What Films Do We Stream?
Buffalo Shorts is now accepting submissions of films up to 15 minutes in duration. All films will be accepted and notified upon verification of compliance to submission rules on a rolling basis. Films will be uploaded on a first-come-first-serve basis.
In short, films made by WNY creators need to be seen. There’s a lot of great work being done in our community. Whether you’re a professional, a student, or a hobbyist, we want to help get some eyes on your work.
Unless your film or video includes content of sexually explicit, hateful, discriminatory, overly political, illegal or explicit nature, or it is of exceptionally poor technical quality, it will screen.
Film Genres
All genres are welcome, including (but not limited to):
- Music videos
- Trailers
- Experimental films
- Documentaries
- Drama
- Comedy
- Horror
- Animation
- Web series
Awards & Notifications
Two films, selected weekly, will be featured on BuffaloRising.com, which has 620,000 monthly page views, 150K monthly visitors, and 120K social media followers.
Films 5 minutes and under of exceptional impact on par with MicroMania Film Festival official selections will be included in MicroMania Film Fest streaming channels and compete during MicroMania Film Festival in July 2020.
Notifications of selection and awards will be ongoing via email.
Rules for Submissions
Who Can Submit
Submissions are open to Western New York residents and students who study and reside in Western New York during the school year. WNY includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, Jamestown, and the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier.
Technical Requirements
- Vertical, horizontal or square video formats are accepted
- If necessary for story, please use subtitles in non-English language films
- Any creation date is welcome
Deadlines & Entry Fees
Entry fees are non-refundable and required for each distinct category submission.
Micro-Shorts (5 minutes and under):
- Films that want to be considered for MicroMania Film Festival 2020 must be submitted by June 1, 2020
- Entry fee is $5 per submission
Short films (up to 15 minutes):
- Submit by August 31, 2020
- Entry Fee is $10 per submission
Regular Deadline:
- Submit by May 7, 2020
- Entry fee is $12 per submission
Late Deadline:
- Submit by June 1, 2020
- Entry fee is $15 per submission