American International Short Film Festival Champions New Voices in Short Film
LOS ANGELES — A new generation of filmmakers will take center stage this September as the American International Short Film Festival returns to Downtown Los Angeles, bringing four days of international short films, industry conversations and opportunities for emerging voices to connect with the people shaping what comes next in cinema.
Taking place September 14–17, 2026, the festival will be hosted high above Downtown Los Angeles on the 51st floor of City Club Los Angeles, creating a distinctive setting for filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences to come together.
At its core, the festival is built around a simple idea: short films can be the starting point for a filmmaker's next major opportunity.
As the film industry continues to discover new directors through short-form storytelling, the path from a short film to a feature-length project can move faster than ever. The American International Short Film Festival aims to put emerging filmmakers in front of audiences and industry professionals who can help turn those opportunities into reality.
“This is a festival created by filmmakers, for filmmakers,” is the event's guiding philosophy — one centered on access, connection and giving new voices a platform.
Four Days of International Short Films
The 2026 festival will showcase short films from around the world alongside industry panels and opportunities for filmmakers to meet, exchange ideas and build professional connections.
The program includes competitions recognizing filmmakers across a broad range of genres, backgrounds and storytelling styles. Categories include Best World Short, Best Director, Best First-Time Director, Best Documentary, Best Animated Short, Best Comedy, Best Drama, Best Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller, Best Action and Best Music Video, among others.
The festival will also present awards recognizing African American, Latino, Asian, Native American and LGBTQ+ filmmakers, as well as a category for Best Short by a Disabled Director.
Screenwriters will also have an opportunity to compete in the festival's Best Short Scripts competition.
Awards and Prizes
The festival's awards ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 17 in the Canvas Room at City Club Los Angeles. The ceremony will be followed by a celebration featuring a DJ, live music, food and drinks.
Among the cash awards:
- Best World Short: $500
- Shawna Baca Award for Best Director: $100
- Best First-Time Director: $50
The script competition will also offer a series of writing opportunities through PageCraft Writing, including scholarships to its writing workshops and the California Rewriting Lab.
The first-place script winner will receive an all-inclusive scholarship and accommodations to attend the California Rewriting Lab, a one-week program north of San Francisco. The prize package includes airfare and is valued at approximately $8,000.
Second place will receive scholarships to PageCraft's Concept to Pages and Writing is Rewriting workshops, valued at $1,300, while third place will receive a scholarship to Concept to Pages, valued at $750.
Built for Filmmakers
The festival's submission rules are designed around short-form filmmaking. Films must be 40 minutes or less and must have been completed within the previous two years. Filmmakers may enter their work in multiple eligible categories.
Not every submitted film will be selected for screening; filmmakers whose work is chosen will be notified by email.
The festival's official language is English, and films in other languages must include English subtitles. Entrants must own the necessary rights to their films and remain responsible for copyright, trademark, credits and other legal claims involving their work.
The festival also reserves the right to use portions of submitted films, including trailers, teasers, stills and posters, for promotional purposes.
Screenplay competitors must be 18 or older.
David Llauger Meiselman, Founder
The American International Short Film Festival takes place September 14–17, 2026, at City Club Los Angeles.
For festival information, submissions and a look at last year's winners, visit aisffla.org.