18th San Jose International Short Film Festival

Now entering our 17th consecutive season, The San Jose International Short Film Festival is dedicated to delivering the highest quality short films to welcoming audiences in the heart of Silicon Valley. This is a festival that welcomes storytelling and the artists behind those stories.

With over one hundred 5 star reviews from attending filmmakers, we invite you to submit your short film (up to 40 mins in length) and experience what World Class Short Films are all about.

“Fantastic festival! So incredible to see our films in a state-of-the-art cinema with huge screens, great site lines, clear sound. The people who run this are true professionals who love film. Our Q&A after the films was a delight with intelligent questions and thoughtful answers. It's a 5-star event. Thank you!” ~ Betsy De Fries Little Fluffy Clouds

We are looking for exceptional short films that have unique voices, films from every possible genre and now that we are officially an Oscar Qualifying festival we are encouraging West Coast, USA and World Premiere films to join our ranks during our October event.

Comedy shorts, the avant garde and the genre films are most welcomed here, plus we have a soft spot for micro-short comedies under 90 seconds in length, but close to 50% of our films are from outside the U.S. and we are privileged to be able to present the best in international shorts each year.

“The San Jose International Short Film Festival featured some of the most high-quality short films that I've seen on the circuit. Sinohui, Bill, and Marcella ran an organized and heartfelt festival with a deeply curated program. We had a packed house at Cinearts theater with some of the best optics/sound/seating in the world. This is a great festival to network with top quality up-and-coming filmmakers in the heart of Silicon Valley.” ~ David Michael Maurer

No question, we strive to create a memorable experience for all attendees, but we must admit that our focus is and will always remain with the talented filmmakers that join us each year, we invite you to accompany your film and be part of the festival experience.

You can expect that each film will be presented via DCP, which enables us to offer state of the art 4K projection on a brand new laser projection system and audio from stereo to 5.1 surround.

“Participating in the San Jose International Short Film Festival was incredible! The festival team was welcoming, and the screenings were top-notch, featuring a wide range of inspiring films. Networking opportunities, engaging discussions, and an enthusiastic audience made it an unforgettable experience. For any filmmaker, San Jose is a fantastic place to share and celebrate the art of storytelling.” ~ The AG Brothers

We are expanding our festival from four to five days and will be offering more opportunities for our patrons, attending filmmakers and our general audience to experience the impressive nature of our selected films.

Join us each October for the San Jose International Short Film Festival and submit your film today.