The Shortz! Film Festival is an annual international short film festival in Chico, California showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe. The festival accepts and screens short films with running times of 30 minutes or less in any genre.


Created by local filmmakers from Chico, California, Shortz! was started with the desire to bring film makers together in a fun and funky environment, to meet and network with the ultimate goal of producing more films.

 



 

It is with a heavy heart and much deliberation that we have decided to put the festival on hiatus until further notice.



 

Our 2019 Award winning films

 

2019 Award Winning Films

A huge THANK YOU to ALL of our filmmakers.
As corny as it may sound, you're all winners to us.

Judges Choice
1st Place Terminus
2nd Place For Love
3rd Place A Paper House
Brief The Rider
Audience Choice
1st Place A Hell of Heaven
2nd Place Following
3rd Place Visions Of The Lost Sierra
Brief The Rider
Category Awards
Best Drama Terminus
Best Comedy W.C.
Best Action Powerless
Best Thriller A Paper House
Best Documentary The Gardenator Challenge
   
Zacuto Z-Finder Pro Winner Darrel Jury - Visions Of The Lost Sierra

The Official Season 9 Schedule

Season 9 is here!

Our lineup of films is official!! Get your butts to Chico to partake in some of the most fun you'll ever have watching short films, with some of the most talented artists that make them.

• times and film order are subject to change without notice •

September 7th Block 1 (1 - 2)
Doors open at 12
  • EL HIERRO, THE LAST ISLAND. TIMELAPSE
  • Unconditional Love
  • Alva
  • The Rider
  • The Assassin's Apprentice
  • The Gardenator Challenge
Block 2 (2:15 - 3:15)
  • Terminus
  • For Love
  • A Family Recipe That Can't Be Followed Written Down
  • A Mission
  • A Day Late
  • Powerless
Block 3 (3:30 - 4:30)
  • Visions Of The Lost Sierra
  • A Hell Of Heaven
  • Following (previously Like Me)
  • Flux

Block 4 (4:45 - 5:45)

  • Blurred
  • Trust Me
  • Mine Forever
  • Soul Bones
September 8th Block 1 (1 - 2)
Doors open at 12
  • An Honest Man
  • The Interpreter
  • The Girl
  • Tank Man
  • A Present For Grandma
  • 101 Knocks
Block 2 (2:15 - 3:15)
  • Almost Charming
  • A Paper house
  • W.C.
  • I Don't
  • With Tchaikovsky
Block 3 (3:30 -4:30)
  • Her World
  • Dear Uncle
  • After
  • I'm Sorry
  • SAVE 2.0
Coordinators Choice (4:45- 5:15)
To Be Announced

 

Announcing Our 2018 Award Winning Films!

 

 

 

Judges Choice
 
1st Place

Ainhoa | Iván Sáinz-Pardo | Germany

 

2nd Place

3 Keys| Josh Funk | US

 

3rd Place

Save | Iván Sáinz-Pardo | Germany

 

Brief

Meta | Jack McCafferty| US

 

 

 

 

Audience Choice

1st Place

Tin Can | Pat Battistini | US

 

2nd Place

My Friend The Ghost | Allan Tran, Nguyen "Fletcher" Le | US

 

3rd Place

Barbara| John Charter | US

 

Brief

Boy Moms Vs. Girl Moms | Jay Diaz | US

 

Category Award Winners
 
Best Action

Goldblooded | Tom Botchii Skowronksi | US

 

Best Drama

Ainhoa | Iván Sáinz-Pardo | Germany

 

Best Animation

3 Keys| Josh Funk | US

 

Best Documentary

Barbara | John Charter | US

 

Best Comedy

My Friend The Ghost| Allan Tran, Nguyen "Fletcher" Le | US

 

Zacuto Z-Finder Pro Winner - Michael Coogan | Ready Or Not | US

Our 8th season is in full swing!

The 2018 Shortz! Film Festival!

