By Brian D’Antoni
Twenty-five years in, the Miami Short Film Festival still runs on a simple promise: a night out can hold a dozen stories, none longer than half an hour. The 25th edition opens Friday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. at O Cinema South Beach with a program titled Echoes We Carry, then moves to Silverspot Cinema in downtown Miami and the Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay for a weekend of curated shorts.
The festival runs Nov. 13 to 15, from opening night on Friday through two full days of screenings on Saturday and Sunday. For South Florida filmmakers, editors, music video directors and brands that buy short-form work, the weekend is both an audience and a market. It also lands on a working deadline: the Earlybird cutoff for the 2027 edition falls on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The Screening Calendar
| Date | Time | Program | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri. Nov. 13 | 8 p.m. | Echoes We Carry (opening night) | O Cinema South Beach, Miami Beach |
| Sat. Nov. 14 | 3 p.m. | A World After | Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami |
| Sat. Nov. 14 | 6 p.m. | Time Will Tell | Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami |
| Sat. Nov. 14 | 7 p.m. | States of Becoming | Deering Estate, Palmetto Bay |
| Sat. Nov. 14 | 8 p.m. | Between Light and Reality | Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami |
| Sun. Nov. 15 | 3 p.m. | A Local Vision | Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami |
| Sun. Nov. 15 | 6 p.m. | The Invisible Within | Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami |
| Sun. Nov. 15 | 7 p.m. | Wild at Heart | Deering Estate, Palmetto Bay |
| Sun. Nov. 15 | 8 p.m. | The Edge of Innocence | Silverspot Cinema, Downtown Miami |
The festival sells individual program tickets, single-day passes for Nov. 14 and Nov. 15, and a three-day pass. The Deering Estate programs run 7 to 9 p.m. at the Visitor Center, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Palmetto Bay, with general admission at $20 and $16 for students, seniors and military. Prices for the other venues appear at checkout on the festival site.
Who Should Be in the Seats
Short-form makers should circle Sunday’s 3 p.m. program, A Local Vision, at Silverspot. Best Local South Florida is among the award categories the festival lists, and seeing what the jury rewards is the cheapest market research a Miami filmmaker can buy. Editors, cinematographers and composers can use the Q&As and networking the Deering Estate listing promises to meet directors who will need crews next year.
For marketers and agency producers, the weekend is a scouting trip. Past winners span narrative, documentary, experimental, animation and music video categories, which makes the lineup a fast survey of directors who can deliver polished work in under 30 minutes. Owners of restaurants and bars near Silverspot downtown or O Cinema in Miami Beach should note the 3, 6 and 8 p.m. rhythm, with audiences arriving before shows and leaving after.
Submitting for 2027
The festival opened submissions for its 26th edition on Aug. 16, 2026, and lists a deadline ladder that rewards early entries. Films run 30 minutes or less, with no minimum. Non-English films need English subtitles, works in progress are considered if finished before the festival, and each film needs its own entry and fee. The festival says it prefers films that have not screened theatrically in Miami-Dade or Broward before it, and selection weighs prior local screenings.
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Earlybird | Sun. Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Regular | Jan. 15, 2027 |
| Late | March 15, 2027 |
| Extended | May 15, 2027 |
| Last Call | July 31, 2027 |
| Final | Aug. 31, 2027 |
| Notification | Sept. 7, 2027 |
| 26th edition | Nov. 12 to 14, 2027 |
Entries go through FilmFreeway or Hiike Independent, and fees are nonrefundable. The festival lists support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach, the Funding Arts Network, the Knight Foundation and the Miami Downtown Development Authority.
Plan the Weekend
Buy opening night early, since it is the only Friday screening. Pair a Saturday at Silverspot with a Sunday evening at the Deering Estate for a mix of downtown and bayfront programs. Filmmakers who want to stack clocks can compare the Earlybird with the Dewey Film Festival shorts deadlines and the Miami Film Festival 44 regular deadline.
Sources
These pages were opened on Oct. 13, 2026.
- Miami Short Film Festival, home page and 2026 screening calendar
- Miami Short Film Festival, Submit page, rules and 2026 to 2027 deadlines
- Deering Estate, Miami Short Film Festival 25th Edition
Related Reading
See the South Florida film festival deadlines hub, the Dewey Film Festival 2027 shorts deadline map, the FLIFF41 deadline map and the Miami Film Festival 44 deadline map.
Key Facts for Owners and Search
When is the Miami Short Film Festival 2026?
The 25th Miami Short Film Festival lists its dates as Nov. 13 to 15, 2026. Its published screening calendar runs from opening night on Friday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. at O Cinema South Beach through Sunday, Nov. 15, with programs at Silverspot Cinema in downtown Miami and the Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay.
How much are Miami Short Film Festival tickets at the Deering Estate?
The Deering Estate lists general admission at $20 and $16 for students, seniors and military for its Miami Short Film Festival programs on Nov. 14 and 15, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Visitor Center, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Palmetto Bay. Other venue prices appear at checkout on the festival site.
What is the Miami Short Film Festival Earlybird deadline for 2027?
The Earlybird deadline for the 26th edition is Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, during this year’s festival. Later deadlines follow on Jan. 15, March 15, May 15, July 31 and Aug. 31, 2027, with notification on Sept. 7, 2027. The 26th edition is scheduled for Nov. 12 to 14, 2027.
What films can be submitted to the Miami Short Film Festival?
The festival accepts films of 30 minutes or less with no minimum running time, in all shooting formats. Non-English films need English subtitles, and works in progress are considered if finished before the festival. Each film needs its own entry and fee through FilmFreeway or Hiike Independent, and all fees are nonrefundable.
Why should South Florida businesses attend the Miami Short Film Festival?
The weekend gathers short-form directors, editors and composers across narrative, documentary, experimental, animation and music video work, which makes it useful scouting for agencies and brands. Local filmmakers can study the Best Local category. Restaurants and bars near Silverspot downtown and O Cinema South Beach can plan around the 3, 6 and 8 p.m. shows.
Brian D’Antoni writes The Sundaze Gazette from Palm Beach County. He reports on business, film and technology for South Florida owners.
