Berlinale Shorts Regulations

1. Eligibility

Eligible for the Berlinale Shorts competition are fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and hybrid films, which

• do not exceed the maximum running time of 30 minutes.
• are available as world or international premieres.
• have neither participated in any international film festival nor been presented in the context of an international exhibition or similar outside their country of origin.
• have not been released theatrically or presented publicly outside of their country of origin.
• have neither been presented publicly in Germany.
• have neither been broadcasted nor presented on television nor the internet/VOD.
• were completed within the 12 months prior to the start of the festival.
• are available in the formats DCP or QuickTime ProRes – 35mm or other formats only upon request.
• have never been submitted to the Berlinale.

World premieres are prioritised (see General Information on Premiere Status). German films must be world premieres to be eligible for Berlinale Shorts.

The film’s country of origin is determined by the registered office address of the production company. In case of international co-productions the main country of production will be considered as country of origin.

For all applications the General Guidelines for Film Submission and Participation apply. The Festival Director reserves the right to decide on any eventuality not foreseen in these guidelines.

2. Selection and Programming

The Festival Director and the head of Berlinale Shorts invite films to participate in Berlinale Shorts. The section head is advised by an international selection committee.

3. Language Version and Subtitles

All films invited to participate in Berlinale Shorts are screened in their original version with English subtitles. The film’s producer is responsible for meeting the costs of subtitling and providing the subtitled version on time.

The original version is the version (to be) shown in the country of origin.