Festival at a Glance
Event Dates
December 2 – 6, 2026
Contact Email
Submission Fee
Free
Submission Platform
https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/
Festival Type
International Independent Film Festival
Suitable For
Suitable For Suitable for independent short filmmakers, both French and international, focusing on fiction, animation, documentary, and experimental shorts (up to 30 minutes); including contemporary works from all continents emphasizing artistic innovation and diversity; ideal for emerging talents, directors, and producers seeking awards prestige, networking opportunities, market exposure, and audience discovery in a vibrant environment.
Estimated Participants
Estimated Participants Thousands of attendees, including filmmakers, industry professionals, jury members, and public audiences (based on reports from past editions with multiple screenings and events).
Location
space Forbin – 1 Place John Rewald, Aix-en-Provence, France
Festival Location
Acceptance Difficulty
Easy
Moderate
Very Competitive
Festival Guide
Overview
Film Submission Details
Participators
Technical Specs
Requirements
Genres
Travel Perks
Past Winners
Success Story
Festival Overview
The Festival Tous Courts is a dynamic and renowned international short film festival, held annually in Aix-en-Provence, France (2026 edition projected: December 2–6, 2026). It is one of France’s leading platforms dedicated exclusively to short films, celebrating contemporary short cinema from around the world with a strong emphasis on artistic innovation, diversity, and emerging voices.
Founded in 1982, the festival has built a solid reputation over more than four decades as a key discovery event for short filmmakers. It features competitive sections for fiction, animation, documentary, and experimental shorts (up to 30 minutes), along with special programs, retrospectives, and a professional market (Tous Courts Market) that facilitates networking, co-productions, and distribution opportunities.
The event includes screenings in prestigious venues across Aix-en-Provence, Q&As with filmmakers, masterclasses, industry roundtables, awards ceremonies, and public engagement activities. Recognized for its high artistic standards and welcoming atmosphere, Festival Tous Courts serves as an essential showcase for international short filmmakers seeking visibility, critical acclaim, awards prestige, European exposure, and career advancement in the short film circuit.
Who Is festival tous courts Best For?
The Festival Tous Courts stands out as one of France’s premier international short film festivals, blending high-quality screenings in the picturesque city of Aix-en-Provence with a strong focus on artistic innovation, creativity, freedom of expression, and the richness of global short film production. Held annually in Aix-en-Provence, France, it caters to a wide spectrum of participants from passionate cinephiles and dedicated short film enthusiasts to industry professionals, programmers, distributors, and emerging filmmakers through competitive programs, special sections, Q&As, masterclasses, a dedicated short film market, and networking opportunities, but shines brightest for emerging and independent short filmmakers showcasing bold, diverse, and innovative works, advocates of cultural diversity in cinema, experimental creators, and the general public seeking an approachable, immersive festival experience celebrating the treasures of short cinema without the scale or exclusivity of larger events like Cannes.
✅ Good Fit If
Your film is an independent short work (fiction, animation, documentary, experimental), up to 30 minutes, with artistic merit, innovative storytelling, or focus on diverse cultural perspectives.
You are an emerging, young, or international filmmaker seeking maximum exposure through awards, Q&As, masterclasses, and the Tous Courts Market for distribution and co-productions.
You aim for a European or French premiere (though not strictly required for all sections).
Your work is bold, creative, and aligns with the festival’s emphasis on contemporary short cinema from all continents.
You want huge industry visibility, networking at a professional market, and audience engagement (thousands of attendees).
❌ Not a Good Fit If
Your film is live-action studio-produced or commercial without an independent component (e.g., advertising, institutional films, reports, music videos).
The film is already submitted to previous editions of this festival or exceeds 30 minutes.
You are looking for a red-carpet celebrity event with major Hollywood glamour.
Your film lacks artistic ambition or is purely commercial without festival appeal.
You need strict premiere status for non-competitive sections.
Who Might Not Be a Good Fit?
Live-action commercial studio-driven projects.
Animators or documentarians uninterested in the short film market or large-scale networking.
Those seeking an ultra-exclusive, low-attendance boutique festival.
key festival Facts
Founded:
1982
Location:
Aix-en-Provence, France
Festival Type:
International Short Film Festival
Frequency:
Annual (December)
Submission Platform:
https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/Premiere Status:
No premiere requirement (films may have screened previously; recent productions from the last 2 years are strongly preferred)
Film Submission Details
they opened in mid-February with an earlybird deadline in June (typically around June 20) and a final deadline shortly after. There is no registration fee. Submissions are completely free (no entry fee from the festival).