Aug 11th and 12th 2018
Chico Theater Company, Chico California.

Now in our 8th year, come join us for 2 days of fun, films, more fun...raffle, food & after party at Sol (let's just say even more fun) and networking in one of Northern California's hottest summer cities (no, literally one of the hottest in the county sometimes. Why do you think we call it Shortz!?)
With 42 short films from all over the globe, free popcorn, parties and much more, you're sure to have a great time!
Grab your tickets here today! 


Schedule Of Films

Saturday
August 11th
Block 1 (1 - 2)
Doors open at 12
  • Decades-Floating An Inch Off The Ground
  • How The West Was Lost
  • The Dig
  • Hero Complex
  • Save The Date!
  • THE COUNTDOWN
  • Snow in Love
  • Wallbangers
  • Glass Of Water
  • Western Jubilee
Block 2 (2:15 - 3:15)
  • ANNA
  • META
  • Goldblooded
  • Some Kind of Daydream
  • Tapferkeit
  • EL UNIVERSO DE LA PALMA 2.0
Block 3 (3:30 - 4:30)
  • 3 Keys
  • Table for Two
  • Tutu Grande
  • Red Tale
  • Je Suis Humain
  • You, Me & Gasoline
Sunday
August 12th
Block 1 (1 - 2)
Doors open at 12
  • CANTABRICO
  • A Peaceful Morning
  • Boy Moms vs. Girl Moms
  • Barbara
  • Toast
  • Sarah's Dream
  • Tin Can
Block 2 (2:15 - 3:15)
  • AINHOA
  • Analogue
  • Mariposas
  • A Fine Cycle
  • Broken Lullaby
  • The Brick Story
  • Ready or Not
Block 3 (3:30 -4:30)
  • SAVE
  • My Friend, The Ghost
  • Stop At 60
  • Living
  • Coffee?
  • Where are the Stars?
Coordinators Choice (4:30 - 5:30)
To Be Announced

 

Event
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And the 2017 Festival Awards Go To.....

Judges Choice
 
1st Place

Saving Santa | Keith O'Grady | United Kingdom

 

2nd Place

Dear George | Emily Skyle | US

 

3rd Place

Walking Supply | James McDougall | Canada

 

Brief

Lost In Light | Sriram Murali | US

 

 

Audience Choice

1st Place

Saving Santa| Keith O'Grady | United Kingdom

 

2nd Place

Dear George | Emily Skyle | US

 

3rd Place

There's Something About The Virgin Mary | Kevin McSorley | Ireland

 

Brief

Lost In Light | Sriram Murali | US

 

Zacuto Z-Finder Pro Winner - Jeff Moore | The Rage | US

2017 Shortz! Film Festival

The 2017 Shortz! Film Festival!

July 15th - 16th 2017
Chico Theater Company, Chico California.

Now in our 7th year, come join us for 2 days of fun, films,...more fun, food (let's just say more fun) and networking in one of Northern California's hottest summer cities (no, literally one of the hottest in the county sometimes. Why do you think we call it Shortz!?)
With 40 short films from all over the globe, free popcorn, parties, raffle prizes and much more, you're sure to have a great time!
Grab your tickets today at https://filmfreeway.com/festival/ShortzFilmFestival/tickets.

 


