Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2027

About Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is an international festival and professional meeting point dedicated to short-form cinema. Organised in Clermont-Ferrand, France, by Sauve qui peut le court métrage, it brings together the International and National competitions, the Labo programme, XR work and the parallel Short Film Market.

For filmmakers, that structure matters because Clermont-Ferrand is not only a screening event. Films entered in the National and International competitions can also be referenced in the Short Film Market digital catalogue unless the rights holder opts out, creating a professional layer that is separate from festival selection itself.

Clermont-Ferrand 2027 Dates

The 49th edition will take place from 29 January to 6 February 2027 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The 2027 structure includes International, National, Labo and XR routes for different kinds of short-form work.

International Competition: Who Can Submit?

The International Competition accepts fiction, documentary, experimental and animated short films. The film’s principal production country must be outside France and the running time must not exceed 40 minutes.

The deadline for films completed between 1 October and 31 December 2025 closed on 9 July 2026. Films completed in 2026 can still be submitted until 24 September 2026.

There is no premiere requirement for the International Competition. Previous festival screenings and awards must still be declared, and the festival notes that particular attention may be given to films that have not yet screened. A film already submitted to an earlier Clermont-Ferrand edition cannot be entered again, even in a new version.

Work-in-Progress and Submission Materials

Work-in-progress cuts are accepted for the International Competition, but the selection committee judges the version that is actually submitted. If editing, sound, colour or VFX are still unfinished, the screener therefore needs to represent the film clearly enough for selection.

The submission package includes a film still, a director photograph, the dialogue list in the original language with a French or English translation, and an uploaded viewing file. Registration is completed once the screener has been uploaded to Shortfilmdepot.

National, Labo and XR Competitions

The National Competition is for films whose principal production country is France. Its maximum running time is 59 minutes, and French-majority films completed in 2026 can be submitted until 1 October 2026.

Labo has no separate application. Its selection is drawn from films entered in the International and National competitions, creating a programme space for more formally adventurous and unconventional work.

The XR Competition has its own submission route for VR, AR, MR, installations and virtual worlds. The 2027 deadline is 24 September 2026, the maximum running time is 60 minutes, and eligible production years are 2025–2026.

Selection, Delivery and the Short Film Market

Selection results are scheduled for early December 2026. Selected competition films must deliver a DCP by 17 December 2026. French-language films require English subtitles; non-French-language films also require English subtitles, with French subtitles additionally requested where possible.

Films submitted to the National and International competitions can be referenced in the Short Film Market digital catalogue unless the rights holder opts out during registration. That professional visibility should be understood as a separate layer from official festival selection.

Preparing a Film for Clermont-Ferrand

At Clermont-Ferrand, the correct route depends on the film’s principal production country, completion date, running time and format. AD1 FILM can review those conditions against the film itself, clarify International, National or XR fit, and check the screener and submission materials while also considering the Short Film Market layer where relevant.