Films must be short films (fiction, animation, documentary, or experimental) with a maximum running time of 30 minutes, completed after January 1, 2025. No premiere requirement. Previews are submitted via secure online link (Vimeo preferred) through the official ShortFilmDepot platform. For the latest deadlines and full rules, check directly on https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/ or the festival website.
Submission Notes:
The Festival Tous Courts accepts only completed short films (no separate pitching or project deadlines for the Official Selection; only finished works are considered for competition and screenings). There are no dedicated works-in-progress sections or separate calls for co-productions/projects the focus is entirely on ready-to-screen short films (fiction, animation, documentary, experimental) up to 30 minutes.
Submissions occur exclusively through the ShortFilmDepot platform (https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/). There is no parallel market or industry pitching during the submission period.
For the 2027 edition (expected December 2027), the call usually opens in mid-February 2027, with earlybird deadlines around June and final deadlines in July 2027. Exact dates will be confirmed when the call opens on ShortFilmDepot. All information is based on historical patterns; for the most accurate 2027 deadlines, categories, and rules, check the official ShortFilmDepot page or the festival website from February 2027 onward.
(Note: No submission or entry fees. Films from the last 2 years are preferred. Subtitles in French or English are required for non-French-language films.)
Genres & Program Sections
The Festival Tous Courts is dedicated exclusively to short films (maximum 30 minutes) and showcases the full diversity of contemporary short cinema from around the world.
Career Impact & Success Stories
The Festival Tous Courts, as one of Europe’s most respected and influential international short film festivals, serves as a powerful launchpad for emerging short filmmakers, directors, and producers at the beginning of their careers. Through its highly selective competitive program, prestigious awards, Q&As, masterclasses, and the dedicated Tous Courts Market, the festival gives selected shorts exceptional visibility and professional opportunities that frequently lead to major career breakthroughs.
Many films that premiered or won awards at Tous Courts have gone on to screen at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Clermont-Ferrand, and other top-tier festivals, secured international distribution and sales, received funding for feature projects, and even earned Oscar qualifications. The festival has a strong track record of helping talents transition successfully from acclaimed short films to feature-length works.
Festival Tous Courts continues to spotlight bold new voices in fiction, animation, documentary, and experimental cinema from around the world, giving them the recognition, industry connections, and momentum needed to build lasting careers in cinema.
Awards & Recognition :
2025 (43rd Edition):
Grand Prix (International Competition)
QAHER by Nada Khalifa (Egypt, Palestine, Poland 20′)
Prix du Jury (International Competition)
Solo Kim by Diego Herrero & Javier Prieto de Paula (Spain 20′)
Prix du Meilleur Scénario
Between the Lines by Niklas Pollmann (Germany, Austria – 19’59)
Prix de l’Audace
Rekindle by Ata Mojabi (Iran, Netherlands, Russia – 10’30)
Mentions Spéciales (International Competition)
Une Fugue by Agnès Patron (France)
Burning Sun by Nutsa Tsikaridze (Georgia)
Prix du Public
Au Bain des Dames by Margaux Fournier (France)
Prix Unifrance (International Competition)Le Bateleur* by Jennifer Fanjeaux (France)
Grand Prix International
Amarela by André Hayato Saito (Brazil, Japan)
Prix du Jury International
Cura Sana by Lucía G. Romero (Spain)
Prix du Meilleur Scénario
La Vérité* by Malou Lévêque (France)
Prix de l’Audace
Stabat Mater by Hadrien Maton, Coline Thelliez, Arnaud Mege, Quentin Wittevrongel & William Defrance (France)
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Travel Perks :
The Festival Tous Courts does not cover travel expenses or accommodation for selected filmmakers, directors, producers, or other participants. However, selected films and their teams receive full festival accreditations/passes granting access to all screenings, Q&As, masterclasses, the Tous Courts Market, industry events, and networking opportunities to encourage attendance and full participation.
Official Invitation Letters: Available upon request to assist international filmmakers with visa applications.
(Note: Filmmakers are encouraged to attend in person. Contact the festival team after selection for details on accreditation and invitation letters.)
Festival Contact & Information
Official Website
Submission Platform
https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/
Social Media