Salute Your Shorts Festival

Overview

Welcome to SoCal Summer Camp for filmmakers! Named one of "50 FILM FESTIVALS WORTH THE ENTRY FEE 2025" by "Movie Maker" magazine, and now one of "THE 25 COOLEST FILM FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD 2025", we curate an intimate lineup of stellar shorts from around the world in every genre, showcasing them to a community of artists seeking inspiration and conversation. Selected films will enjoy an audience of working entertainment industry professionals and compete for cash and prize packages and an Academy Award®-Qualifying Theatrical run. Our festival was started by filmmakers for filmmakers. Every decision is steeped with intention and care - from the programming, to the parties and the marketing. The entertainment industry can be a cold and competitive place, and we seek to combat that through genuine care and connection. Community is one of our core values and thus, selected filmmakers are adopted into our filmmaking family. Notable alumni include Jim Cummings (Thunder Road), Mark Duplass (The Morning Show), Katie Aselton (The Freebie), Ursula Taherian (United States of Al), Ben Brewer (Everything Everywhere All At Once - VFX), David Fried (True Colors), and Danny Madden (Beast Beast). We are seeking thought-provoking, conversation-starting stories that align with our mantra: Films with an Aftertaste. Whether they are shot on the iPhone or the Alexa, we seek to program a slate of films that represents the diverse and distinct voices in our world today. Our lineup will feature top films from the festival circuit, as well as hidden gems we uncover in the screening process. You can read reviews from our alumni below.

Last updated Sep 4, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Trust Signals

Festival Details

FilmFreeway communityGold festival

• Filmmaker

  SYS is one of the best festivals I have been to, both as a filmmaker and a patron! It's well curated and ran by a team of lovely, kind, and smart individuals. I had a wonderful experience at all the events I attended and would recommend it to all filmmakers.

• Filmmaker

  The staff is amazing, they clearly worked their pants off to put on this great festival. Tip top programming and the venue is a hidden gem in LA. Personally, I'm very food motivated and they kept the snacks rolling. Can't wait to see how well this one grows in the future, would love to come back!

• Filmmaker

  Salute Your Shorts was an incredible experience. True to their word, it’s a truly filmmaker-friendly festival, and I was honored to be included in a program with such a high caliber of films. The team was communicative, supportive, and generous throughout, and their care for both the filmmakers and the work really stood out. Winning Best Documentary was such an honor and a wonderful way to cap off the experience!

• Filmmaker

  I had heard how special SYS was from friends but was still caught off guard when I finally experienced it for myself. Every aspect of the festival is so intentional...from the personal write-ups created for every film, to the single venue which encouraged everyone to watch each other's work, and to the magic filled panels. You can definitely feel that it's a festival made by filmmakers. Highly recommend experiencing it for yourself!

• Filmmaker

  Salute Your Shorts has exceptionally thoughtful programming, great communication, and an amazing community. But more importantly, it’s cool. Not in a fake way. It’s actually cool.

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