Submission entries will only be accepted through FilmFreeway:

Best Irish Short Film –  €5,000 (Filmmaker must be Irish, or have worked with an Irish Production Company, 18 years and over on 31st January 2024).
Best International Short Film – €5,000 – (open to International Filmmakers  18 years and over on 31st January 2024)
Best Irish Language Short Film – €1,000 – (open to all age groups)
Best in Cork – €1,000 (only films either filmed, written or produced in Co. Cork)
The Tom Clancy Jnr Award for Best Irish Student of Film & Media Studies – €5,000 (open to IRISH film studies students only)
Best Young Filmmaker – €500 (open to ALL filmmakers and all nationalities – aged 19 years or younger on 31st January 2024)

The An-Sophie Fontaine Human Rights Award in Documentary Film €500 (sponsored & judged by the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London from entries entered into Best Documentary)
Category Awards – €500 for each of the following categories – Best Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Animation, and ArtHouse (open to ALL filmmakers of all nationalities over the age of 18 on 31st January 2024)
Additional Awards – €500 for each of the following  –  Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Sound Design,  Best Cinematography and Best Editing  (open to ALL filmmakers of all nationalities over the age of 18 on 31st January 2024)
Prizes will be awarded as follows:

All Irish Entries ONLY:  In Association with RTÉ Culture, we are delighted to showcase the best Irish Shorts of 2024, featuring them on The Short Film Channel, created in association with RTÉ Player.  This will be an ongoing honour offered to all of our Irish Shortlisted films in future.

Please note that each entry is for one category ONLY. The categories are Best in Cork, Best Irish Student of Film & Media Studies, Best Young Filmmaker (U19), Best Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Animation and Art House.

If you wish to enter two, i.e. Drama and Comedy etc., then two entries will have to be made and the entry fee will have to be paid twice. Films entered into Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Animation & Art House will automatically be eligible for all craft awards.

If a filmmaker is aged 18 or 19 on 31st January 2024 and wishes to enter both the Young Filmmaker Competition and any of the Over 18 Categories, then they may do so with the same film. The filmmaker will also need to pay the fee for each separate competition entered as stated above.  In this case there would be no need to submit additional copies of the film or the film’s promotional material.  This also applies to the Best in Cork and Best Student of Film & Media Studies.

Please note the running time for entries:

Categories: Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Animation, Irish Language, Cork & Art House – no longer than 18 mins including credits & titles.

Categories: Best Young Filmmaker (U19) and Best Irish Student of Film & Media Studies – no longer than 10 mins including credits & titles.

Please ensure that you complete the entry form as instructed.  PLEASE NOTE: The Judges view the films as they come in, so the version of the film you upload at the time of entry is the version they will judge.  It is in your best interest to submit the FINAL version at time of entry, as requested.  If your film is not finished then please do not submit your entry until it is ready.

Please note that only films completed on or after 1st January 2022 are eligible for entry into our festival competitions.

Please make your submissions as soon as possible to allow us to view your entries and make our selections for screenings, but take note:

Option
Dates Available
Cost
Entry Fee for All Categories with an 18 min time limit.
1st October 2023 – 30th November 2023
1st December 2023 – 31st December 2023
€20
€30
Entry fee for Student & Young Filmmaker
1st January 2024 – 31st January 2024
€50
Categories with a 10 min time limit.
1st October 2023 – 31st January 2024
€20

To enter, please complete the form on Filmfreeway remembering to upload your finished film and stills.  An email will be sent to you to confirm that all elements of your entry have been received.

Please ensure that you submit your stills and brief synopsis. The maximum running time should be as indicated above including all credits.  We will not accept entries which exceed these time limits in the specific categories.

Please ensure that you submit your stills and brief synopsis. The maximum running time should be as indicated above including all credits.  We will not accept entries which exceed these time limits in the specific categories.

We will contact you by the end of March 2024 to let you know if your film has been selected for competition AND screening.

Judging Policy section should read:

Clare Carey, Pauline Cotter, Brenda Dodd, Fabian Doyle, Liz Flatman, Gavin Jeffery, Lothar Luken, Monica Lynott, Carmel McAllister, Hugh McAllister, Hilary McCarthy and Helen Wells

What the press are saying

“Despite the picturesque town’s remoteness, the wonderful international spread of countries represented by short films at the Schull festival is perfect testament to the imaginative resourcefulness of its organisers. The small town of Schull has proved itself perfectly capable of being the active hub of an energetic and sprawling global medium.” Barry Monahan lectures in the history and aesthetics of Irish and other national cinemas, and film theory, at University College Cork.

Submission Deadlines