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Nominate short films for the German Short Film Award

If you are eligible to nominate, you can nominate a short film for the German Short Film Award once a year.

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Procedure details

The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) awards the German Short Film Prize annually. The German Short Film Prize is awarded in 5 categories:

  • Feature film up to 10 minutes running time
  • Feature film with a running time of more than 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes
  • Animated film up to 30 minutes running time
  • Experimental film up to 30 minutes running time
  • Documentary film up to 30 minutes running time

In addition, the BKM awards a prize for medium-length films with a running time of more than 30 minutes and up to 78 minutes.

Short films selected by the juries will receive a (funding) award:

  • nominated short films: EUR 15,000
  • Award-winning short films: EUR 30,000
  • films awarded the special prize: EUR 20,000

Those who receive the award must use the (funding) premiums for the production or project preparation/project development of a new film.

Please submit your proposal for the German Short Film Award to the Film Division K 35 at the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).

Proposals for an award may be submitted by

  • German film associations and institutions, for example (non-exhaustive list):
    • German film schools
    • (Short) film festivals of supra-regional importance
    • (Short) film distributors
    • AG Short Film
    • AG Animated Film
    • AG DOK
    • Short Film Agency Hamburg e.V.
    • interfilm Berlin
    • State sponsors
    • Association of German Screenwriters e.V.

Further requirements:

  • the proposed film must have been completed in the year of the award ceremony or the year before
  • the proposed film must have a significant German cultural influence
    • the original language of the film is German or
    • the film was directed by a person
      • with German citizenship or residence in Germany with citizenship of an EU member state or
      • a state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) or
      • Switzerland
    • and at least one producer
      • has German citizenship or residence in Germany and citizenship of an EU Member State or
      • a state party to the Agreement on the EEA or
      • Switzerland
    • the financial share of the producers domiciled or established in Germany must be at least as large as the largest foreign producer participation, if any, added together
  • the film must be presented in a German language version or as a German subtitled version suitable for theatrical screening
  • the film must not have participated in the selection process for the German Short Film Award in the past
  • a certificate from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) confirming the fulfillment of general film-related requirements in accordance with the provisions of the German Film Funding Act (FFG) has been submitted
  • FSK approval (Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry) is available
  • the film may be shown to the jury
  • the film may be screened as part of the German Short Film Award ceremony
  • excerpts of the film may be shown on television and for public relations purposes
  • the film may be presented in excerpts and/or via film stills on the relevant BKM and German Short Film Award websites and the associated social media sites
  • the film may be shown on a cinema tour in selected German cities

  • Required Documents

    You must submit the proposal as the entity authorized to propose:

    • Declaration of rights by the producer or the person holding the rights
    • proposed film via upload to the platform assigned by BKM
    • Certificate from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) confirming the fulfillment of general film-related requirements in accordance with the provisions of the German Film Funding Act (FFG)
    • FSK approval (Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry)

You must have the proposal for the German Short Film Award submitted online to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) via an authorized body.

Submit your proposal online:

  • Go to the website of the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de and fill out the application form electronically.
  • You will need an electronic ID document for the online application, for example your ELSTER organization certificate.
  • Upload the required documents as a file (in PDF format, maximum 10 megabytes per file) and submit the application.
  • Submissions will be checked for formal admissibility by the BKM.
  • The juries of the German Short Film Award will deliberate on the eligible film proposals. The BKM decides on the awards on the recommendation of the juries.
  • The nominees are informed of their nomination by telephone, e-mail and post and invited to the award ceremony.
  • During the award ceremony, the producer of the film will be presented with the award.
  • The producer of the film with a registered office or branch in Germany receives the (funding) prize.

There are no costs.

You must submit your proposals by May 15 of the year.

6 Monate

There are no indications or special features.

  • Administrative court action

Status: 14.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
Source: Federal Portal