DC Shorts showcases the largest audience-driven collection of short films in the USA.  DC Shorts gives all entries feedback from the judging panels -- a point which impressed MovieMaker Magazine to name us as "one of 20 festivals worth an entry fee," and "one of the leading film festivals" in the country -- year after year!  Plus, in filmmaker surveys, DC Shorts consistently ranks as one of their favorite festivals to attend.

The DC Shorts Film Festival (September 8-15, 2011) turns the spotlight on truly independent short films, created by new and established filmmakers in an era when the art of filmmaking is opening to all. We select films of every genre and niche for our competition screenings - with a special focus on films created by metropolitan Washington, DC-based directors and writers. After each screening, filmmakers have the opportunity to speak to the audience as part of a moderated panel.  Cash and gift prizes -- plus feedback for all entries.  http://dcshorts.com/enter-a-film

The DC Shorts Screenplay Competition (October 2011) is a very different kind of screenwriting competition. A panel of judges consisting of filmmakers, screenwriters and critics will review and provide coverage (feedback) for scripts of 15 pages or less. 5 - 7 finalists will be featured during ScriptDC - a weekend of screenwriting events for DC regional writer and filmmakers, where their scripts will be read in front of a live audience - and one will walk away with $2,000 to shoot their project! http://www.dcshorts.com/screenplay-competition/

In 2010, DC Shorts reviewed more than 800 films and 125 scripts from around the globe. We selected 97 short films for screenings in 9 unique showcases during the competition weekend. We also read 6 scripts in a special live presentation. Since a major focus of DC Shorts is the inclusion of filmmakers, many of the films and all of the scripts were represented by the more than 120 filmmakers and writers from 8 countries. More than 5,200 people attended the competition screenings, and another 2,200 saw films repeated during the week.