Festival start: 02 December 2025
Festival end: 10 December 2025
MACAU INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (“FESTIVAL”) is an annual worldwide audio-visual festival that aims to motivate overseas and Macau short film and music videos productions to compete in this FESTIVAL.
The Festival was previously known as "Sound & Image Challenge" and was first launched in 2010 focusing only on an audiovisual competition for local talent. This initiative was co-founded with professionals in film, music, sound and image fields, with two priorities: to promote the Creative Industries in the audiovisual sector and highlight the local talents in the production of sound and moving image design. Over the years, it expanded across 5 continents, grew and gained recognition, and finally became a short film festival in 2015.
The Festival will be held from 1 to 9 December 2025. A series of cultural programs will be scheduled in venues throughout Macau during the Festival week, such as public screenings of “SHORTS & VOLUME” official selection, Masterclasses of film production, development, International Film Festival curatorship and organising; audience voting for “Audience Award”; as well as gala awards ceremony.
Cash Prizes: 7,000$
• SHORTS Best Director
• SHORTS Best Cinematography
• SHORTS Best Editing
• SHORTS Best Visual Effects
• SHORTS Best Student Film
• VOLUME Best Original Music
• VOLUME Best Sound Design
• VOLUME Best Original Song
• SHORTS Best Film of the Festival
• SHORTS Best Fiction
• SHORTS Best Documentary
• SHORTS Best Animation
• SHORTS Best Local Entry
• SHORTS Macau Cultural Identity
• SHORTS Audience Award
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 MACAU INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (“FESTIVAL”) is an annual worldwide audio-visual festival which aims to motivate overseas and Macau short film and music videos productions to compete in this FESTIVAL.
1.2 The International Short Film Competition SHORTS & VOLUME awards the best short films in the categories of FICTION, DOCUMENTARY and ANIMATION.
2 IMPORTANT DATES
2.1 The submission opens from 16 MAR to 16 JUNE 2025. Unless the FESTIVAL announces an extension, no submission will be accepted after this date.
2.2 All films in the OFFICIAL SELECTION will be included in the public screening sessions from 1 to 9 DEC 2025. The venue will be announced at a later date.
3 SUBMISSIONS
3.1 SHORTS & VOLUME is open to all of any nationality and age.
3.2 The production of submitted films must be completed between 1 JAN 2024 and 16 JUNE 2025. Films selected in past editions of the FESTIVAL will not be selected.
3.3 No submission fees.
3.4 The FESTIVAL accepts only ONE film by the same director(s) in the categories of FICTION, DOCUMENTARY and ANIMATION.
3.5 To be nominated for the VOLUME awards, music and song in the film must be original.
3.6 The maximum duration of each film, including intro and end credits, is 30 minutes for FICTION and DOCUMENTARY, and 15 minutes for ANIMATION.
3.7 Film without showing the credits in the film will not be accepted.
3.8 For non-English spoken films, English embedded captions/subtitles is required.
3.9 The minimum quality should be:
• Video File: QuickTime mov or mp4
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or above
• Frame Rate: 24, 25 or 30fps
• Codecs: H.264 with AAC
3.10 All submissions must be sent to the FESTIVAL either:
a) By using online submission platforms listed on the FESTIVAL’s website and acquire the information filled in ENGLISH. Basic Information includes:
1. Category
2. Film title
3. Duration
4. Synopsis [max 40 words]
5. Credits
6. Director’s Biography [max 40 words]
7. Video file [please refer to 3.7]
3.11 Failure to comply or provide any of the required materials mentioned in 3.10 will result in disqualification.
3.12 All third-party audio or visual material, legally owned or copyrighted, must be cited clearly during the on-screen credits sequence of the submitted film. Submitters have to attach a proof of authorization from the third party upon request.
3.13 By submitting a film to the FESTIVAL, submitters are required to abide the acceptance of this Regulation.
4 PRE-SELECTION and OFFICIAL SELECTION
4.1 The FESTIVAL will notify ONLY the contact of the pre- selected films in August - September 2025 by sending email and/or messages on the online submission platforms.
