REGARD – Saguenay International Short Film Festival 2027

REGARD has been dedicated to short cinema since 1995. Based in Saguenay, Québec, the festival brings together international and Canadian short films, youth programming and a professional Short Film Market within one compact event.

Organised by Caravane Films Productions, REGARD supports the circulation of short films while creating space for filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals to meet around the form. Fiction, animation, documentary and experimental work all have a place in the programme, giving the festival a broad view of contemporary short-form storytelling.

REGARD Competition Sections and Short Film Market

The festival is built around several complementary strands. The Official Competition is the main international route. The Focus Competition highlights specific production and representation contexts through dedicated sections. The Youth Competition presents films for viewers aged 3–17 across school, family and teen programmes. Alongside the screenings, the Short Film Market adds an industry layer through professional meetings, workshops, round tables and masterclasses.

This combination makes REGARD useful for filmmakers looking at both festival circulation and professional visibility. The competition structure is clear enough to position a film precisely, while the market and audience programmes extend the film’s context beyond a single screening.

REGARD 2027 Dates, Deadline and Competition Rules

The 31st edition runs from 17 to 21 March 2027, with submissions open until 1 November 2026.

The Official Competition accepts fiction, animation, documentary and experimental shorts up to 40 minutes. For this competition, films should be produced in 2026 or 2027. Student films can also enter when they meet the conditions of the relevant section.

Premiere status can shape the award path. World, North American and Canadian premieres are eligible for the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Canadien, while other international shorts can still be considered within the wider Official Competition. Films that remain outside free online circulation also sit well with the festival’s current priority structure.

The Focus Competition offers five specialised routes: Shoot No Matter What, 100% Regions, Indigenous Perspectives, Short & Queer and Americana. Each is built around a specific production, geographic or representation context, so the strongest fit comes from the film’s own background and production conditions.

The Youth Competition is programmed for audiences aged 3–17. It includes school, family and teen-facing programmes, with professional filmmakers able to submit work that speaks to those age groups. A dedicated youth-selection structure and youth-focused awards give this part of the festival its own identity within the wider programme.

For the 31st edition, REGARD lists 15 awards with a combined value of more than $120,000 in cash and services. The festival also operates as an Academy Award® qualifying event, adding further weight to the competition structure for selected shorts.

Positioning a Short Film for REGARD

REGARD’s Official Competition, Focus routes and Youth Competition serve different project and audience contexts. AD1 FILM can review the short’s production year, premiere and online-availability position, then identify the strongest route: Official Competition for the general international path, a Focus section when the film’s production or representation context matches, or Youth Competition when the film is genuinely suited to audiences ages 3–17. The submission materials and festival sequence can then be prepared around that route.