Schedule Of Films

Saturday July 15th Block 1 (1 - 1:50)
Doors open at 12
  • The Old Men
  • Glorious Victory
  • Cupid Is Not A Terrorist
  • Blue
  • Dear George
Block 2 (2 - 2:50)
  • Why People Don't Text Back
  • Rolling In The Deep
  • Trial 47
  • Saving Santa
Block 3 (3 - 4:15)
  • The Last Doll Lady
  • Nutshells : Meet Bill (Teaser/Trailer)
  • All Is Quiet
  • Shades Of Scarlet
  • Swamp Affair
  • Walking Supply
Block 4 (6 - 6:50)
  • Generation Gap
  • There's Something About The Virgin Mary
  • Dark Light
  • The Madame In Black
Block 5 (7 - 7:50)
  • Wish You Were Here
  • The Future is So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)
  • Chateau Sauvignon: terroir
  • Lost In Light
Sunday July 16th Block 1 (1 - 1:50)
Doors open at 12
  • Give The Dog A Bone
  • Aisle 4
  • Once Upon A Dream
  • Just Words
Block 2 (2 - 2:50)
  • Getting It Right
  • Eternally Child
  • Faiths Gambit
  • Shaken Identity
Block 3 (3 -3:50)
  • Tracks
  • Nothing Is Sacred
  • The Beautifully Drowned
Block 4 (4 - 4:50)
  • Tucker Noir
  • Burn
  • Natalie Portman Lives Here
Block 5 (5 - 5:30)
  • The Rage
  • A Lotta Life
  • Rope Trick
Coordinators Choice (5:30 - 6)
  • A Kings Betrayal
  • In The Bag
  • The Mugging
  • Bad Neighbor

 

Event
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2017 Season Programming Complete!

popcornThe 2017 Shortz! Film Festival programming is complete!  You can check out the complete block schedules here.
What a great line up of short films we have again this year.  Filmmakers are making travel plans to come to Chico, CA to watch their films with all of us at the Chico Theater Company, July 15th & 16th.
Seating is limited so get your tickets now at Film Freeway.  Don't forget...FREE POPCORN!

See you there!

Let The Programming Begin!

Alas, we are at that exciting time once again!  So many terrific films to select from!  The team is hard at work viewing, rating, and selecting the next group of films for the 2017 Shortz! Film Festival, held at Chico Theater Company, Chico Ca.
Thank you to all the filmmakers who have submitted films, and remember you automatically get a weekend pass to the Shortz! Film Festival whether your film screens or not!   We want filmmakers to come together to meet each other, share experiences, helpful tips, and/or collaborate on future projects.  We also want the community to see these great films in a theater environment.  But not just there, once the festival is over, we want the whole world to check out these films on our FREE
Roku Channel.  All films screened at the Shortz! Film Festival are given free distribution on our channel.

So stay tuned, another great season of the Shortz! Film Festival is right around the corner!  July 15th and 16th, 2017 at the Chico Theater Company.  Seating is first come, first served so get your tickets now!  

InkTip is back!

Where producers go for scripts and writers.

Our friends over at InkTip are giving even more of our filmmakers a chance to get their work seen by industry professionals!  Selected winners of our Judges and Audience Choice awards will receive an InkTip Script Listing to promote themselves and their scripts to InkTip’s entire network of producers, managers, and agents.

Companies who are InkTip members include: ABC, Anonymous Content, APA, CBS Films, HBO Films, ICM, Paradigm, Paramount Pictures, Hallmark Channel, FX, Universal, WME, Echo Lake, Zero Gravity, Bad Robot, 20th Century Fox, and many more.

Producers have made more than 315 films from scripts and writers found through InkTip.

Thanks InkTip for your continued support of the Shortz! Film Fest!

 

 

Films Are Rolling In! Will We See Yours Too?!

movie stuffHey Filmmakers! The Shortz! Film Fest call for entries is in full swing and new films are arriving everyday! We are very excited about the films we have seen so far, but there still room for Your Film. Early entry is only $10.00, and that gets you a ticket to the Shortz! Film Fest in July. You have absolutely nothing to lose! 

How do You submit Your film to the Shortz! Film Festival? I'm glad you asked. You simply visit the Shortz! Film Fest home page. Find and click on the Film Freeway link on the right of the side of the page, and submit your film. It is really that easy. 

Is Your film right for the Shortz! Film Fest? Another great question!!! The Shortz! Fest takes all kinds of short films. Comedies, Dramas, Horror, Animations, Documentaries, you submit it and we'll look at it. So to answer the question, YES!! 

We can't wait to see YOUR film. Show Us Your Shortz!