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SHORT FILM BREAKS is the only film festival taking place within private companies, public and non-profit organizations, in a bid to offer smart break opportunities while promoting the independent movie industry around the world.

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About Short Film Breaks

Short Film Breaks is the only film festival taking place within public, non-profit and for-profit organizations.

Created by filmmakers and human resources people, Short Film Breaks had its mission statement, from the start, to create a bridge between hard to distribute films (especially independent short films) and hard to reach audiences (employees and beneficiaries from our partner companies and NGOs and people living in remote villages around the world).

During our first nine years we’ve managed to screen over 600 films to audiences totaling around 50000 people, from 7 countries.

We started in 2013, with screenings over a three months period for the 1000+ Ipsos employees in Bucharest and Brasov and our first edition also had special events and Q&A with guests from the Romanian filmmaking industry like Tudor Giurgiu, Adrian Sitaru or Tom Wilson, among others.

In 2016, for our 4th edition, we moved to the next level and added a competitive component to the festival. From the 1985 films submitted, we selected 7 for the Best Romanian Short Film category and 26 films for the Best International Short Film category. We've also organized our first public event, a White Night at J'ai Bistrot Bucharest, which continued in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

We organized the 1st edition of our amazing Kathmandu Short Film Breaks event in 2017 and along with our screenings from Ipsos, we started our partnerships with Zitec (Bucharest and Brasov), Estuar Foundation (Bucharest) and UBIS Club (Bucharest and Iasi). What's more, we added an online festival, i-Say Short Film Breaks, to our live screenings! The first edition was won by THE STORY OF 90 COINS, while the 2018 edition was won by  TIME 2 SPLIT.

DXC Technology, Casa Pariurilor and eFortuna joined us in 2018, we've increased our prizes FIVE TIMES, to $1500, while the number of received submissions for the 6th edition reached the stunning 3851!

For 2019 we're increasing the prizes once again, reaching a RECORD total prizes of $3000. That's ten times more than the prizes we started with just two years ago, in 2016!

In 2019, after a few years of testing, screening films in 19 communities from 7 countries (Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Romania, Senegal and Guatemala) in 2019 we launched our Patreon page with the aim to create recurrent cinema experiences in 50 communities from 17 countries.

We’ve also organized an event for the Romanian Mental Health community, in front of a full house, in partnership with The Estuar Foundation and Mental Health Europe, at ARCUB Bucharest.

And the cherry on top, for the first time in history, we organized a film screening at 5364 meters, in the Everest Base Camp, in October! Most probably, the highest films were ever screened!

#InnovatingShortFilmFestivals

About Short Film Breaks

Awards and Prizes

Short Film Breaks Awards and Prizes

Total prizes of $5000 for SFB#12 (2024)!

Your short and feature films will compete in the following categories:

SFB#11 (2023) SFB#12 (2024)

Golden Elephant for Best International Film - $1000

Short films, of any genre, under 30 minutes, from all around the world, except Romania.

Golden Elephant for Best Romanian Film offered by Fortuna - $700

Short films of any genre, under 30 minutes, produced in Romania or all around the world but having Romanian as the single (or main) dialogue language.

Golden Elephant for Audience Award - $700

Our audience will vote, during our main events, for the film they like the most, in all categories.

Golden Elephant for Best Feature Film - $350

Feature films, of any genre and length, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Documentary Film - $250

Documentary films, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Animated Film - $250

Animation films, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Experimental Film - $250

Experimental films, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Music Video - $250

Music videos, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best No Dialogue Film - $250

Short films of any genre, under 30 minutes, with no dialogue or spoken words, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Human Rights Film - $250

Short films of any genre, under 20 minutes, created all around the world, with a theme or story related to human rights, environment & ecology, activism, citizenship and community mobilization, local development, the rights of minorities, migration, global justice etc.

Golden Elephant for Best Mental Health Film - $250

Short films of any genre, under 20 minutes, created all around the world, with a theme or story related to mental health.

Golden Elephant for Best Pandemic Film - $250

Bold and edgy short films of any genre, under 30 minutes, that touch on the subject of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Golden Elephant for Best Micro Short Film - $250

Short films of any genre, having the length of under or exactly 3 minutes.

Golden Elephant for Best International Film - $1000

Short films, of any genre, under 30 minutes, from all around the world, except Romania.

Golden Elephant for Best Romanian Film offered by Fortuna - $700

Short films of any genre, under 30 minutes, produced in Romania or all around the world but having Romanian as the single (or main) dialogue language.

Golden Elephant for Audience Award - $700

Our audience will vote, during our main events, for the film they like the most, in all categories.

