How does our festival work?
The French Duck Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to French and international short films, featuring both produced and self-produced works.
The festival takes place in two stages: intermediate sessions from October to July, and the big annual festival in a Parisian cinema in September.
Intermediate Sessions
The intermediate sessions are divided into four periods, named after ducks:
- Mallard (October to December)
- Baikal Teal (December to February)
- Mandarin Duck (February to May)
- Harlequin Duck (May to July)
During each session, submitted films are judged by our jury and can receive one of four statuses:
- Not selected
- Selected
- Finalist
- Award winner and/or Honorable mention
Our annual selection committee will select the best of the best among all the winners and honorable mentions from the four intermediate sessions.
🔥 Tip: To increase your chances of winning an award or honorable mention, consider submitting your film to multiple categories. 🔥
Annual Festival
The annual festival will feature short films selected by our annual selection committee in each of the following categories:
🏆 Best Short Film (5 to 30 minutes)
🏆 Best Micro Short Film (1 to 5 minutes)
🏆 Best Animation Short Film
🏆 Best Documentary Short Film
🏆 Best Experimental Short Film
🏆 Best Student Short Film
Every film that wins an award and/or an honorable mention will be registered in at least one of these categories, even if it only wins an additional category. Thanks to the annual selection commitee, all selected short films will be notified during the summer to prepare for the cinema screening.
The annual jury will reward the annual awards. All films will be eligible for all the main and additional ones.
Participating in the French Duck Film Festival provides filmmakers with the opportunity to receive multiple levels of feedback on their work and potentially secure a distribution contract. For the first edition in 2022, 3 annual winners shorts films secured one.
Our festival aims to grow while maintaining its cool and original spirit, so submit your short films today for the chance to be part of this exciting event!
The festival takes place in two stages: intermediate sessions from October to July, and the big annual festival in a Parisian cinema in September.
Intermediate Sessions
The intermediate sessions are divided into four periods, named after ducks:
- Mallard (October to December)
- Baikal Teal (December to February)
- Mandarin Duck (February to May)
- Harlequin Duck (May to July)
During each session, submitted films are judged by our jury and can receive one of four statuses:
- Not selected
- Selected
- Finalist
- Award winner and/or Honorable mention
Our annual selection committee will select the best of the best among all the winners and honorable mentions from the four intermediate sessions.
🔥 Tip: To increase your chances of winning an award or honorable mention, consider submitting your film to multiple categories. 🔥
Annual Festival
The annual festival will feature short films selected by our annual selection committee in each of the following categories:
🏆 Best Short Film (5 to 30 minutes)
🏆 Best Micro Short Film (1 to 5 minutes)
🏆 Best Animation Short Film
🏆 Best Documentary Short Film
🏆 Best Experimental Short Film
🏆 Best Student Short Film
Every film that wins an award and/or an honorable mention will be registered in at least one of these categories, even if it only wins an additional category. Thanks to the annual selection commitee, all selected short films will be notified during the summer to prepare for the cinema screening.
The annual jury will reward the annual awards. All films will be eligible for all the main and additional ones.
Participating in the French Duck Film Festival provides filmmakers with the opportunity to receive multiple levels of feedback on their work and potentially secure a distribution contract. For the first edition in 2022, 3 annual winners shorts films secured one.
Our festival aims to grow while maintaining its cool and original spirit, so submit your short films today for the chance to be part of this exciting event!
F.A.Q
Will my short film be screened online?
As per our rules and terms available on the FilmFreeway page and our website, we do not release short films online. It is not in the DNA of our festival to screen films online. We aim for the cinematic experience, which is one of the core reasons behind the creation of our festival.
My short film was selected, does this mean that it will be shown at the annual festival?
There are two types of "Official Selection": one for the intermediate sessions and one for the annual festival. Being selected for an intermediate session is just the first step towards the annual selection.
To summarize the selection process:
Stage 1/4: Selection for an intermediate session (by the preselection jury)
Stage 2/4: Finalist in an intermediate session (by the preselection jury)
Stage 3/4: Category winner or honorable mention in an intermediate session (by the preselection jury)
Stage 4/4: Selection for the annual festival
The journey may seem long, but it is absolutely worth it!
My film has been selected, when will it be screened in cinema?
Currently, the festival only screens films from the annual selection. If your film has been selected for an intermediate session of the festival, you will need to continue progressing through the selection stages to have the opportunity to be part of the programming for the annual event. Each step brings you closer to the chance of being included in the lineup for the annual festival.
The results will be announced publicly no later than the "Notification Date" available on the festival's FilmFreeway page (usually at the end of August).
What does "IMDb qualifying festival" mean for the French Duck Film Festival?
IMDb qualifies and lists festivals that meet their selection criteria. By being listed on IMDb, if your short film has an IMDb page and you win an award at our festival (whether it's during an intermediate session or the annual festival), you can add that award to your IMDb profile for enhanced recognition and visibility. It's a great way to showcase your achievements in the industry.
What's the best way to contact the festival organization?
For any inquiries or to reach out to the festival organization, please feel free to contact us through email: frenchduckfestival (gmail.com). We are here to assist you and answer any questions you may have.
As per our rules and terms available on the FilmFreeway page and our website, we do not release short films online. It is not in the DNA of our festival to screen films online. We aim for the cinematic experience, which is one of the core reasons behind the creation of our festival.
My short film was selected, does this mean that it will be shown at the annual festival?
There are two types of "Official Selection": one for the intermediate sessions and one for the annual festival. Being selected for an intermediate session is just the first step towards the annual selection.
To summarize the selection process:
Stage 1/4: Selection for an intermediate session (by the preselection jury)
Stage 2/4: Finalist in an intermediate session (by the preselection jury)
Stage 3/4: Category winner or honorable mention in an intermediate session (by the preselection jury)
Stage 4/4: Selection for the annual festival
The journey may seem long, but it is absolutely worth it!
My film has been selected, when will it be screened in cinema?
Currently, the festival only screens films from the annual selection. If your film has been selected for an intermediate session of the festival, you will need to continue progressing through the selection stages to have the opportunity to be part of the programming for the annual event. Each step brings you closer to the chance of being included in the lineup for the annual festival.
The results will be announced publicly no later than the "Notification Date" available on the festival's FilmFreeway page (usually at the end of August).
What does "IMDb qualifying festival" mean for the French Duck Film Festival?
IMDb qualifies and lists festivals that meet their selection criteria. By being listed on IMDb, if your short film has an IMDb page and you win an award at our festival (whether it's during an intermediate session or the annual festival), you can add that award to your IMDb profile for enhanced recognition and visibility. It's a great way to showcase your achievements in the industry.
What's the best way to contact the festival organization?
For any inquiries or to reach out to the festival organization, please feel free to contact us through email: frenchduckfestival (gmail.com). We are here to assist you and answer any questions you may have.