Pragueshorts Film Festival 2027

About Pragueshorts Film Festival

Pragueshorts has been part of Prague’s short-film culture since 2005. Organised by Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary, the team behind the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, it is dedicated to artistic short-form cinema and to giving short films a strong theatrical and festival context.

The programme brings together live action, documentary, animation and experimental work. Its competition structure gives filmmakers clear routes according to the form of the film, while thematic programmes, retrospectives, midnight screenings and youth-facing selections broaden the festival experience.

Pragueshorts International Competition and Labo

The International Competition is the main route for live-action, documentary and animated shorts. Labo is the dedicated competition for experimental work.

This separation is useful for filmmakers because it lets a formally experimental film enter through a section designed for that language, while narrative, documentary and animation work can compete within the broader international programme.

Pragueshorts 2027 Dates, Deadline and Submission Rules

The 21st Pragueshorts Film Festival runs in Prague cinemas from 24 to 28 February 2027, followed by an online programme on KVIFF.TV from 28 February to 21 March. The final submission deadline is 1 October 2026.

The International Competition accepts live-action, documentary and animated short films up to 30 minutes, produced after 1 January 2025. Labo accepts experimental films up to 30 minutes under the same production-date window.

Films with spoken dialogue in languages other than English require English subtitles. Submission begins with an online screener. If selected, filmmakers must provide a DCP or HD screening copy with English subtitles by 8 February 2027, together with a synopsis, film stills, director biography and filmography, the original dialogue list with English translation, an online screener and a teaser or permission for the festival to create one.

Pragueshorts Grand Prix Awards

The current Grand Prix awards are €3,000 for the International Competition, €2,000 for the National Competition and €1,000 for Labo; the financial award is paid to the director of the winning film.

An expert committee selects the programme, with competition juries drawn from film, criticism, production and related cultural fields.

Choosing Between International Competition and Labo

Pragueshorts separates experimental work from its broader international competition, so category choice depends on the film’s form as well as its runtime. AD1 FILM can assess whether a project fits International Competition or Labo, check production-date and subtitle readiness, and prepare the submission and selected-film materials for the route that best reflects the work. Selection or awards are never guaranteed.