Vilnius Short Film Festival is the only Oscar-qualifying festival in Lithuania and one of the biggest international short film festivals in the Baltic countries. Every January, it presents the newest and most significant short films from all around the world, while also gathering together filmmakers, industry representatives, and film lovers.
Established in 2006, the Festival has become a unique platform in Lithuania, screening global short films made by both emerging and established talents. Each year, the Vilnius Short Film Festival holds the International Competition, which features approximately 30-40 of the most acclaimed short films from the past two years. In addition to the International Competition, the Festival hosts a National Competition showcasing a carefully chosen selection of the newest Lithuanian short films. Moreover, the Festival features special non-competition programs such as retrospectives, programs for kids, youth, and seniors, as well as theme or country-based short film selections.
Complementing the Festival screenings, there are numerous events for both the public and film industry professionals. Every year, the Festival offers a tailored Industry Day program for filmmakers and other industry professionals, which includes networking opportunities, workshops, and seminars. Moreover, the Festival invites its fans to various music and interactive events, as well as workshops for families and late-night screenings.
The Festival is a member of the Short Film Conference association, the European Film Festival Network “Young4Film!”, the European Network for Film Discourse “The END” and the Nordic-Baltic Short Film Festivals Network.
In 2024, the Vilnius Short Film Festival received prestigious recognition from the Vilnius City Municipality, being granted the esteemed status of Vilnius City Festival. This honour was bestowed upon the Festival in acknowledgement of its active representation of the city on an international stage through cinema.
The 18th edition of the Vilnius Short Film Festival will take place from 15 to 21 January 2025 as a hybrid event – having both on-site screenings and short film programmes on the local VoD platform. The Festival is hosted in multiple venues across Vilnius Old Town and other Lithuanian cities such as Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai.
Since 2013, Vilnius SFF has been organized by Lithuanian Short Film Agency LITHUANIAN SHORTS.
