New stories. New tools. Human imagination.
A meeting place for short films, student voices and the filmmakers shaping what comes next.
RTV International Film Festival welcomes entries for its inaugural 2026 online edition for short films from around the world: fiction, documentary, animation, experimental work and student filmmaking. Traditional, AI-assisted and AI-generated productions are welcome. We care about the story, the craft and the voice behind the film; using AI is not a condition of entry.
The planned programme combines independent review, award announcements and an editorial showcase of authorized posters, director biographies, production notes and film information. Any public film screening will be arranged separately with the rights holder.
最佳短片
For a complete short-form work with a distinctive voice, compelling storytelling and accomplished filmmaking. Open to traditional and AI-assisted production alike.
Short films are at the heart of the festival. Entries may run up to 40 minutes including credits. All production years are eligible; see the full rules.
For short films made as student work. The filmmaker must have been a student during production; school and enrolment information are required.
Recognizing direction, performance and a coherent creative vision in short-form cinema.
For thoughtful, engaging nonfiction filmmaking.
For distinctive animated storytelling, regardless of the production technique.
For bold exploration of cinematic form and language.
最佳 AI 短剧 · For narrative shorts or short-form dramatic episodes with meaningful AI involvement, in vertical or horizontal format. This is one specialty award, not a requirement for the wider festival.
Official Selections, Finalists and Winners will be determined by human review. Popularity or YouTube statistics will not decide the awards. Selection is not guaranteed. Winners receive digital recognition; no cash prize or physical trophy is promised.
Authorized artwork, a synopsis, credits and production information can introduce a film without publishing the full work.
Biographies, approved portraits and creative statements give audiences a connection to the filmmaker.
Creative statements and production notes reveal the choices behind each work, from performances and cinematography to animation and AI techniques where used.
Access to a private screener is for assessment. It does not authorize public playback. Posters, portraits and biographies will be published only with the relevant permission. Any full-film screening—including an embedded player—requires a separate agreement covering the platform, dates, territories and access conditions.
Festival entry does not require public full-film playback. Declining the optional RTV Online Showcase will not affect eligibility, jury review, Official Selection or jury awards.
Private judging plus an expressly agreed, limited licence for directly supplied publicity materials: poster, stills, synopsis, director biography and approved trailer. No full-film public licence is implied.
Selected rights holders may separately authorize a 7-, 30- or 90-day window, or an ongoing permission with a withdrawal mechanism. Exact start/end times, territories, viewing service and access conditions must be agreed before playback.
The planned showcase can connect an authorized film page and director profile with audience discovery. Festival jury awards remain independent of viewing statistics. Audience Choice, if introduced, will have separate published rules and results after voting closes.
An expression of interest is not a screening licence. RTV will obtain a separate recorded agreement and verify that the viewing service can enforce its conditions before publishing. Territory-limited films will not be shown through a player that cannot enforce those limits. Ownership stays with the filmmaker; existing premiere and distribution commitments must be respected.
Read the proposed showcase permission terms ↗Direct festival submissions are open on RTV now. Use our film submission form to send your private viewing link and film information. Festhome is an additional planned route; its festival-specific link will be added after activation.
RTV charges no festival entry fee for the inaugural edition. Festhome may charge its own service fee; filmmakers should check the amount displayed by the platform before submitting.
| RTV direct entries open | September 7, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Early submission milestone | October 10, 2026 |
| Regular deadline | November 10, 2026 |
| Final deadline | November 30, 2026 |
| Official Selection announcement | December 10, 2026 |
| Jury winners announcement | December 20, 2026 |
| Online festival / optional showcase | December 20–27, 2026 |
RTV direct submissions are open now. September 15 is the target for the additional Festhome route, subject to its review and activation. Direct entry is free at every stage. The final cutoff is December 1, 2026 at 00:00 CET (UTC+1), equivalent to November 30 at 23:00 UTC. Jury names will be announced before selections. Public screening titles depend on separate filmmaker permissions.
There is currently no confirmed Festhome listing or affiliation. An exclusively online showcase without public film screenings requires Festhome's prior approval for that format. Our final programme and listing will reflect the format actually approved.
RTV's creator directory submissions and Monthly Awards remain separate programmes. Taking part in either does not enter this festival.
No. Full-film public playback is optional and requires a separate agreement. Declining it does not affect festival eligibility, selection or jury awards. Private review and permission for agreed publicity materials are separate from full-film showcase rights.
Yes, when you have the necessary rights and expressly authorize that display. We will request the relevant publicity files and permission directly. Material visible inside a submission platform is not automatically free to republish elsewhere.
No. The festival welcomes traditional, AI-assisted and AI-generated short films. Best AI Short Drama is an optional specialty category. Filmmakers entering that category must explain their meaningful use of AI; other categories do not require it.
RTV is preparing a festival and editorial showcase. No public screenings are currently scheduled. If screenings are added, the viewing service and rights conditions will be announced separately; participation on Festhome does not automatically include Festhome TV.