Submissions for the 2026 FilmFest are now Open!

Now is the time to start putting the finishing touches on your short film. We’re here to help if you have questions. Check out the award categories for motivation.

Submission Deadline is Saturday, August 15th.

 

Nota Bene

Please be advised if we receive more short films than we can accommodate at the Saturday evening screening, not all submissions will be selected for screening. Filmmakers will be notified by August 30th if their film has been selected. Each film that is selected will be given two complimentary tickets for the screening. The Saturday show typically sells out so please get your tickets early!

Short Film GUIDELINEs

  1. Films must be five minutes or less.

  2. Films must have a DIRECT CONNECTION TO WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS! The film can be made in Western Mass, or have some principal talent from Western Mass, like a lead actor, writer, director etc.

  3. Entries must be suitable for general audiences. The festival is an event geared towards a general audience from 5 to 105 years old.  Therefore all films submitted must conform to a PG rating as defined by the Motion Picture Association of America. There may be some mild profanity but gratuitous violence, overt sexual behavior, depiction of drug use and nudity are not permissible. Dress that is suitable for public places (e.g. the beach) is acceptable. The final decision on eligibility is at the sole discretion of the Ashfield FilmFest judges.

  4. To qualify for a “Best Youth Entry” award, the film must be created by people who are younger than 18 years.

  5. Music or musical score must be original, public domain or used with written permission of the copyright holder. A vast wealth of recorded music exists out there that can be used for free — see our Resources page for free music sources.

  6. By submitting a film, the filmmaker confirms they have obtained all necessary permissions from participants, copyrighted materials, and music used in the film.

  7. Any use of AI must be clearly cited in your application and in your credits. While we understand that AI tools can be helpful, the judges seek to honor human talent and so they need to know up front what’s you and what’s tech. We follow the IBM definition of generative AI which states:

    “AI that can create original content such as text, images, video, audio or software code in response to a user’s prompt or request.”

  8. Entrants retain all copyrights for their materials.

  9. Submit your film files with our Film Freeway page. Please submit full resolution copies of your movie as a data file. We accept .mov or .m4v files. We also accept vertical videos. If you prefer, you can copy your files to a flashdrive and mail it to: Ashfield FilmFest, P.O. Box 337 Ashfield, MA 01330.

  10. Western Massachusetts residents can use the promo code: BABYCECILB2 upon submission to waive the entry fee.

  11. The Ashfield FilmFest will have the right to use any trailer, clips, still photographs, and/or biographical information of the director, cast, and producers of the Film provided to or obtained by Ashfield FilmFestival (the “Promo Material”) (the Film and Promo Materials are referred to collectively as “Materials”) in all media to promote the Film’s appearance at the Festival and in connection with promotion of Ashfield FilmFest.