The official rules and submission requirements for the next edition of OSFF, opening for entries on 1 September 2026 and screening in May 2027.
The OSFF rules are kept deliberately short. We update them once a year, in August, and freeze them for the entire submission window. The version you read here is the one that applies.
Submission is open via FilmFreeway and our own portal at submissions.oslosff.com. The portal supports drag-and-drop screener upload up to 5 GB.
Confirm the running time (≤ 25 min) and that the master meets the technical specifications. Embed English subtitles if applicable.
Register on the OSFF portal (or FilmFreeway). One account can hold multiple film entries.
Synopsis, director's bio (max 100 words), full cast and crew list, world premiere status, dialogue language(s).
H.264 .mp4 at 1080p or higher. The portal verifies the file before completing your submission.
Card payment via Stripe. Fee waiver applications must be sent before payment, not after.
A confirmation arrives within an hour. Status updates land in March (longlist) and April (final selection).
All times are CET. We do not extend the late deadline — please plan accordingly.
Early-bird window begins. Portal goes live at submissions.oslosff.com.
Regular fee window begins 1 November.
Late entries close at 23:59 CET. No extensions.
Approximately 280 titles published here and notified by email.
One hundred films invited to the festival across five categories.
Daily screenings, Talent Campus, and the closing ceremony at Oslo Konserthus on 19 May.
If your question is not answered here, please write to submissions@oslosff.com. We aim to respond within three working days outside of the festival week.
Music videos are eligible only under the Experimental Short category, and only if the work is artistically free-standing — that is, if it would be screened as a film, not as a promotional asset. Submissions that are primarily marketing material are not accepted.
Yes, but we ask that you disclose any significant use of generative tools in your director's notes. Films that are entirely auto-generated without a credited human authorship will not be considered. The festival's position is that the short film remains a human art form.
Not currently in the main competition. We have an annual Off-Programme strand for immersive work that runs alongside the festival; selection for that strand is by invitation only.
That is fine. Premiere status is one of many factors selectors consider, and a Norwegian premiere is also valued. There is no expectation of world premiere status for shorts.
You may withdraw a submission at any point before the official selection is announced. Submission fees are non-refundable, except in cases of accidental duplicate payment.
Yes. We grant fee waivers each year on a needs basis to filmmakers based in low-income countries or in personally difficult circumstances. Please write to submissions@oslosff.com with a one-paragraph note before submitting.
Every officially selected film receives a flat screening fee (€350 for non-competing programmes, €600 for the main competition strands). Payment is contractual and arrives before the first screening.
Yes. Every selected film receives one delegate pass with full accreditation. Travel and accommodation support is available, on a needs basis, for filmmakers travelling more than 1 500 km.
A rotating team of sixteen selectors — filmmakers, programmers, critics and academics — drawn from the Nordic region and our partner festivals abroad. The list is published in the September Letter each year.
OSFF · 2025
Submissions for the 7th edition open on 1 September 2026. You can pre-register your interest with us today and we will email you the moment the portal opens.
News from the office, curated short film recommendations, calls for submission and the occasional long-read from our programmers.