4.2 Directors / Producers / Representatives are required to provide further information:
a) SUBMISSION FORM - properly filled in capital letters and signed, downloadable on the FESTIVAL website.
b) Video file without subtitles [at least 1080p]
c) English Subtitle files (even the pre-selected film is in English) in the format of srt or vtt.
d) [To be nominated for BEST LOCAL ENTRY] A valid Macau Resident ID Card (BIR) / Non-Resident Worker’s ID Card (Blue Card) / Authorization to Stay - Student Type.
4.3 Failing to submit the requested materials by the designated deadline will be automatically excluded from the OFFICIAL SELECTION.
4.4 By submitting the requested materials, Directors / Producers / Representatives agree that the pre-selected film to be selected in the FESTIVAL’s OFFICIAL SELECTION and agree the film to be included in the public screening sessions during the FESTIVAL.
4.5 The FESTIVAL will not pay any screening fees for public screening of the selected film.
5 JURY and AWARDS
5.1 The members of JURY PANELS, consisting of local and international directors, producers, and other professionals in the film industry, will individually select the potential best films for the OFFICIAL SELECTION in FICTION, DOCUMENTARY and ANIMATION.
5.2 The JURY Panel will indicate the best films for the PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS:
• SHORTS Best Director
• SHORTS Best Cinematography
• SHORTS Best Editing
• SHORTS Best Visual Effects
• SHORTS Best Student Film
• VOLUME Best Original Music
• VOLUME Best Sound Design
• VOLUME Best Original Song
5.3 The GRAND JURY PANEL is composed of international experts to judge individually and decide mutually among the short films in OFFICIAL SELECTION on the winner of each of the following film awards:
• SHORTS Best Film of the Festival
• SHORTS Best Fiction
• SHORTS Best Documentary
• SHORTS Best Animation
• SHORTS Best Local Entry
• SHORTS Macau Cultural Identity
5.4 During the public screenings of the FESTIVAL, the audience will VOTE at the venue for the winner of:
• SHORTS Audience Award
5.5 Cash prizes for the award winners listed above will be announced if the sponsorship is confirmed. Without any announcement, it indicates there will be no sponsorship of cash prizes.
5.6 If there is no winner for Best Local Entry, the sponsor will revert the prize value towards audio-visual training organised by CREATIVE MACAU - Center for Creative Industries for the local participant of the FESTIVAL.
5.7 There will be no appeal to the decision made by the FESTIVAL.
5.8 The GRAND JURY PANEL and the Organisers of the FESTIVAL can also recognize any film with a special award.
5.9 All winners will receive a TROPHY and a CERTIFICATE.
6 PROMOTION
6.1 Films in the OFFICIAL SELECTION will be presented to the mass media and be edited in the promotional videos (up to a maximum of 10% of the total duration of the work), exclusively for the promotion of the FESTIVAL.
6.2 After the FESTIVAL, the films in OFFICIAL SELECTION may be invited to be screened in the FESTIVAL’s extensions in Macau and overseas film festivals, with prior consent of the directors / producers / representatives.
7 GENERAL TERMS
7.1 Only original films are accepted by the FESTIVAL.
7.2 Submitted films not in the OFFICIAL SELECTION might be included, with prior consent of the directors / producers / representatives of the film, in the EXPANDED CINEMA session of the FESTIVAL.
7.3 Considering all legal issues, directors / producers / representatives of the submitted films assume full responsibility. The FESTIVAL will decline any sort of responsibility regarding authorship or other issues.
7.4 The FESTIVAL reserves the right to consider and decide on any substance not included in this Regulation.
7.5 If any cash prize winner requests an overseas transfer and/or a payment in a foreign currency (other than MOP), the winner is fully responsible for ANY taxes or fees applied during the transfer.
7.6 In case of doubt or discrepancy, the Portuguese version of this Regulation shall prevail.
ORGANIZERS
CREATIVE MACAU / Institute of European Studies of Macau
MISFF “SHORTS & VOLUME” awards the best shorts-films in the three categories of Fiction, Documentary, and Animation, which aims to motivate overseas and Macau short film productions to compete in this FESTIVAL.
