How Long Is a Short Film?

There's no single legal length for a short film; festivals, awards and funding schemes set the limits. The Academy Awards define a short as 40 minutes or less including all credits, but many short film festivals cap entries well below that — often somewhere around 15 to 30 minutes, credits included — and some competitions go as short as a few minutes. For your first film the sweet spot is 5–10 minutes: that means a 5–10 page screenplay, because 1 page ≈ 1 minute of screen time.

Where does the limit come from?

The answer to “how long is a short film?” isn't in a law, it's in the rules. Every festival writes its own upper limit, and that limit usually includes the credits. So the right question is: which festivals am I sending my film to, and what are their limits?

In practice, films under 15 minutes fit more festivals, slot into programmes more easily and get screened in more places. The longer the running time, the fewer doors the film can go through.

What the limits look like (examples, not rules)

Awards: the Academy Awards' short film categories take films of 40 minutes or less, including all credits.
Many short film festivals: an upper limit somewhere between about 15 and 30 minutes, credits included.
Very short and themed competitions: limits of a few minutes are common.
Documentary sections: often allow longer running times than fiction.
Funding schemes and grants: set their own ceilings; read the guidelines.
Every one of these changes from year to year — the only number that counts is the one in this year's rules.

How many pages should the script be?

In a screenplay written in standard format, 1 page equals roughly 1 minute of screen time. So for a 7-minute film you aim for a 7-page script. It's a rough measure: dialogue-heavy pages run faster, action-heavy pages slower.

The measure only works if the format is right. Shrinking the page count by changing the font, point size and indents only shortens the paper, not the running time.

Why is being short an advantage?

A short film isn't a shrunken feature; it's built on a single moment, a single decision. The shorter the running time, the less room for error: in a 6-minute film the audience reaches the end without getting bored, and an unnecessary scene shows up at once. Keeping the scale small in your first film makes finishing it more likely.

A warning

The limits above are general examples and can change every year. Before you submit, read that year's rules for the festival in question; whether the credits count towards the running time is written there too.

Frequently asked questions

What's the longest a short film can be?

The widely used upper line is the Academy's: 40 minutes or less including credits. But many festivals set a much lower limit, often around 15 to 30 minutes including credits. The exact limit is in each festival's rules.

How many pages should a short film script be?

Since 1 page ≈ 1 minute in standard format, a 5–10 minute short means a 5–10 page screenplay. That's the realistic target for a first film.

Does a 5-minute film count as a short film?

Yes. Some competitions even set their upper limit at a few minutes. What decides it isn't the running time but whether the film tells a complete story on its own.

Do the credits count towards the running time?

At most festivals, yes: the credits are included in the total running time, and the rules say so explicitly. If you're planning a film close to the limit, count the credits from the start.

Learn to write a tight screenplay in the lessons