Short film festivals
Programs of short films where work shot on a phone often screens alongside everything else. It's a chance to see a small film on a big screen and hear it discussed.
Events
Events
Mobile cinema doesn't live only on phone screens. It is shown in short film festival programs, has contests of its own, is discussed at film talks, and is taught in workshops. We describe these formats in general terms, without listings or specific names, and point out what to look for before you submit your film or head to a screening.
A film shot on a phone and shown in a theater suddenly reveals details even its maker never noticed.
How this section works: we describe types of events, not specific ones. We don't post programs, invitations or advertising. Check dates, venues, entry rules and screening arrangements with the organizers.
Types of events
Four formats where mobile cinema meets its viewers and makers.
Contests for phone-made films
Competitions whose main requirement is shooting with a mobile camera. They often have a theme, a length limit and requirements for music and image rights.
Film talks
Gatherings where a screening comes with a talk about techniques, the history of the format or the work of filmmakers. A great way to learn to watch more closely and to ask questions.
Mobile filmmaking workshops
Hands-on sessions where a small group goes from idea to finished film in a short time. Their value is that you get to try every role at once.
How to vet a festival or contest announcement
- Find out who the organizer is, whether a cultural institution, a film school, a creative collective or a private individual, and whether they have an official page of their own.
- Read the rules in full: deadlines, length and format requirements, how selection works and how results are announced.
- Pay special attention to the rights to your film: what the organizer may do with your work, for how long and where they can screen it.
- Be careful with entry fees: find out exactly what you are paying for, and don't send money if the terms are unclear.
- Check whether the announcement has been updated recently: old calls for entries keep circulating online long after submissions close.
- Submit only through the organizer's own page, and don't open links in unexpected emails "inviting you to take part."
Read next
- People
Director, camera operator, sound designer, editor, vertical series creator and programmer: the roles of mobile filmmaking.
- Collections
Three reading paths: for viewers, for first-time filmmakers and for anyone curious about sound and editing.
- Analysis
How the first seconds of a short film work and how a vertical frame differs from a horizontal one.
- History
How the phone got a camera, then became a screen for movies and a filmmaking tool, told decade by decade.
- Archive
The magazine's table of contents and why pages of the previous website on this domain have been removed.
Sources
- Pqfilm editorial materials
- Reference materials on the history of mobile communications and video (general overview)
We describe the history of mobile filmmaking and video only by decade and in general terms, without exact dates or figures. Always confirm the terms of festivals, contests, talks and workshops with their organizers.