Golden Elephant for Best Feature Film - $350

Feature films, of any genre and length, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Documentary Film - $250

Documentary films, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Animated Film - $250

Animation films, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Experimental Film - $250

Experimental films, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Music Video - $250

Music videos, under 20 minutes, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best No Dialogue Film - $250

Short films of any genre, under 30 minutes, with no dialogue or spoken words, from all around the world.

Golden Elephant for Best Human Rights Film - $250

Short films of any genre, under 20 minutes, created all around the world, with a theme or story related to human rights, environment & ecology, activism, citizenship and community mobilization, local development, the rights of minorities, migration, global justice etc.

Golden Elephant for Best Mental Health Film - $250

Short films of any genre, under 20 minutes, created all around the world, with a theme or story related to mental health.

Golden Elephant for Best Queer Film - $250

Bold and edgy short films of any genre, under 30 minutes, that touch on any subjects related to the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Golden Elephant for Best Micro Short Film - $250

Short films of any genre, having the length of under or exactly 3 minutes.

Winners

Short Film Breaks Winners

Check all our winners on our IMDb event page.

Short Film Breaks Winners

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Best International Short Film

ÁRTÚN

written and directed by Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson

Audience Award

NADA S.A.

written and directed by Caye Casas and Albert Pintó

L'AUTOSTOPPEUR

written and directed by Julien Paolini

Best Romanian Short Film

HALF SHAVED

written and directed by Bogdan Muresanu

Best International Short Film

TWO DOLLARS

directed by Emmanuel Tenenbaum

Audience Award

I’LL QUIT TOMORROW!

directed by Jean-Pierre Michaël

Best Animated Short Film

DARREL

written and directed by Marc Briones and Alan Carabantes

Best Documentary Short Film

SLACKER

written and directed by Max Lowe

Best Experimental Short Film

BLACK SQUARE

directed by Timo Zhalnin

Best Romanian Short Film

THE PROJECTIONIST

directed by Norbert Fodor

i-Say Award

THE STORY OF 90 COINS

directed by Michael Wong

Best International Short Film

FUCKING DRAMA

directed by Michael Podogil

Best Romanian Short Film

DATE NIGHT

directed by Stela Pelin

Audience Award

ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

directed by J.J. Vanhanen

Best Feature Film

DAD IS PRETTY

directed by Soo-min Park, Seung-Hyeob Kim

Best Animated Short Film

WATER PATH FOR A FISH

directed by Mercedes Marro

Best Documentary Short Film

33 MICROLITER

directed by Manuel Zimmer

Best Experimental Short Film

SOULCASH

directed by Elina Maligina

Best Music Video

NADIA SCHILLING – KITE

directed by João Pombeiro

Best Human Rights Short Film

RAHA

directed by Yeganeh Balouchi

Best TV/Web Series

NIK SUMMER

directed by Oscar Aubry, Tom Goyon, Elie Martens, Heloise Solt

Best International Short Film

BREASTS

directed by Eva Contis

Best Romanian Short Film offered by Fortuna

HIPPOPOTAMUS & CROCODILE HUNT

directed by Germain Kanda

Audience Award

INMATURE

directed by Jorge Ponce Betti

Best Feature Film

HAWAII

directed by Jesús del Cerro

Best Animated Short Film

THE BEST CUSTOMER

directed by Serghei Chiviriga

Best Documentary Short Film

NOBODY DIES HERE

directed by Simon Panay

Best Experimental Short Film

MONSTERS ARE SUCH INTERESTING PEOPLE

directed by Blazej Kujawa

Best Music Video

SINGLE SHOT - WE WANNA MAKE MOVIES

directed by Ieva Veiverytė

Best Human Rights Short Film

COLLEGE OF GIRLS

directed by Hassan Alizadeh

Best Mental Health Short Film

DIFFERENCE

directed by Ali Asadollahi

Best 1 Minute Short Film

BRINGING SCHOOLS WHERE THERE ARE NONE!

