The BOGOSHORTS – Bogotá Short Film Festival continues to cement its status as one of the world’s leading short film showcases, drawing more than 46,000 attendees to nearly 300 activities and presenting over 430 films across 120 screenings in its previous edition. As an official qualifying event for the Academy Awards®, Spain’s Goya Awards, and Colombia’s Macondo Awards, the festival offers a vital pathway for filmmakers seeking international recognition. Winners of the Santa Lucía Award for Best Fiction, Documentary, and Animated Short become eligible for Oscar consideration, while official selections may also qualify for the Goya Awards and, within Colombia, the Macondo Awards.
The festival’s 24th edition features a wide-ranging slate of competitive sections. Colombian filmmakers can enter the National Competition, spanning fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, and music video categories, while international filmmakers compete in parallel sections for the same honours. Additional strands include the F3 – Fan Freak Fantastic Competition for genre works, a VR Competition, and the recently introduced Journalistic Short Film Competition. All entries are also eligible for the Audience Award and the Conexión Competition, which fosters Ibero-American co-productions.
Alongside the festival, the BFM – BOGOSHORTS Film Market celebrates its 10th anniversary as Latin America’s only market dedicated exclusively to short films. Designed to connect creators with industry professionals, the BFM offers four key initiatives: In Vitro BFM, supporting first-time Colombian filmmakers; BFM Incubator for projects in development; Flipbook BFM for animation; and the newly launched Freak BFM, focused on genre cinema. Selected participants gain access to funding opportunities, tailored mentorship, and international networking, with In Vitro projects eligible for up to USD $50,000 in support.
Submissions for both the festival and market close on August 6. Eligible works must be under 30 minutes, completed after January 1, 2025, and must not have been publicly screened in Colombia or made available online (with limited exceptions). Entries are handled via the ShortFilmDepot platform, while BFM applications are submitted through dedicated online forms. Together, BOGOSHORTS and its film market continue to champion emerging talent and strengthen the global short film ecosystem.
To register for the BFM – BOGOSHORTS Film Market, the process must be completed using specific Google Forms for each component: BFM Incubator, BFM In Vitro, BFM Flipbook, BFM Freak, and BFM Companies. The rules and forms can be found HERE or on the festival website.
For completed short films wishing to apply to the festival and for projects seeking to participate in the market, all submission deadlines are August 6, without exception.
