Foyle Film Festival is one of only a handful of International festivals with Oscar® affiliation, BAFTA and BIFA recognition. The competition, sponsored by City of Derry Crystal, is open to filmmakers and animators across the world.
Filmmakers can enter their films under three competition categories: Best Irish Short; Best International Short; and Best Animated Short.
Winners of the Light in Motion Awards qualify for consideration in the Live Action and Animated Short Film categories of the Academy Awards® without needing the standard theatrical run. Foyle Film Festival is also an IMDb Qualifying Festival, granting all eligible film submissions a fast-tracked title page on IMDb.com.
Festival Director Bernie McLaughlin commented, 'Foyle Film Festival is delighted once again to be launching the call for entries for this year's Light In Motion Competition, and looks forward to receiving the best short films from around the world.'
Previous winners and competitors who have proceeded to win an Oscar® include: Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman for Skin (2019); Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton for The Silent Child (2018); and Terry George for The Shore (2012).
Filmmakers can submit their films via FilmFreeway now.
A flagship project of the Nerve Centre, Foyle Film Festival has become renowned for attracting top industry professionals to Derry-Londonderry. Past guests have included Richard E Grant, Ray Winstone, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Christie, Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan, Wim Wenders and Stephen Frears.
The winners will be announced on the closing night of the Foyle Film Festival which will take place later in the year on Friday 19 to Sunday 28 November 2021.
Funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and Derry City and Strabane District Council, Foyle Film Festival delivers a comprehensive programme of documentaries, short films and feature films from all over the world.
