Welcome to the 9th Annual Bonita Springs Short Film Fest Competition.

This year’s festival topic is “LAUGH OUT LOUD BONITA”

This film competition is an annual celebration of the City of Bonita Springs and the community surrounding us. It is open to ALL genres, ages, and levels of skill.

Pick any genre (comedy, drama, documentary, western, etc) and tell us a story through film. Photo sequences are acceptable but preference is given to ‘moving pictures’. After all, it is a film festival.

The festival accepts footage from any location, particularly from Southwest Florida, though judges love films shot in Bonita Springs. Be absolutely sure you hold the rights to that footage. Failure to observe this rule can disqualify your entry. If you have doubts about using certain footage, from someone else, please contact us for assistance.

Each film/video must be between 1 minute and 10 minutes long, with an interesting story for everyone to enjoy.

We’ll say it again: the minimum length is 1 (one) minute and the max is 10 (ten) minutes – We will be very strict about this rule.

Check all categories under our PRIZES webpage.

A panel of citizens of Bonita, selected by the organization, will determine the finalists and the winners, except ‘The people’s choice award’. Each entry will be judged on its own merits, particularly in how they best showcase the theme for this year.

The 2024 Festival’s Gala will take place at Prado Stadium 12 Theaters, in Bonita Springs on Thursday April 18th at 6 PM .

IMPORTANT: If you have any questions about location permits, and filming authorizations, please contact us in advance, so we can provide you with the necessary contact information. There are City ordinances about boating, drones, and other safety regulations that you must follow at all times. Don’t take any chances. We will help you with the paperwork as much as we can, but ultimately you are the sole responsible for your actions. So have fun, but remember to be considerate to your fellow citizens, respect their privacy and follow every City and traffic regulation at all times.