Blog: Film festivals

MISSION STATEMENT

The goal of Southern Shorts Awards (SSA) is to recognize filmmakers whose short films demonstrate their ability to produce well crafted motion pictures.

THE SOUTHERN SHORTS AWARDS COMPETITION / FESTIVAL

Southern Shorts Awards is a seasonal competition for short films (under 30 minutes) in which each entry is judged on its’ own merits. Every film will be screened by three judges using a 10 point scale and you will receive the scores of all three judges whether you win an award or not.

At the end of each season, we screen the top three films of each genre scoring 75 or higher. These are one-day festivals held at the Aurora Cineplex in Roswell, Georgia.

Films are shown in genre blocks with a Q&A at the end of each film (whose filmmakers attend) and the evening ends with a spectacular Awards Presentation.

There are no limits on when or where a film was produced, we accept films from all over the world no matter how old.

SCORING

Your composite score will show where you excelled, as well as the areas in which you could do better. This is vitally important information because how can you improve if you don't know what needs improving? SSA offers a level playing ground for filmmakers to have their work judged by a panel of industry professionals.

Most festivals only offer two categories for short films, narrative or documentary. SSA has 15 categories, so your film can be judged within its' specific genre.

Southern Shorts Awards may also serve as a first-entry test for filmmakers who intend to enter their film into multiple festivals. Receiving an award from SSA does not guarantee that a another festival will accept your entry, but those films which do not receive any award from us may be less likely to find success in the festival circuit.