Hollyshorts Film Festival
A premier Hollywood short film festival that is Oscar-qualifying and industry-connected
Overview
Hollyshorts Film Festival is one of the most prominent short film festivals in the world, held annually in Hollywood, California. The festival is Oscar-qualifying across multiple categories, making award-winning films eligible for Academy Award consideration.
The festival screens live-action, animated, documentary, and music video shorts, and includes industry panels, workshops, and networking events. Its Hollywood location means that agents, managers, and studio executives regularly attend screenings.
How It Works
Hollyshorts has become a critical launching pad for short filmmakers transitioning into feature work. The festival's alumni have gone on to direct major studio features, win Academy Awards, and build lasting careers in the industry.
Submission fees range from approximately $30 to $50 depending on the deadline. The Hollywood location provides unmatched access to the entertainment industry, though Los Angeles accommodation costs should be factored into attendance planning.
Who Uses It
The top choice for short filmmakers who want direct access to the Hollywood industry ecosystem. The Oscar-qualifying status and industry networking make Hollyshorts one of the most career-impactful short film festivals in existence.
Pricing & Plans
Hollyshorts submission fees range from approximately $30-50 depending on the deadline tier, with early-bird and regular submission periods offering different pricing. Festival passes and individual screening tickets are available at various price points, with VIP passes providing access to industry events, parties, and networking functions alongside the screening program. The Hollywood location means accommodation costs reflect Los Angeles pricing, with hotel rates in the Hollywood area typically ranging from $150-350 per night, though the broader LA metro offers options at various price points. The festival screens at iconic Hollywood venues including the TCL Chinese Theatre complex, providing a prestigious screening environment that matches the entertainment capital's legendary cinema history. The Oscar-qualifying status across multiple categories — including live-action, animated, and documentary shorts — means award winners gain Academy Award eligibility, creating a direct pathway from festival recognition to the industry's most prestigious awards. Industry networking events and parties are integrated throughout the festival programming, creating structured and organic opportunities for short filmmakers to connect with Hollywood professionals.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Hollyshorts' Hollywood location provides the most direct access to the entertainment industry's decision-makers of any short film festival in the world, as agents, managers, development executives, and studio professionals who shape careers are based within miles of the festival's venues and regularly attend screenings. The Oscar-qualifying status across multiple categories makes Hollyshorts one of the most strategically important short film festivals for filmmakers pursuing Academy Award recognition, as the direct eligibility pathway provides a concrete career benefit that elevates the festival above many larger events. The festival's track record of launching careers is remarkable — alumni have gone on to direct major studio features, win Academy Awards for their shorts, and build lasting careers in Hollywood — demonstrating that Hollyshorts' industry connections translate into real career outcomes. Screening at iconic Hollywood venues like the TCL Chinese Theatre provides a premiere experience that is both professionally credible and personally memorable, positioning your short film in the same legendary cinema environment where Hollywood's biggest blockbusters have premiered. The festival's industry panels, workshops, and networking events are specifically designed to connect short filmmakers with professionals who can help them transition into feature work, representation, and studio relationships. Hollyshorts' alumni community creates an ongoing network of short filmmakers who support each other's careers long after the festival, providing referrals, collaborations, and mutual advocacy within the Hollywood ecosystem.
What Could Be Better
The competitive Hollywood environment means Hollyshorts attracts a high volume of submissions from filmmakers specifically targeting the Oscar-qualifying pathway, making the acceptance rate competitive and the quality bar high for selection. Los Angeles accommodation and living costs during the festival can be significant, and the car-dependent nature of the city means transportation between venues, industry events, and accommodation adds to the overall expense. The Hollywood setting, while advantageous for industry access, also means the festival competes for attention with the constant flow of entertainment industry events, premieres, and screenings that characterize Los Angeles life year-round. The festival's focus on short films means that the audience, while dedicated, is smaller than feature-focused festivals, and the commercial revenue potential of short films remains limited regardless of festival prestige. Not all industry professionals who attend Hollyshorts screenings are actively seeking to champion or represent short filmmakers, and converting festival networking into concrete career opportunities requires persistent follow-up and professional positioning beyond the festival itself. The Oscar-qualifying benefit is limited to specific category winners, meaning the majority of filmmakers who screen at Hollyshorts do not receive Academy Award eligibility from the experience.
Our Recommendation
Hollyshorts is the essential festival for short filmmakers who want direct access to the Hollywood industry ecosystem and are strategically pursuing Academy Award eligibility for their short films. The festival is particularly valuable for filmmakers who are ready to transition from short films to feature work and want to use the Hollyshorts platform to connect with agents, managers, and development executives who can facilitate that transition. If your short film has Hollywood-friendly production values, genre appeal, or cast recognition, Hollyshorts provides the most receptive audience and industry context for commercially-minded short-form work. Short filmmakers who prioritize international festival prestige over Hollywood industry access should pair Hollyshorts with Clermont-Ferrand and Palm Springs ShortFest for a comprehensive festival strategy that covers both pathways. For filmmakers based in Los Angeles, Hollyshorts is essentially mandatory — the combination of home-city convenience, industry proximity, and Oscar-qualifying status makes it the highest-value festival opportunity available.
Pro Tips
Submit to Hollyshorts by the earliest deadline and include a strong filmmaker bio that emphasizes your career trajectory and next project, as the festival's industry attendees are specifically looking for short filmmakers who are ready to make the leap to features. If selected, attend every industry event, panel, and networking function that the festival offers, as the Hollywood connections made at Hollyshorts are the festival's greatest value and the structured networking events provide more efficient access to industry professionals than random encounters at screenings. Prepare a polished pitch for your next project — ideally a feature — to present during networking opportunities, as industry professionals at Hollyshorts are specifically looking for talented short filmmakers who have a clear vision for their next step. Follow up with every industry contact within one week of the festival, as the connections made in the concentrated festival environment quickly fade if not nurtured, and a prompt, professional follow-up demonstrates the career seriousness that industry professionals look for. If your film wins a Hollyshorts award and gains Oscar eligibility, immediately engage with the Academy's short film submission process, consult with an awards strategist if possible, and begin planning the qualifying theatrical run needed to compete in the Academy Award short film categories.