Submissions

2027 OFFICIAL REGULATIONS
FOR DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS, DISTRIBUTORS

1. Submissions to the Iris Film Festival are open from July 31, 2026 to May 31, 2027;

2. Short Films of any genre are eligible for submission, Narrative and Documentaries, but Music Videos and Commercials are not eligible for submission;

3. A maximum duration of 30 minutes is permitted, including opening titles and end credits;

4. Submitted Short Films can be produced anywhere in the world and there are no nationality restrictions for cast and crew members;

5. Premiere status is not required, so submitted Short Films can also have participated in other competitions, but must not be published on online platforms at the time of submission and until the date of the event, in case of selection;

6. Short Films completed more than 2 years before the Festival edition are not eligible;

7. “Work in progress” are not allowed, so only definitively completed Short Films can be submitted;

8. The Authors of the Short Films guarantee the legality of the submitted works and declare that all contents, including the soundtrack, are free from copyright, releasing “Iris Film Festival” from any claim of any nature regarding intellectual property;

9. It is possible to submit more than one Short Film by the same Director, but no more than one Short Film by the same Director can be selected;

10. Short Films with dialogues in Italian must have English subtitles, or must provide a list of dialogues, or SRT files in English, by the submission deadline, otherwise they will not be screened, if selected;

11. Short Films with dialogues in English must have Italian subtitles, or must provide a list of dialogues, or SRT files in Italian, by the submission deadline, otherwise they will not be screened, if selected (see point 21 our Translation Service, if you need);

12. Short Films with dialogues in languages other than Italian and English must have Italian and English subtitles, or must provide a list of dialogues or SRT files in Italian and English, by the submission deadline, otherwise they will not be screened, if selected (see point 21 our Italian Translation Service, if you need);

13. Subtitles must be applied not only to the dialogues, but also to any captions and relevant texts visible in the shots;

14. All submitted Short Films will be carefully examined by a Jury of professionals, who will express internal evaluations, which will lead to the Official Selection. The decisions of the Jury on the selected Short Films are final and the Festival cannot provide indications or motivations on the evaluations expressed by the Jury;

15. By June 25th, the Short Films to be included in the Official Selection will be decided and those who have submitted will be notified via an official notification email;

16. All requested materials (screening files, posters, etc.) must be sent to the Festival within 5 days of the official notification. Selected short films will no longer be available for collection. Furthermore, if the data and materials are not received for any reason, the non-compliant short films will be withdrawn;

17. By July 5th, the Short Films entered into the Official Selection will be publicly announced;

18. Unselected Short Films will not be screened and entry fees will not be refunded, as these fees are used to pay the costs of the jury's work;

19. The Short Films of the Official Selection will be screened during the annual event in July, where the Award Plaques will be given to the Winners of the categories in competition;

20. The Festival will not pay any fee for the screening of the selected Short Films and will not pay travel and accommodation expenses for the participants;

21. The entry fee for a short film is $9.60. The festival also offers an Italian translation and subtitling service at a discounted price ranging from $25 to $150, depending on the number of subtitles requested, for those who do not have Italian subtitles (in this case, English subtitles are mandatory, as our interpreters translate from English to Italian). The subtitles produced by the Festival will be delivered within 30 days of submission and will remain the property of the applicant, even if the short film is not selected;

22. The submission fees are not refundable, so it is important to read carefully all the points of this regulation, to be sure that the Short Films you intend to submit meet the admission requirements;

23. The submission of one or more Short Films implies, in the event of selection, the authorization for public screening, during the annual event and the dissemination through the channels of the Festival and its partners (website, social channels, press releases, etc.) of posters, trailers or extracts of a length not exceeding 20 seconds for each Short Film;

24. Submission to the Festival implies complete and unconditional acceptance of all the points of this regulation;

25. Any points not covered by this regulation are the responsibility of the organizer, while any disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Rome.