deadline extended!

last chance to Submit for thE 2026 Competition

Short film Competition

The Tibet Film Festival Short Film Competition is a global platform dedicated to fostering, supporting, and showcasing the work of both emerging and established Tibetan filmmakers. Launched in 2010, the competition serves as a core pillar of the broader Tibet Film Festival, founded in 2008 to honour the legacy of filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen. This competition is all about your creativity! Whether as a newcomer or a professional, we welcome your contribution to Tibetan cinema.

General eligibility requirements

  • Who can participate:

    • A person of Tibetan heritage must have played a leading role in production of the film (director, writer, producer or camera work). If you have any questions about eligibility please email shortfilms@tibetfilmfestival.org.

    • You can only be involved in one film entered into the competition.

    • You cannot enter if you are a TFF organiser, or a member of the competition jury.

  • Theme: Films on any topic or theme are welcome.

  • Copyright: You cannot break any copyright laws (see below for details).

  • Length: The film should be no longer than 15 minutes.

  • Subtitles: The film must have English subtitles.

  • Production date: The film must have been made after January 2025.

  • Previous screenings: The film must not have been screened publicly before (not shown in a public cinema, broadcast on television, YouTube etc). 

  • Deadline: You must enter the film for the competition by 11:59 CET 7 August, 2026.

Copyright

No copyright may be infringed, meaning that no music or film material from a third person can be used if the rights to use it have not been granted (e.g. using clips from Hollywood films or music by Lady Gaga etc.). By submitting a competition entry or by participating in the competition, you are granting the organisers of the festival (Filming for Tibet) the right to screen your film at all Tibet Film Festival locations and other TFF related programming, whether in its entirety, or in part, for advertising purposes, as well as integrating the film into documentation of the festival and to make the film available to third parties.

Film Format

There are no format guidelines. Any form of image capture technique can be used. There are no guidelines on artistic form. In the case that the competition submissions show major qualitative differences, the festival organising team reserves the right to introduce categories.

Submitting your film

Questions?

Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions at shortfilms@tibetfilmfestival.org.