Shorts Not Pants Film Festival 2026

Festival Description:

Established in 2012 as a quarterly screening series in Toronto, Canada, Shorts Not Pants is now a festival weekend held each November.

2026 Call for Entries

Eligibility criteria:

• Currently accepting submissions of short films up to 20 minutes in length.
• All genres are welcome, and the festival doesn't disqualify films that are already available online, though it does look favourably on films that want to premiere with it.

Awards:

• Awards for Best Narrative Short
• Best Documentary Short
• Best Animated Short
• Best Canadian Short
• Audience Award

 Each award comes with a cash prize of US$250. Important note: a film can only compete in the category in which it is submitted (ie. Narrative, Documentary, or Animated).

• Festival regulations and entry via FilmFreeway
• Deadline: 30 April (earlybird), 17 July (regular), 14 August (late), 25 September 2026 (extended)