Once you’ve uploaded your film and completed payment, your submission automatically enters our review queue. Every film is watched in full by our team. Nothing is approved by automation, and nothing is skipped.
The Review Process
Every submission goes through multiple stages of review to ensure it meets the same high standards as the rest of the platform.
Initial Verification
As soon as your upload is complete, the system checks that all required files are present:
- Main film file (MP4 or MOV)
- Poster image
- Thumbnail
- Short synopsis
- License agreement and payment confirmation
If anything is missing, you’ll receive an email asking you to log back in and complete those items. This prevents delays later in the process.
Technical Review
Next, our technical team watches your film to ensure playback quality, correct formatting, and clean audio. We check that subtitles (if included) sync properly, and that the film meets broadcast-appropriate standards.
If we notice issues such as corrupted files, blank audio channels, or missing end credits, we’ll contact you before moving forward.
Curation Review
Once the technical checks are passed, the film is reviewed by our curation team — a group of industry professionals, festival programmers, and experienced filmmakers. Every reviewer has a background in production, storytelling, or distribution.
They assess each film for:
- Overall quality — visual, audio, and storytelling standards.
- Originality — does the film bring something new or memorable?
- Audience fit — where it belongs within the platform (genre, language, tone).
- Completeness — whether all the promotional assets are suitable for public display.
We don’t judge films purely by budget or technical perfection — we look for voice, creativity, and intent. Some of the best shorts are made with minimal resources but tell incredible stories.
Compliance & Flags
During the review, we also ensure your content flags (e.g., language, violence, adult themes) are set correctly. This helps the platform deliver films safely to the right audiences, especially for the 24/7 broadcast channel.
Communication & Feedback
Once your film has been reviewed, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your status. There are three possible outcomes:
- Selected — your film is approved for the platform.
- Additional Information Requested — we may ask for missing details (e.g., cast list, festival screenings, updated artwork).
- Not Selected — if your film doesn’t meet current requirements, you’ll receive a polite notice and are welcome to resubmit an improved version later.
We aim to respond to every filmmaker within 2–3 weeks of submission. During high-volume periods, it can take slightly longer, but we never skip or ignore submissions.
When your film is selected, it means it’s officially approved for inclusion on The Short Film Show platform.
Selection is confirmation that your film meets our technical, creative, and platform standards,and it’s now part of our growing catalogue of curated short films.
We aim to collect everything we need at the submission stage, your film file, artwork, synopsis, credits, and any optional assets such as a trailer or subtitles. This helps keep the process smooth and consistent.
However, if anything important is missing or needs improvement (for example, if your poster image doesn’t meet our size guide or we spot an issue with your metadata), our team may reach out after selection to request those final details. This ensures your film looks its best when featured on the platform.
Review Team Ethos
Our review team includes a mix of filmmakers, producers, editors, and industry curators — people who understand what it takes to make a film. Each brings a slightly different perspective, ensuring your work is seen fairly and respectfully.
We don’t reduce films to checkboxes. We look for connection, stories that make people feel something, think differently, or simply show talent worth celebrating.
Every minute of every film is watched, often more than once.
After Approval
Once your film is live, it becomes part of The Short Film Show ecosystem, discoverable on the platform, eligible for promotion, and included in the Filmmaker Impact Fund. You can update certain metadata, track performance, and be notified when your film is featured or added to a curated block.
Your work remains yours. We’re simply here to help it find its audience.