The annual LJMU MA Short Film Festival is making a return for its sixth-year running. The 2026 edition of the festival will take place this spring, online and in person (from March 20th to 27th), including over forty films from more than twenty countries.
Organised and run by MA Film students from Liverpool John Moores University, the festival four programmes, reflecting different film styles: fiction, animation, documentary and experimental films. The selection is highly varied, comprising a range of cultures and aesthetic tastes, and showcasing the excellence that student filmmaking can achieve!
LJMU MA Short Film Festival will be held both online through the festival website (from the 20th to 27th of March) and in person at the Kazimier (March 20th) and the Redmond’s building (from March 23rd to 26th) whilst the awards ceremony will be held at Scale (March 27th). Go on the website for programme details and for booking a FREE ticket for the Opening Part and the Awards Ceremony.
When the festival opens, you will be able to VOTE online for the best film that will receive the Paper Bird Audience Award! For juries, one per programme, consisting of last year’s winners, film industry and academic experts and LJMU undergraduate students will choose the 2026 Paper Bird Awards for Fiction, Animation, Documentary and Experimental. All of this year’s winners will be revealed at our Awards ceremony at Scale.
Since the Festival’s debut in 2021, it has been curated, planned and run by LJMU’s MA Film students, offering an invaluable ‘hands-on’ learning experience. It helps them build a range of practical skills while also allowing them to express their creativity through poster design, social media promotion and of course the selection of films around the world! LJMU MA Short Film Festival reaching its sixth edition is proof of the dedication that the MA Film students have given to making the event possible.
Event Date: Friday 20th March 2026 - Friday 27th March 2026
Location: LJMU Redmond's Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5UG
Categories: 2026 | Arts & Culture | Festivals & Events | Film & Digital
Contact Details: Lydia Papadimitriou
