shnit worldwide shortsfestival

shnit worldwide shortsfestival

Also known as: shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival
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shnit worldwide shortsfestival is a short film festival that started in Bern, Switzerland, in 2003 and now runs simultaneously in several cities on five continents. Its host cities, called shnit PLAYGROUNDS, have included Bern, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Moscow and San José; each screens the international programme and holds its own national competition with jury and audience awards. shnit SHORTS screenings bring nominated films to cinemas, embassies and cultural centres in further cities, and the global awards are presented at the shnit FINALE ceremony in Amsterdam.

The festival accepts shorts of all genres up to 40 minutes, shown in the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION and in themed blocks of the INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. Winners receive THE FLAMING FAUN, a statuette designed by Dutch artist Ineke Pijn and awarded since 2006; the audience awards are decided by viewers voting across all host cities. The 2026 edition runs from 20 August to 30 September 2026: PLAYGROUND screenings open the festival, followed by shnit EXPANDED events.

Country

Switzerland

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Short

Awards and prizes

Winners receive THE FLAMING FAUN statuette. Audience awards: best film in the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION; best film in the INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. shnit TRIBUTE awards: best film; best film up to 10 minutes; best film up to 20 minutes; best film up to 40 minutes. National competitions: a jury award and an audience award in each PLAYGROUND city. Honorable mentions: best North American, South American, European, African, Asian and Oceanian short film. A film receives no more than one shnit award per edition, but may also win in a national competition. In 2026 the awards total the equivalent of more than USD 20,000 in prize money and services.

Festival rules

Rules of the 2026 edition (WORLDWIDE and INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION): - All genres are accepted; maximum length 40 minutes including credits. - Films completed on or after 1 January 2024; finished productions only, no work-in-progress versions. - No premiere status is required. A film may be submitted once; a significantly changed version may be resubmitted. - The screening copy must be in English or have English subtitles; accepted formats are Apple ProRes 422 or H.264 in 1080p or 4K UHD. - Entries are made through submission platforms (Festhome, Shortfilmdepot, FilmFreeway); the entry fee is per project and non-refundable. Programmers may also invite films without a fee. - The festival does not pay screening fees for films selected for the WORLDWIDE and INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.

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