SLIFF Logo

St. Louis International Film Festival

Nov. 5 - 15, 2020

SLIFF is a regional, internationally themed film event dedicated to exploring cross-cultural understanding through the art of the cinema. Its mission is to enhance cultural diversity by bringing American independent productions, horizon-expanding international films and high-quality studio films to audiences before their commercial release. The Festival is especially concerned with providing film-goers and cineastes the opportunity to see works that would otherwise never screen in St. Louis.

SLIFF is an Academy-sanctioned qualifying festival for both narrative and documentary short subjects. Winners of the juried award for Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, Best of Fest (Narrative Short), and Best Documentary Short can submit to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar® consideration.

The 29th annual SLIFF is now accepting submissions. Films may be submitted through Withoutabox or FilmFreeway using the links to the right.

Deadline

July 31, 2019

Submissions are now OPEN.

Saint Louis Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Film Festival

May 3, 2019

Cinema St. Louis (CSL) and the Saint Louis Science Center are excited to announce the first edition of a science fiction and fantasy short film contest – an opportunity for regional filmmakers to let their imaginations shine.

This juried competition will award cash prizes to the top three entries: $500 for Best of Fest, $200 each for Best Sci-Fi and Best Fantasy selections. The winning shorts will then be featured at the Science Center's First Friday program on Friday, May 3, 2019, and will screen in the Science Center’s OMNIMAX® Theater. In addition to the three cash-prize winners, additional works will be chosen to screen throughout the First Friday program .

Filmmakers must live within a specified geographical location, which includes the states Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

The event is now accepting submissions. Films may be submitted through FilmFreeway using the link below.

Deadline

March 31, 2019

Submissions are now closed.

Cinema at Citygarden

May 31- June 30, 2019

The fifth edition of Cinema at Citygarden – a co-presentation of Cinema St. Louis (CSL) and Gateway Foundation – invites St. Louis-area filmmakers to let their imaginations blossom by creating short works that incorporate Nature as a key element. This juried competition will award cash prizes – $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place – to the top three entries. The winning shorts will then be featured as part of a looped program that will screen on Citygarden’s video wall.

Only St. Louis area filmmakers are eligible to apply and must live within a 120-mile radius of St. Louis. All conceivable approaches – including experimental, narrative, animated, and documentary – are acceptable.

The event is now accepting submissions. Films may be submitted through FilmFreeway using the link below.

Deadline

April 5, 2019

Submissions are now closed.

Qfest Logo

QFest St. Louis

May 17 -May 21, 2020

QFest uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture. The event will excite, entertain, and enlighten audiences of all identities.

Films may be submitted through FilmFreeway using the links to the right.

Deadline

March 20, 2020

Submissions are now OPEN!

Video Loops at Central Library

September 30, 2017

Experimental Cinema at Central Library returns in 2017 with an all day interactive event on Saturday, September 30th. Central Library and Cinema St. Louis invite St. Louis-area filmmakers to create short, silent works of video art that bear repeating.

This juried competition will award cash prizes – $250 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place – to the top three entries. The winning shorts will then be featured as part of a looped program that will screen on Central Library’s “Discovery Walls”( 4 large-screen monitors throughout the building), and during a screening in Central’s Auditorium on Saturday, September 30th. In addition to the three cash-prize winners, up to seven other works will be chosen to be part of the program. These 10 works will also be featured on a DVD for checkout at Saint Louis Public Library.

Only St. Louis area filmmakers are eligible to apply and must live within a 120-mile radius of St. Louis.

The event is now accepting submissions. Films may be submitted through FilmFreeway using the link to the right.

DeadlineAugust 12, 2017

Submissions are now closed.

Showcase Logo

St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase

July 10-29, 2020

The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (SLFS) serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties. The programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Programs with feature-length films include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers.

The 20th annual SLFS is now accepting submissions. Films may be submitted through FilmFreeway using the links to the right. All Showcase submissions are automatically considered for SLIFF.

Deadline

May 31, 2020

Submissions are now OPEN.