shungu namutitima international film festival
Livingstone, Zambia
74
Tier BScreenings
Festival dossier
Zambia Short Film Festival
Lusaka, Zambia · Est. 2013 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record
Tier BTrusted
Lusaka, Zambia
65
Legitimacy ScoreShould 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
- 13 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
Overview
The Zambia Short Film Festival (ZSFF) in Lusaka is an annual festival dedicated to showcasing national and international short filmmaking, with a special emphasis on emerging African voices.[1][3] It is notable for its role in boosting the Zambian film industry, supporting young filmmakers through training, and creating a platform for international exchange and networking.[1][3][9]
Last updated Sep 12, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+30 pts)
- 13 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
- Verified trusted status
- Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)
Red Flags (-15 pts)
- No physical screenings
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Documented history with archived programs
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2013
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.0/ 5
Reviews
25
Synced 4 days ago
- Filmmaker
I would like to congratulate the participants and the film festival runner as will. unfortunately, I did not attend the event.
- Filmmaker
A big thank you to the Zambia Short Film Festival for having us in the lineup!
- Filmmaker
Fabulous festival - was an honor to run Scattered Sea among these amazing films! Would have so loved to join, their FB account is so inspiring and on fire. Well done. and kind prompt communication too, ) ia
- Filmmaker
We are so proud to have taken part in this Film Festival with our project "Deep Black"!!!
- Filmmaker
Thanks for the opportunity to showcase our film at your festival. We look forward to the next edition.
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
Related Festivals in Zambia
lusaka international film and music festival
Lusaka, Zambia
74
Tier BScreenings
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France
100
Tier AFIAPFOscarScreenings
Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin, Germany
100
Tier AFIAPFOscarScreenings
Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy
100
Tier AFIAPFOscarScreenings
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
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
Get Alerts
Get notified when Zambia Short Film Festival'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