Tier 1
Berlin, Germany
Last verified 3 July 2026
Berlinale Shorts is the short film section of the Berlin International Film Festival.
EFA Short · Best European Short Film
Film must win the EFA-candidate prize at this festival to be nominated for the EFA Short Film Award. Must be a European production (majority EU/EEA financing).
Submitting to Berlinale Shorts costs from EUR 75 as a rough guide. Entry fees usually rise closer to the deadline and vary by category.
International premiere required. Protect your premiere status before you submit, as it is a one-time resource.
Berlinale Shorts takes place in Berlin, Germany.
Berlinale Shorts is a legitimate, established film festival: it is listed in Circkit's curated, human-vetted festival database, which deliberately excludes known scam festivals and certificate mills; it ranks among the upper tiers of the festival circuit. As with any festival, confirm the current deadline and fee on the official site before you pay. You can also run Berlinale Shorts through Circkit's free Scam Radar for an independent safety check.
Want an independent check? Run Berlinale Shorts through the free Scam Radar.
Read the guide
How to submit to the Berlinale
Eligibility, premiere rules, and how programmers actually decide, for filmmakers targeting Berlinale Shorts.
Circkit scores this festival against your film, protects your premiere, and tracks the deadline for you. Free to start.