Festival dossier

Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves Short Film Showcase

Los Angeles, United States · Est. 1993 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record

Tier BTrusted
Los Angeles, United States
63
Legitimacy Score

Should I submit?

Solid signals — do normal diligence

Tier B looks established enough for many filmmakers. Check fees, programming fit, and recent editions before submitting.

  • No physical screenings
  • 33 years of verifiable history
  • 2 verified pro signals

Overview

The Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves Short Film Showcase is a long-running Los Angeles-area film event presented by the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) that centers Black women filmmakers. It is notable for championing emerging and veteran Black women directors, screening a wide range of short films across genres, and serving as one of the most recognized and influential showcases in the Black filmmaking community.

Last updated Oct 1, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Positive Indicators (+28 pts)

  • 33 years of verifiable history
  • 2 verified pro signals
  • Verified trusted status
  • Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)

Red Flags (-15 pts)

  • No physical screenings

Trust Signals

Positive Signals

  • Documented history with archived programs
  • Has FilmFreeway community ratings

Festival Details

Founded

1993

Visit Festival Website

FilmFreeway community

Avg. rating

4.0/ 5

Reviews

20

Synced 4 days ago

  • Filmmaker

    The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center’s Sistas Are Doin It For Themselves Short Film Festival was a phenomenal first time experience! What an honor to be officially selected for the showcase. From the professionalism to the hospitality, 5 stars! Looking forward to attending again!

  • Filmmaker

    I Love this festival so much and I was so grateful for the opportunity. Thank you all again from my heart’s bottom for having THE ALLY in this festival / showcase with such brilliant black female filmmakers. You inspired me so much and the food was BOMB! Blessings for many more great festivals! Y’all it’s a must!

  • Filmmaker

    Such an amazing experience. I am forever honored to be apart!

  • Filmmaker

    Best in the west! Amazing projection of our film at the DGA in Hollywood! Red carpet before and after the screening on point, delicious meal served after the screening. Top notch!

  • Filmmaker

    Valerie Alleyne-Udeozor

View on FilmFreeway

FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.

Related Festivals in United States

Research

Live web research is off to control API cost. This shows cached scheduled research when available, plus analysis from our database.

Hard research (cheap model + thorough prompt) runs on a cron for suspicious festivals; a biweekly job refreshes others. No live API calls from the site.

At a glance

Legitimacy Score63/100
TierTier B
Reviews0
Community Reports0
FilmFreeway4.0★ · 20

How scoring works

Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.

Filmmaker reviews

No community reviews yet. If you submitted here, your experience helps others avoid award mills.

Write a reviewOr report a problem →

Write a review

Review Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves Short Film Showcase

Get Alerts

Get notified when Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves Short Film Showcase's tier changes or new reports are filed.

See something wrong?

Filmmakers and festival teams can propose listing corrections or submit verified evidence. Verified evidence can change a tier, but it is weighed alongside every other flag on this listing.

Request a correction
Compare Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves Short Film Showcase with another festival →