The West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival

The latest published prize information, for 2026, specifies a US$300 Best of Show award and US$100 awards in the main genre categories, alongside student awards and an audience-choice award. The festival recognizes artistic merit and excellence.

Latest published submission rules: 2026 edition. Eligible work: films and videos of no more than 15 minutes, completed after 1 January 2024. Categories cover narrative shorts, experimental work, 2D/3D animation, short documentaries, the Time theme, two-channel video installation, virtual reality, outdoor projection, college students and high-school students. Non-English narrative entries require English subtitles. The selection committee may reassign a work’s category for programming. Each entry requires its own form and non-refundable fee. General entry costs US$15; college students pay US$5. Entry is free for students enrolled at West Virginia colleges or universities and for high-school students worldwide. Student applicants provide current student identification with the submission or by email, clearly identifying the artist. Submissions and payment are accepted through FilmFreeway or the festival’s online entry form and payment link. The 2026 submission deadline is 6 February 2026; selection notification is by 15 February 2026. Selected applicants provide high-resolution screening files and requested publicity materials, or download access, before 27 February 2026. Applicants authorize current and future festival promotion and events to use accepted works. Installation options include a 2,122-square-foot white-cube space with a 10-foot ceiling, two synchronized 1080p projectors and up to two audio channels. VR films and interactive experiences should engage with the festival theme. Outdoor-projection site details are available from the organizers. The 2026 Time theme concerns experiences and meanings of time, light and darkness, including their technological manipulation.