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Vilnius Short Film Festival
Lithuania
festival
Vilnius Short Film Festival is the only Oscar-qualifying festival in Lithuania and one of the biggest international short film festivals in the Baltic countries. Every January, it presents the newest and most significant short films from all around the world, while also gathering together filmmakers, industry representatives, and film lovers.
Established in 2006, the Festival has become a unique platform in Lithuania, screening global short films made by both emerging talents and established filmmakers. Each year, the Vilnius Short Film Festival holds the International and National Competitions, features special non-competitive programs such as festival focuses, retrospectives, programs for kids, youth, and seniors, as well as theme or country-based short film selections.
In 2024, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed its list of film festivals whose winners can qualify for Oscar consideration. For the first time, a Lithuanian film festival has been included on this list – the Vilnius Short Film Festival. As a result, the winner of the festival’s Grand Prix will now be eligible to compete for an Oscar.
Complementing the Festival screenings, there are numerous events for both the public and film industry professionals. Every year, the Festival offers a tailored Industry Days program for filmmakers and other industry professionals, which includes networking opportunities, workshops, and seminars. The Festival invites its fans to various music and interactive events, as well as workshops for families and late-night screenings. In addition, with the new branding in 2024, the festival pays close attention to accessibility, focusing both on accessible content and the physical accessibility of festival venues.
Vilnius Short Film Festival has received prestigious recognition from the Vilnius City Municipality, being granted the esteemed status of Vilnius City Festival. This honour was bestowed upon the Festival in acknowledgement of its active representation of the city on an international stage through cinema.
The Festival is hosted in multiple venues across Vilnius Old Town and other Lithuanian cities such as Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai. The festival is organized by Lithuanian Short Film Agency LITHUANIAN SHORTS.
Event date
15.01.2025 ⟶ 21.01.2025
Vilnius Short Film Festival holds two competitions – International and National.
International Competition features approximately 30 of the most acclaimed short films of the past two years.
National Competition showcases up to 12 carefully chosen Lithuanian short films.
Vilnius Short Film Festival accepts all short films from every country (except for Russian Federation), of all production techniques and genres (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, or hybrid) from low to high budgets. Films must not exceed 30 min.
For the International Competition, the festival requires a Lithuanian premiere. Submissions can only be made via the www.shortfilmdepot.com platform.
Films in the competitions are judged by esteemed International Jury which gives out three prizes:
Best International Short Film, Best National Short Film and the main Festival award – Grand Prix, which includes Oscar qualification.
Each winner is awarded a monetary prize.
Admin Adress
Siltadarzio st 6
Vilnius
Lithuania
Entry fee: €7.00
- Oscar-Qualifying
Gabrielė Cegialytė
(Managing Director)
Gabrielė Cegialytė is a short film industry professional with a background in communication and marketing. Since 2016, she’s been building a strong career at the Lithuanian short film agency “Lithuanian Shorts”, a prominent NGO dedicated to showcasing Lithuanian short films, both domestically and internationally. She has been an integral member of the Vilnius Short Film Festival team for almost a decade, transitioning through different roles such as Programme Coordinator and Festival Producer, and ascending to the position of Managing Director in 2022. Gabriele’s role within the “Lithuanian Shorts” agency encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, from projects’ management to short film curation and strategic promotion and representation of the Lithuanian short film industry. Since 2017, she has been the manager of the “Baltic Pitching Forum”, a leading short film industry event in the Baltic region, and in 2018 she joined the BPF selection committee.