right to award to the next best valid entry as considered by the VSFF team.

Artology Ltd and its associated agencies and companies will not be liable for any loss (including, without limitation, indirect, special or consequential loss or loss of profits), expense, damage, personal injury or death which is suffered or sustained (whether or not arising from any person’s negligence) in connection with VSFF or accepting or using, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law (in which case that liability is limited to the minimum allowable by law).

If due to any reason whatsoever Artology Ltd become aware after an entrant has been selected that the entrant has not complied with these terms, that entrant will have no entitlement to participate in VSFF, even if Artology Ltd have announced them as participating and that entrant will be required, at the direction of Artology Ltd, to return or forfeit participation.

Artology Ltd may, in its sole discretion, disqualify any or all entries from, and prohibit further participation by, any person who tampers with or benefits from any tampering with the entry process or with the operation of the program or acts in violation of these terms, acts in a disruptive manner or acts with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.

If for any reason any aspect of the VSFF is not capable of running as planned, including by reason of infection by computer virus, telephone network failure, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any cause beyond the control of Artology Ltd, Artology Ltd may in their sole discretion cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the program, or invalidate any affected entries, subject to the approval of the relevant authorities in the relevant state, if required.

Without limiting any other paragraph, Artology Ltd may at their discretion amend any aspect of this competition or of these terms, subject to applicable laws and subject to the approval of the relevant authorities in the relevant state, if required.

Artology Ltd are considered the Promoter of the VSFF Program. The contact details and websites for Artology Ltd and Spring Bay Mill Events P/L are as follows:
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Web: https://artology.org.au; https://springbaymill.com