directed by Gianmarco D'Agostino

Best International Short Film

COVER

directed by Vahid Alvandifar

Audience Award

COVER UP

directed by Marie-Amélie Steul

Best Romanian Short Film offered by Fortuna

THE TOWER OF PISA

directed by Bogdan Iliesiu

Best Feature Film

MISSION LIFELINE

directed by Markus Weinberg, Luise Baumgarten

Best Documentary Short Film

DEEP ROOTS

directed by Luc Godonou Dossou

Best Animation Short Film

FIGHTING PABLO

directed by Robbe Vervaeke

Best Experimental Short Film

TWIST AGAIN

directed by Andy Guérif

Best Music Video

SANSARA – MIAMI

directed by Ivan Sosnin

Best No Dialogue Short Film

EDITH AND HENRY

directed by Clémence Lebatteux

Best Human Rights Short Film

TERROR

directed by Yonatan Shehoah

Best Mental Health Short Film

CHATTER

directed by Natasha K Lewin

Best 1 Minute Short Film

HEAD OVER HEELS

directed by Leonid Grigurko

Best International Short Film

MOTHER MARIAM

directed by Mustafa Gürbüz

Audience Award

THE TREATMENT

directed by Álvaro Carmona

Best Romanian Short Film offered by Fortuna

THE FUNERAL

directed by Paul Berenstain

Best Feature Film

I DON'T WANT TO BE WITHOUT YOU

directed by Mauro Mauad

Best Documentary Short Film

PEOPLE OF THE WASTELAND

directed by Heba Khaled

Best Animation Short Film

RAIN

directed by Piotr Milczarek

Best Experimental Short Film

THE MATHS TEACHER

directed by Nadia Barbu

Best No Dialogue Short Film

BREAKLINES

directed by Matu Harvey, Trevor Cone

Best Human Rights Short Film

THE BEDS OF OTHERS

directed by Jonay García

Best Mental Health Short Film

WELCOME TO THE WORLD

directed by Albert M. Chan, Anthony Grasso

MyVoice Award

THE KISS

directed by Nia Syazwani

Best International Film

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

directed by Pablo Alen and Breixo Corral

Audience Award

TRUST FRANK

directed by Penny Moore

Best Romanian Film offered by Fortuna

NO SINGING AFTER EIGHT

directed by Alex Pintică

Best Documentary Film

GENERATION 328

directed by Veranika Nikanava

Best Animated Film

ROBERTO

directed by Carmen Córdoba González

Best Experimental Film

1941

directed by Asim Abdulaziz Abdullah Ahmed

Best Music Video

ARAMIS - YEUX CLAIRS

directed by Jay Hughes

Best No Dialogue Film

HERMIT

directed by Omid Mirzaei

Best Human Rights Film

HEART OF KENYA

directed by Patryk Majchrzak

Best Mental Health Film

THE SECRET LIFE OF TOM LIGHTFOOT

directed by Ray Jacobs

Best NSFW Film

SCARS

directed by Alex Anna

Best Micro Short Film

DADDY'S SHOES

directed by Naomi Amarger

Submit

Submit to Short Film Breaks

Looking forward to receiving your films and movies on our partner platform, FilmFreeway. Can't wait to watch your works of art and discover new gems! Good luck!

FilmFreeway

Locations

Short Film Breaks Locations

We started our Short Film Breaks screenings in Ipsos, back in 2013, for the 1000+ employees in Bucharest and Brasov and the SFB Elephant is gaining ground every year!

We are continuously looking to innovate the way the independent cinematography can be promoted, around the world. If you want to become our partner, send us an email to ask@shortfilmbreaks.com and let’s do amazing things together!

Here are our main screening locations:

SFB @ Intelligence
SFB @ DataDiggers
SFB @ MyVoice
SFB @ Ubis Club
SFB @ DXC Technology
SFB @ Fundatia Estuar
SFB @ Casa Pariurilor
SFB @ Fortuna
SFB @ Total
SFB @ J'ai Bistrot
SFB @ Romania
SFB @ Nepal
SFB @ Indonesia
SFB @ Tanzania
SFB @ Guatemala
SFB @ Kenya
SFB @ Senegal
SFB @ Shorts at Heights
SFB @ Ipsos
SFB @ Zitec
SFB @ i-Say
SFB @ Sound Lounge and Club
SFB @ ProTV

Partners

EduCab NexT International Film Festival Alter-Native Onion Films Everest Film Academy

Contact us

Contact Short Film Breaks

Any questions you might have, about the festival, the films, locations or screenings, drop us a line below, or as a Facebook message on our Facebook page, and we will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible. Our email address is ask@shortfilmbreaks.com

Thank you! Your message has been sent.

We will get back to you in the shortest time.

Short Film Breaks Festival

Did you miss one of our screenings, but would still like to watch the films? If you're an employee or beneficiary of one of our partners, you can!

Follow these steps and enjoy the Short Film Breaks amazing films!

1. Register here.
2. Send us an email at shortfilmbreaks@gmail.com, with your username and the name of our partner you are an employee or beneficiary at.
3. We will get back to you once your account is validated.
4. Watch the Short Film Breaks selection.

If you already have an account...

Enjoy the films